Articles | Volume 26, issue 16
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-11605-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Special issue:
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-11605-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
18 Aug 2026
Research article |
| 18 Aug 2026
| 18 Aug 2026
Characteristics of tropical clouds with strong updrafts revealed by Doppler-velocity measurements from EarthCARE/CPR
Haruka Hotta
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8564, Japan
Earth Observation Research Center, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tsukuba, 305-8505, Japan
Kentaroh Suzuki
Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8564, Japan
Maki Kikuchi
Earth Observation Research Center, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tsukuba, 305-8505, Japan
Shunsuke Aoki
Earth Observation Research Center, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tsukuba, 305-8505, Japan
Takuji Kubota
Earth Observation Research Center, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tsukuba, 305-8505, Japan
Related authors
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Takashi M. Nagao, Kentaroh Suzuki, Akira Yamauchi, Eiji Oikawa, Miho Sekiguchi, Haruma Ishida, and Masataka Muto
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-4324, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-4324, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (AMT).
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This study presents the initial validation of the JAXA four-sensor synergy radiation budget product (ALL_RAD) for the EarthCARE mission. ALL_RAD provides broadband radiative fluxes, heating rates, and cloud/aerosol radiative effects by combining EarthCARE cloud and aerosol retrievals with 1D radiative transfer calculations. Comparisons with BMA-FLX and ground-based observations demonstrate good consistency, supporting future EarthCARE radiative closure studies.
Shunsuke Aoki, Takuji Kubota, Hiroaki Horie, and Yuichi Ohno
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3256, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3256, 2026
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The EarthCARE Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) observations can be contaminated by spurious cloud signals from multiple-trip echoes, including mirror images, multiple scattering (MS) tails, and satellite mirror images (SMIs). Distinguishing and removing them is essential for scientific analyses using CPR. This study characterizes their global occurrence and properties, and evaluates identification methods developed from CloudSat heritage and newly enhanced using CPR Doppler velocity measurements.
Silke Groß, Florian Ewald, Bjorn Stevens, Martin Wirth, Georgios Dekoutsidis, André Ehrlich, Dimitra Kouklaki, Konstantin Krüger, Sophie Rosenburg, Lea Volkmer, Jonas von Bismark, Lutz Hirsch, Anna E. Luebke, Eleni Marinou, Bernhard Mayer, Montserrat Pinol Sole, Manfred Wendisch, Julia Windmiller, Vassilis Amiridis, Rob Koopman, Takuji Kubota, and Markus Rapp
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 3933–3959, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-3933-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-3933-2026, 2026
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In May 2024 the joint European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) mission EarthCARE was launched. A similar payload as on the satellite was set up on the German research aircraft HALO, and deployed during an extensive measurement campaign to validated the satellite. We present our instrumentation, the measurements, and its potential for the validation of EarthCARE. We show first validation results and assessments of the EarthCARE data quality.
Minrui Wang, Takashi Y. Nakajima, Jiaqi Wu, Yamato Ogura, Mayumi Yoshida, Masataka Muto, and Takuji Kubota
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1679, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1679, 2026
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This paper describes a scientific method of vicarious calibration to obtain the calibration coefficient, which will be used for Multi-Spectial Imager level 2 cloud and aerosol products. In the case of cloud product, slight overestimation was found for the visible band, and almost no overestimation or underestimation for near-infrared band. On the other side, slight overestimation for the visible band and slight underestimation for near-infrared band was found for aerosol product.
Yuki Imura, Shunsuke Aoki, Takuji Kubota, Hirotaka Nakatsuka, Yuichi Ohno, and Hajime Okamoto
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1453, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1453, 2026
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Understanding air motion within clouds is essential for weather and climate research. A new satellite launched in 2024 can observe how clouds move around the world for the first time. In this study, we compare three observation modes using real satellite data. We find that some modes provide more accurate measurements but reduce the ability to observe very high clouds and increase the risk of false signals. Our results show which observation modes work best in different regions of the world.
Shunsuke Aoki, Takuji Kubota, and F. Joseph Turk
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 79–100, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-79-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-79-2026, 2026
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Using coincident observations from the EarthCARE Cloud Profiling Radar with Doppler velocity measurement capability and the Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar on the Global Precipitation Measurement, vertical motions in stratiform and convective precipitation systems are examined, providing insights into the dynamical and microphysical processes inside deep clouds. This enables a more comprehensive understanding of hydrometeor fall speeds and vertical air motions in precipitation systems.
Tatsuya Seiki, Horoaki Horie, Yuichiro Hagihara, Shunsuke Aoki, and Akira T. Noda
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4819, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4819, 2025
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How ice particles grow in extremely cold conditions remains poorly understood due to limited observations. This study develops a new method to identify dominant ice-particle growth from radar reflectivity and Doppler velocity. It reveals, for the first time, that key growth processes vary not only with temperature but also by region. These findings highlight EarthCARE's value for monitoring clouds and improving climate model representation.
Takashi M. Nagao, Kentaroh Suzuki, and Makoto Kuji
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 773–792, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-773-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-773-2025, 2025
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In satellite remote sensing, estimating cloud-base height (CBH) is more challenging than estimating cloud-top height because the cloud base is obscured by the cloud itself. We developed an algorithm using the specific channel (known as the oxygen A-band channel) of the SGLI on JAXA’s GCOM-C satellite to estimate CBHs together with other cloud properties. This algorithm can provide global distributions of CBH across various cloud types, including liquid, ice, and mixed-phase clouds.
Akira Yamauchi, Kentaroh Suzuki, Eiji Oikawa, Miho Sekiguchi, Takashi M. Nagao, and Haruma Ishida
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6751–6767, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6751-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6751-2024, 2024
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A Japanese team developed the Level 2 atmospheric radiation flux and heating rate product for EarthCARE, which offers vertical profiles of longwave and shortwave radiative fluxes and heating rates. This study outlines the algorithm for the radiative product and its comparative validation against satellite and ground-based observations. It also analyzes errors in radiative fluxes at various scales and their dependence on cloud type, with ice-containing clouds identified as a primary error source.
Hajime Okamoto, Kaori Sato, Tomoaki Nishizawa, Yoshitaka Jin, Shota Ogawa, Hiroshi Ishimoto, Yuichiro Hagihara, EIji Oikawa, Maki Kikuchi, Masaki Satoh, and Wooosub Roh
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-103, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-103, 2024
Publication in AMT not foreseen
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The article gives the descriptions of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) level 2 (L2) cloud mask and cloud particle type algorithms for CPR and ATLID onboard Earth Clouds, Aerosols and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) satellite. The 355nm-multiple scattering polarization lidar was used to develop ATLID algorithm. Evaluations show the agreements for CPR-only, ATLID-only and CPR-ATLID synergy algorithms to be about 80%, 85% and 80%, respectively on average for about two EarthCARE orbits.
Hajime Okamoto, Kaori Sato, Tomoaki Nishizawa, Yoshitaka Jin, Takashi Nakajima, Minrui Wang, Masaki Satoh, Kentaroh Suzuki, Woosub Roh, Akira Yamauchi, Hiroaki Horie, Yuichi Ohno, Yuichiro Hagihara, Hiroshi Ishimoto, Rei Kudo, Takuji Kubota, and Toshiyuki Tanaka
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-101, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-101, 2024
Publication in AMT not foreseen
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This article gives overviews of the JAXA L2 algorithms and products by Japanese science teams for EarthCARE. The algorithms provide corrected Doppler velocity, cloud particle shape and orientations, microphysics of clouds and aerosols, and radiative fluxes and heating rate. The retrievals by the algorithms are demonstrated and evaluated using NICAM/J-simulator outputs. The JAXA EarthCARE L2 products will bring new scientific knowledge about the clouds, aerosols, radiation and convections.
Woosub Roh, Masaki Satoh, Yuichiro Hagihara, Hiroaki Horie, Yuichi Ohno, and Takuji Kubota
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3455–3466, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3455-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3455-2024, 2024
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The advantage of the use of Doppler velocity in the categorization of the hydrometeors is that Doppler velocities suffer less impact from the attenuation of rain and wet attenuation on an antenna. The ground Cloud Profiling Radar observation of the radar reflectivity for the precipitation case is limited because of wet attenuation on an antenna. We found the main contribution to Doppler velocities is the terminal velocity of hydrometeors by analysis of simulation results.
Charlotte M. Beall, Po-Lun Ma, Matthew W. Christensen, Johannes Mülmenstädt, Adam Varble, Kentaroh Suzuki, and Takuro Michibata
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 5287–5302, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5287-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5287-2024, 2024
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Single-layer warm liquid clouds cover nearly one-third of the Earth's surface, and uncertainties regarding the impact of aerosols on their radiative properties pose a significant challenge to climate prediction. Here, we demonstrate how satellite observations can be used to constrain Earth system model estimates of the radiative forcing from the interactions of aerosols with clouds due to warm rain processes.
Michael Eisinger, Fabien Marnas, Kotska Wallace, Takuji Kubota, Nobuhiro Tomiyama, Yuichi Ohno, Toshiyuki Tanaka, Eichi Tomita, Tobias Wehr, and Dirk Bernaerts
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 839–862, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-839-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-839-2024, 2024
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The Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) is an ESA–JAXA satellite mission to be launched in 2024. We presented an overview of the EarthCARE processors' development, with processors developed by teams in Europe, Japan, and Canada. EarthCARE will allow scientists to evaluate the representation of cloud, aerosol, precipitation, and radiative flux in weather forecast and climate models, with the objective to better understand cloud processes and improve weather and climate models.
Daisuke Goto, Tatsuya Seiki, Kentaroh Suzuki, Hisashi Yashiro, and Toshihiko Takemura
Geosci. Model Dev., 17, 651–684, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-651-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-651-2024, 2024
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Global climate models with coarse grid sizes include uncertainties about the processes in aerosol–cloud–precipitation interactions. To reduce these uncertainties, here we performed numerical simulations using a new version of our global aerosol transport model with a finer grid size over a longer period than in our previous study. As a result, we found that the cloud microphysics module influences the aerosol distributions through both aerosol wet deposition and aerosol–cloud interactions.
Tobias Wehr, Takuji Kubota, Georgios Tzeremes, Kotska Wallace, Hirotaka Nakatsuka, Yuichi Ohno, Rob Koopman, Stephanie Rusli, Maki Kikuchi, Michael Eisinger, Toshiyuki Tanaka, Masatoshi Taga, Patrick Deghaye, Eichi Tomita, and Dirk Bernaerts
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 3581–3608, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3581-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3581-2023, 2023
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The EarthCARE satellite is due for launch in 2024. It includes four scientific instruments to measure global vertical profiles of aerosols, clouds and precipitation properties together with radiative fluxes and derived heating rates. The mission's scientific requirements, the satellite and the ground segment are described. In particular, the four scientific instruments and their performance are described at the level of detail required by mission data users.
Woosub Roh, Masaki Satoh, Tempei Hashino, Shuhei Matsugishi, Tomoe Nasuno, and Takuji Kubota
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 3331–3344, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3331-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3331-2023, 2023
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JAXA EarthCARE synthetic data (JAXA L1 data) were compiled using the global storm-resolving model (GSRM) NICAM (Nonhydrostatic ICosahedral
Atmospheric Model) simulation with 3.5 km horizontal resolution and the Joint-Simulator. JAXA L1 data are intended to support the development of JAXA retrieval algorithms for the EarthCARE sensor before launch of the satellite. The expected orbit of EarthCARE and horizontal sampling of each sensor were used to simulate the signals.
Yuichiro Hagihara, Yuichi Ohno, Hiroaki Horie, Woosub Roh, Masaki Satoh, and Takuji Kubota
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 3211–3219, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3211-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3211-2023, 2023
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The CPR on the EarthCARE satellite is the first satellite-borne Doppler radar. We evaluated the effectiveness of horizontal integration and the unfolding method for the reduction of the Doppler error (the standard deviation of the random error) in the CPR_ECO product. The error was higher in the tropics than in the other latitudes due to frequent rain echo occurrence and limitation of its unfolding correction. If we use low-mode operation (high PRF), the errors become small enough.
Minrui Wang, Takashi Y. Nakajima, Woosub Roh, Masaki Satoh, Kentaroh Suzuki, Takuji Kubota, and Mayumi Yoshida
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 603–623, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-603-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-603-2023, 2023
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SMILE (a spectral misalignment in which a shift in the center wavelength appears as a distortion in the spectral image) was detected during our recent work. To evaluate how it affects the cloud retrieval products, we did a simulation of EarthCARE-MSI forward radiation, evaluating the error in simulated scenes from a global cloud system-resolving model and a satellite simulator. Our results indicated that the error from SMILE was generally small and negligible for oceanic scenes.
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Short summary
Cloud updrafts play a key role in the climate system, but global assessments remain indirect. Doppler velocities from EarthCARE (Earth Cloud, Aerosol and Radiation Explorer) Cloud Profiling Radar revealed that strong updrafts in tropical convections were most likely when radar echoes reached close to the cloud top, even in moderately tall storms, and they were more frequent over land in the early afternoon. These results provide new benchmarks to improve how numerical models represent convection and cloud microphysics.
Cloud updrafts play a key role in the climate system, but global assessments remain indirect....
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