Articles | Volume 17, issue 6 
            
                
                    
            
            
            https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-3845-2017
                    © Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under 
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
                the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-3845-2017
                    © Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under 
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
                the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Upper tropospheric cloud systems derived from IR sounders: properties of cirrus anvils in the tropics
Sofia E. Protopapadaki
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
                                            
                                    
                                            Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD/IPSL), Sorbonne Universités,  Paris, France
                                        
                                    
                                            UPMC Univ Paris 06, PSL Research, University, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
                                        
                                    
                                            Université Paris-Saclay, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, Paris, France
                                        
                                    Claudia J. Stubenrauch
                                            Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD/IPSL), Sorbonne Universités,  Paris, France
                                        
                                    
                                            UPMC Univ Paris 06, PSL Research, University, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
                                        
                                    
                                            Université Paris-Saclay, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, Paris, France
                                        
                                    Artem G. Feofilov
                                            Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD/IPSL), Sorbonne Universités,  Paris, France
                                        
                                    
                                            UPMC Univ Paris 06, PSL Research, University, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
                                        
                                    
                                            Université Paris-Saclay, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, Paris, France
                                        
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                            Cited
24 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Version 4 CALIPSO Imaging Infrared Radiometer ice and liquid water cloud microphysical properties – Part II: Results over oceans A. Garnier et al. 10.5194/amt-14-3277-2021
 - The Life Cycle of Anvil Clouds and the Top-of-Atmosphere Radiation Balance over the Tropical West Pacific C. Wall et al. 10.1175/JCLI-D-18-0154.1
 - New Cloud System Metrics to Assess Bulk Ice Cloud Schemes in a GCM C. Stubenrauch et al. 10.1029/2019MS001642
 - Diurnal Differences in Tropical Maritime Anvil Cloud Evolution B. Gasparini et al. 10.1175/JCLI-D-21-0211.1
 - Opinion: Tropical cirrus – from micro-scale processes to climate-scale impacts B. Gasparini et al. 10.5194/acp-23-15413-2023
 - Relationship between latent and radiative heating fields of tropical cloud systems using synergistic satellite observations X. Chen et al. 10.5194/acp-25-6857-2025
 - The Life Cycle and Net Radiative Effect of Tropical Anvil Clouds D. Hartmann et al. 10.1029/2018MS001484
 - A Lagrangian Perspective on Tropical Anvil Cloud Lifecycle in Present and Future Climate B. Gasparini et al. 10.1029/2020JD033487
 - Diabatic heating of mesoscale convective cloud systems from synergistic satellite data X. Chen et al. 10.1088/1755-1315/1522/1/012024
 - 3D radiative heating of tropical upper tropospheric cloud systems derived from synergistic A-Train observations and machine learning C. Stubenrauch et al. 10.5194/acp-21-1015-2021
 - The Global Nature of Early‐Afternoon and Late‐Night Convection Through the Eyes of the A‐Train J. Pilewskie & T. L’Ecuyer 10.1029/2022JD036438
 - Cirrus Cloud Properties as Seen by the CALIPSO Satellite and ECHAM-HAM Global Climate Model B. Gasparini et al. 10.1175/JCLI-D-16-0608.1
 - Diurnal variation of high-level clouds from the synergy of AIRS and IASI space-borne infrared sounders A. Feofilov & C. Stubenrauch 10.5194/acp-19-13957-2019
 - Lessons Learned from the Updated GEWEX Cloud Assessment Database C. Stubenrauch et al. 10.1007/s10712-024-09824-0
 - Convective organization and 3D structure of tropical cloud systems deduced from synergistic A-Train observations and machine learning C. Stubenrauch et al. 10.5194/acp-23-5867-2023
 - Column crossing and lateral transport in numerical weather models G. Rooney 10.1002/asl.1163
 - Ice cloud microphysical trends observed by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder B. Kahn et al. 10.5194/acp-18-10715-2018
 - What Drives the Life Cycle of Tropical Anvil Clouds? B. Gasparini et al. 10.1029/2019MS001736
 - Effects of vertical wind shear on intensities of mesoscale convective systems over West and Central Africa M. Baidu et al. 10.1002/asl.1094
 - Cloud climatologies from the infrared sounders AIRS and IASI: strengths and applications C. Stubenrauch et al. 10.5194/acp-17-13625-2017
 - The evolution of deep convective systems and their associated cirrus outflows G. Horner & E. Gryspeerdt 10.5194/acp-23-14239-2023
 - Development of a Rapid Retrieval Method for Cloud Optical Thickness and Cloud-Top Height Using Himawari-8 Infrared Measurements S. Sakai et al. 10.2151/sola.2019-012
 - A Lagrangian perspective on the lifecycle and cloud radiative effect of deep convective clouds over Africa W. Jones et al. 10.5194/acp-24-5165-2024
 - The Response of Tropical Organized Convection to El Niño Warming S. Sullivan et al. 10.1029/2019JD031026
 
24 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Version 4 CALIPSO Imaging Infrared Radiometer ice and liquid water cloud microphysical properties – Part II: Results over oceans A. Garnier et al. 10.5194/amt-14-3277-2021
 - The Life Cycle of Anvil Clouds and the Top-of-Atmosphere Radiation Balance over the Tropical West Pacific C. Wall et al. 10.1175/JCLI-D-18-0154.1
 - New Cloud System Metrics to Assess Bulk Ice Cloud Schemes in a GCM C. Stubenrauch et al. 10.1029/2019MS001642
 - Diurnal Differences in Tropical Maritime Anvil Cloud Evolution B. Gasparini et al. 10.1175/JCLI-D-21-0211.1
 - Opinion: Tropical cirrus – from micro-scale processes to climate-scale impacts B. Gasparini et al. 10.5194/acp-23-15413-2023
 - Relationship between latent and radiative heating fields of tropical cloud systems using synergistic satellite observations X. Chen et al. 10.5194/acp-25-6857-2025
 - The Life Cycle and Net Radiative Effect of Tropical Anvil Clouds D. Hartmann et al. 10.1029/2018MS001484
 - A Lagrangian Perspective on Tropical Anvil Cloud Lifecycle in Present and Future Climate B. Gasparini et al. 10.1029/2020JD033487
 - Diabatic heating of mesoscale convective cloud systems from synergistic satellite data X. Chen et al. 10.1088/1755-1315/1522/1/012024
 - 3D radiative heating of tropical upper tropospheric cloud systems derived from synergistic A-Train observations and machine learning C. Stubenrauch et al. 10.5194/acp-21-1015-2021
 - The Global Nature of Early‐Afternoon and Late‐Night Convection Through the Eyes of the A‐Train J. Pilewskie & T. L’Ecuyer 10.1029/2022JD036438
 - Cirrus Cloud Properties as Seen by the CALIPSO Satellite and ECHAM-HAM Global Climate Model B. Gasparini et al. 10.1175/JCLI-D-16-0608.1
 - Diurnal variation of high-level clouds from the synergy of AIRS and IASI space-borne infrared sounders A. Feofilov & C. Stubenrauch 10.5194/acp-19-13957-2019
 - Lessons Learned from the Updated GEWEX Cloud Assessment Database C. Stubenrauch et al. 10.1007/s10712-024-09824-0
 - Convective organization and 3D structure of tropical cloud systems deduced from synergistic A-Train observations and machine learning C. Stubenrauch et al. 10.5194/acp-23-5867-2023
 - Column crossing and lateral transport in numerical weather models G. Rooney 10.1002/asl.1163
 - Ice cloud microphysical trends observed by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder B. Kahn et al. 10.5194/acp-18-10715-2018
 - What Drives the Life Cycle of Tropical Anvil Clouds? B. Gasparini et al. 10.1029/2019MS001736
 - Effects of vertical wind shear on intensities of mesoscale convective systems over West and Central Africa M. Baidu et al. 10.1002/asl.1094
 - Cloud climatologies from the infrared sounders AIRS and IASI: strengths and applications C. Stubenrauch et al. 10.5194/acp-17-13625-2017
 - The evolution of deep convective systems and their associated cirrus outflows G. Horner & E. Gryspeerdt 10.5194/acp-23-14239-2023
 - Development of a Rapid Retrieval Method for Cloud Optical Thickness and Cloud-Top Height Using Himawari-8 Infrared Measurements S. Sakai et al. 10.2151/sola.2019-012
 - A Lagrangian perspective on the lifecycle and cloud radiative effect of deep convective clouds over Africa W. Jones et al. 10.5194/acp-24-5165-2024
 - The Response of Tropical Organized Convection to El Niño Warming S. Sullivan et al. 10.1029/2019JD031026
 
Latest update: 04 Nov 2025
Short summary
                    Upper tropospheric clouds cover about 30 % of the Earth and play a key role in the climate system by modulating the Earth's energy budget and heat transport. In this article, we study upper tropospheric cloud systems using cloud properties deduced from infrared sounders. Our analyses show that the size of the systems as well as the fraction of thin cirrus over the total anvil area increases with increasing convective depth.
                    Upper tropospheric clouds cover about 30 % of the Earth and play a key role in the climate...
                    
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