抄録
This paper examines the use of the spaceborne radar and imagers aboard CloudSat, Aqua, EarthCARE, GCOM-C, and third-generation geostationary satellites for investigating and revealing the cloud evolution processes for warm water clouds. These satellites either have been in orbit or are planned to be launched in the mid-2010s, and will contribute to observations of aerosols and clouds on Earth. Although most data analyses are performed using each satellite and sensor separately, combining the sensors offers the potential of new findings on the states and evolution processes of clouds, such as by obtaining a rough sketch of cloud vertical structure through the use of a microwave scanner and a visible-to-infrared imager, or by observing the cloud evolution transition through the use of a cloud profiling radar and a visible-to-infrared imager. This is the work we aim to perform over the next decade. This research will be conducted by using various kinds of satellites and sensors, radiative transfer theory, electromagnetic scattering theory, and modeling. This paper presents recent topics and strategies for synergistic use of spaceborne sensors with a review of important past studies.
