ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE
Science and Validation Workshop
13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

EarthCARE ESA product overview
J.v. Bismarck (ESA), M. Eisinger (ESA), F. Marnas (ESA), S. Rusli (ESA), K. Wallace (ESA),
G.J. Van Zadelhoff (KNMI/CARDINAL), etal.

Content
1. Processing Chain Overview

2. L1 and Auxiliary Processors developed by
GMV, Airbus (sat/payload industry) and S&T
3. L2 Processors developed by the CARDINAL
consortium (KNMI, TROPOS, McGill,
University of Torino, Free University of Berlin,
Royal Meteorological Institute Belgium, GMV,
ECMWF, LATMOS Environment and Climate
Change Canada, LMD/IPSL,..)
ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

EarthCARE data products are generated by ESA and JAXA
Covered in this Presentation

ATLID

BBR

MSI

L1

L1

L1
L2A

L2A
L2B

Next Presentation:

CPR

ATLID

BBR

MSI

CPR
L1

L2A

L2A

L2A

L2A

L2B

3

EarthCARE science data processing chain (ESA)• Four EarthCARE instruments are used in synergy• Complex processing chain: 24 processors, 47 data products• Transforming raw instrument data into geophysical data products• To support the mission objective of assessing
broadband radiances/fluxes based on BBR measurements
vsradiances/fluxes derived from ATLID/CPR/MSI measurements of cloud/aerosolparameters via radiative transfer models

4

CPR Level 1b (JAXA)
Radar reflectivity and Doppler
velocity profiles

ATLID Level 1b (ESA)
Attenuated backscatter in• Rayleigh channel• Co-polar Mie channel• Cross-polar Mie channel

MSI Level 1b/c (ESA)TOA radiances for four solar
channels, TOA brightness
temperatures for threethermal channels

CPR Level 2aRadar echo product, featuremask, cloud type, liquid andice cloud properties, verticalmotion, rain and snow
estimates, ...

ATLID Level 2a
Feature mask and target
classification, extinction,backscatter & depol. profiles,
aerosol properties, ice cloudproperties, ...

MSI Level 2a
Cloud mask, cloud microphysical parameters, cloud
top height, aerosolparameters, ...

Synergistic Level 2b
1. Target classification
2. Cloud & aer. prof. at x-sec

EarthCARE
Data Production
Model

CPR Level 1b (JAXA)
Radar reflectivity and Doppler
velocity profiles

ATLID Level 1b (ESA)
Attenuated backscatter in• Rayleigh channel• Co-polar Mie channel• Cross-polar Mie channel

MSI Level 1b/c (ESA)TOA radiances for four solar
channels, TOA brightness
temperatures for threethermal channels

CPR Level 2aRadar echo product, featuremask, cloud type, liquid andice cloud properties, verticalmotion, rain and snow
estimates, ...

ATLID Level 2a
Feature mask and target
classification, extinction,backscatter & depol. profiles,
aerosol properties, ice cloudproperties, ...

MSI Level 2a
Cloud mask, cloud microphysical parameters, cloud
top height, aerosolparameters, ...

Synergistic Level 2b
1. Target classification
synergistic target classification2. Cloud & aer. prof. at x-sec

acknowledgements: KNMI, LATMOS, ECMWF, TROPOS

EarthCAREATLID&MSI : Continuousof CTH → Evaluation GEO products
Dataevaluation
Production
Model

CPR Level 1b (JAXA)
Radar reflectivity and Doppler
velocity profiles

ATLID Level 1b (ESA)
Attenuated backscatter in• Rayleigh channel• Co-polar Mie channel• Cross-polar Mie channel

MSI Level 1b/c (ESA)TOA radiances for four solar
channels, TOA brightness
temperatures for threethermal channels

CPR Level 2aRadar echo product, featuremask, cloud type, liquid andice cloud properties, verticalmotion, rain and snow
estimates, ...

ATLID Level 2a
Feature mask and target
classification, extinction,backscatter & depol. profiles,
aerosol properties, ice cloudproperties, ...

MSI Level 2a
Cloud mask, cloud microphysical parameters, cloud
top height, aerosolparameters, ...

Synergistic Level 2b
1. Target classification
2. Cloud & aer. prof. at x-sec

3D Scenes Construction
Expand syn. retrievals acrosstrack using MSI; ≈40km wide
Radiative Transfer Products
calculated radiances, fluxes,
heating rate profiles

EarthCARE
Data Production
Modelacknowledgements: Environment and Climate Change Canada

CPR Level 1b (JAXA)
Radar reflectivity and Doppler
velocity profiles

ATLID Level 1b (ESA)
Attenuated backscatter in• Rayleigh channel• Co-polar Mie channel• Cross-polar Mie channel

MSI Level 1b/c (ESA)TOA radiances for four solar
channels, TOA brightness
temperatures for threethermal channels

BBR Level 1b (ESA)
Filtered TOA short-wave andtotal-wave radiances

CPR Level 2aRadar echo product, featuremask, cloud type, liquid andice cloud properties, verticalmotion, rain and snow
estimates, ...

ATLID Level 2a
Feature mask and target
classification, extinction,backscatter & depol. profiles,
aerosol properties, ice cloudproperties, ...

MSI Level 2a
Cloud mask, cloud microphysical parameters, cloud
top height, aerosolparameters, ...

BBR Level 2a
Unfiltered top-of-atmosphereradiances, short-wave andlong-wave fluxes
BBR Level 2b: enhanced
products using MSI

Synergistic Level 2b
1. Target classification
2. Cloud & aer. prof. at x-sec

3D Scenes Construction
Expand syn. retrievals acrosstrack using MSI; ≈40km wide

acknowledgements: ECCC, ECMWF,

Radiative Transfer Products
calculated radiances, fluxes,
heating rate profiles

EarthCARE
Data Production
Model
Assessment
Comparison of calculated
fluxes and radiances to BBR
observations

Slide 8

EarthCARE production model (ESA)9

EarthCARE product levels
Level 0 instrument science packets with annotation headers (unprocessed data),
time-ordered, duplicate packets removed

Level 1b instrument measurements in physical units, annotated with geolocation,
error quantification and quality flags, on instrument spatial grid
Level 1c same as level 1b, but spatially interpolated to reference band (MSI M-RGR only)
Level 1d auxiliary data products, not containing instrument measurements:
meteorological fields (X-MET) and spatial grid for synergy processing (X-JSG)
Level 2a geophysical parameters, single instrument, on instrument spatial grid

Level 2b geophysical parameters, two or more instruments (synergy), on instrument or joint spatial grid

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ESA Level 1 Processor Status• ATLID/BBR/MSI level 1 processors (v4.2) fully implemented• Successfully tested in Ground Segment Verification processing runs
• Successfully chained with level 2 processors (functionally)
Remaining open issues for chaining with level 2 processors in a scientifically meaningful
way, to be solved in Q1/2024:• ATLID: implement new cross-talk correction algorithm, developed by KNMI within
CARDINAL. Prototype implementation (in Python) available• MSI: implement placeholder(s) for radiance/brightness temperature errors• BBR: resolve discrepancy in filtered radiances/spectral response (ESSS or ECGP)
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ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

X-JSG: The Joint Standard Grid
• Spatial grid for use in EarthCARE synergy (L2b) processors and products• Combination of two 2D grids (“inverted T”) to define a 3D grid:• Horizontal (along track, across track) and Vertical (along track, height)• Horizontal grid from CPR• Vertical grid from ATLID• Grid is continuous (no gaps)

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X-MET: Meteorological fields for EarthCARE swath• Meteorological parameters from ECMWF deterministic forecast runs for the EarthCARE
swath and overpass time on the original model spatial grid.
• This allows a reduction of the data volume by a factor of about 15 compared to global
fields (from 750 GB/day to 54 GB/day).

• Model parameters to be extracted to X-MET have been selected based on the needs ofEarthCARE level 1 and level 2 processors. The list of model parameters is configurable.
• Some parameters in X-MET are derived from a combination of model parameters.

• Used in most EarthCARE data processors

13

ESA will provide 25 L2-Science Products

50º

CPR

zenithCPR3º

Ø<1km,
nadir
500m
sampling

Instruments:
CPR Radar: backscatter & Doppler
ATLID Lidar :attenuated back-scatter (molecular,
particular, cross-polar channels)
MSI Imager: radiance & TB
BBR:TOA radiances and fluxes

EarthCARE Retrievals:
Aerosol & Cloud profiles (ice, liquid, mixed,
precipitation)
Horizontal distribution of cloud and aerosol fields→ Retrieve the 3D atmospheric state
Broad-band Solar & Thermal Radiation
14 calc. with BBR→ Validate 3D atmosphere RT

14

L2 Testing and Status
Level 2 Algorithm Descriptions published in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Special Issue on “EarthCARE Level 2 algorithms and data
products” : https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/special_issue1156.html

Product and Algorithm testing• Reference scenes: Three high-resolution scenes
from the Canadian GEM model compared to
output• Level 1 data produced by ESA processors : A-NOM,
M-NOM, M-RGR, B-NOM, B-SNG• Level 2 products produced by European/Canadianteam (based on simulated Level 1 data producedby science team until CARDINAL until 2022, andwith PDGS L1 from 2023)• L2 Status Q3 2023:• processors currently undergoing Acceptance
Review E (V11.0X).
• Ground Segment Acceptance Review (GSAR)
Ongoing• Ground Segment Verification Test Run 3
completed• L2 processors described in AMT special issue

A-EBD α & S (355nm)

ESA-JAXA Pre-Launch EarthCARE Science and Validation Workshop | 13 – 17 November 2023 | ESA-ESRIN, Frascati (Rome), Italy

ESA L2 Status Conclusions• Cloud, aerosol and radiation interaction are currently still one of the largest source of
uncertainty in projections of the future climate.
• A full L2 processing chain has been developed and evaluated using modelled scenes.
• Synergy between L2 processors and L1 data streams will enable direct verification of the
impact of clouds & aerosols on atmospheric heating rates and radiative fluxes.

• AMT special issue: ‘EarthCARE Level 2 algorithms and data products’• The EarthCARE processing chain is nearly ready and will deliver unique and crucial
data products, addressing uncertainties in the influence of clouds and aerosols on theincoming solar and outgoing thermal radiation
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Thanks for your attention!

M-AOT AOT(670 nm)

Model AOT(670 nm)

Questions?
See also Poster:

EarthCARE ESA Level 1 & 2 production model

Comparison/evaluation of L2a & L2b aerosol retrievals

17

acknowledgements: KNMI, FuB, ECMWFBackup slides

18Retrievals and “Closure”
Example of work in progress

Test Scene(“Halifax”)

Reconstructed cloud scene
based on radar-only + lidaronly + imager-only cloud
retrievals(“Composite” product)
FLUX IN BLUE
Synergistically retrieved
cloud scene, CAPTIVATE
algorithm (Opt. Estimation
with complex state vector)
FLUX IN YELLOW

Model truth (Canadian
Weather Model GEM)FLUX IN RED→ “Composite” clouds are

too dull and too cold

Acknowledgement
19
R. Hogan, S. Mason, H. Barker, Y. Cole, Z. Qu, D. Donovan
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