Potentialities and Limits of ICESAT-2 Observation for Atmospheric Aerosol Investigation

• Published in: EPJ Web of Conferences
• Main Authors: Mona L., Amodeo A., D’Amico G.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: EDP Sciences 2016
• Subjects: Physics; QC1-999; Ice Sheet; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201611904004; https://doaj.org/article/122e64c6bd254019b613c3a046627695

ICESat-2(Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2), slated for launch in 2017, will continue the important observations of ice-sheet elevation change, sea-ice freeboard, and vegetation canopy height begun by ICESat in 2003. Among the other potential applications, ICESat-2 could provide some information about atmospheric aerosol over Polar Regions thanks to the lidar instrument. In this context, it is essential to demonstrate the ICESat-2 capability of providing vertical profiles of the aerosol backscatter coefficient and to define its potentialities and limits. First results of this investigation are reported and will be presented at the conference.