A first global height-resolved cloud condensation nuclei data set derived from spaceborne lidar measurements

We present a global multiyear height-resolved data set of aerosol-type-specific cloud condensation nuclei concentrations (n(CCN)) estimated from the spaceborne lidar aboard the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satellite. For estimating nCCN, we apply the recently introduced Optical Modelling of the CALIPSO Aerosol Microphysics (OMCAM) algorithm to the CALIPSO Level 2 Aerosol Profile product. The estimated n(CCN) are then gridded into a uniform latitude-longitude grid of 2 degrees x 5 degrees, a vertical grid of resolution 60m from the surface to an altitude of 8 km, and a temporal resolution of 1 month. The data span a total of 186 months, from June 2006 to December 2021. In addition, we provide a 3D aerosoltype-specific climatology of n(CCN) produced using the complete time series. We further highlight some potential applications of the data set in the context of aerosol-cloud interactions. The complete data set can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.956215 (Choudhury and Tesche, 2023).

Automated summary

In this study, we present a global multiyear height-resolved data set of aerosol-type-specific cloud condensation nuclei concentrations (n(CCN)) estimated from the CALIPSO satellite's lidar data. The data set covers a large temporal and spatial range and provides valuable information about aerosol-cloud interactions. The complete data set can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.956215 (Choudhury and Tesche, 2023).