Global hydrometeor occurrence as observed by CloudSat: Initial observations from summer 2006

Abstract

Measurements of global hydrometeor coverage and occurrence frequencies as observed by the cloud radar on CloudSat are summarized using data collected during Summer 2006. CloudSat was launched on 28 April 2006 and began collecting data routinely on 7 June 2006. In this article we document the distribution of cloudiness from the ITCZ to the Polar regions as observed by CloudSat during the first summer of operations. The overall global hydrometeor coverage as observed by CloudSat is found to be 0.506. The vertical distribution of zonally averaged hydrometeor occurrence shows the relationship of clouds with components of the atmospheric general circulation such as the Hadley Cell, the ubiquitous storms over the Southern Ocean, and the subtropical stratocumulus regimes.