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Cloud fraction & cloud pressure

 
   
 
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Contact
page last modified:
25 March 2026
     
For the retrieval of tropospheric trace gas columns it is essential to have information on the cloud cover conditions. Both the cloud fraction and the cloud pressure are needed as input for the trace gas retrieval algorithms. The (effective) cloud fraction and cloud pressure are derived from GOME, SCIAMACHY and GOME-2 measurements with the FRESCO cloud algorithm. The OMI cloud information is derived with the OMCLDO2 algorithm.

Latest results for GOME-2

GOME-2 (METOP-B):GOME-2 (METOP-C):

Archives

FRESCO cloud information (FRESCO versions)

GOME-2 / MetOp-A (version G2-v8, level 1 v.6.3/7.x)


 
 2006 |  2007 |  2008 |  2009 |  2010 |  2011 |  2012 |  2013 |  2014 |  2015 |  2016 |  2017 |  2018 |  2019 |  2020 |  2021
  GOME-2A menu   

GOME-2 / MetOp-B (version G2-v8, level 1 v.6.3/7.x)


 
 2012 |  2013 |  2014 |  2015 |  2016 |  2017 |  2018 |  2019 |  2020 |  2021 |  2022 |  2023 |  2024 |  2025 |  2026
  GOME-2B menu   

GOME-2 / MetOp-C (version G2-v8, level 1 v.6.3/7.x)


 
 2019 |  2020 |  2021 |  2022 |  2023 |  2024 |  2025 |  2026
  GOME-2C menu   

SCIAMACHY (version SC-v7, level 1 v.7.04)


 
 2002 |  2003 |  2004 |  2005 |  2006 |  2007 |  2008 |  2009 |  2010 |  2011 |  2012
  SCIAMACHY menu   

GOME (version GO-v7, level 1 v.4.0x)


 
 1995 |  1996 |  1997 |  1998 |  1999 |  2000 |  2001 |  2002 |  2003
 

OMI cloud information (OMCLDO2 version 2.0; level 1 collection 3)

Datafiles: all years   ==   v2.0.0.10   (at NASA / GSFC)
Based on the updated algorithm described
by Veefkind et al., 2016 (see below):
  Cloud Fraction images:

 
 2004 |  2005 |  2006 |  2007 |  2008 |  2009 |  2010 |  2011 |  2012 |  2013 |  2014 |  2015 |  2016 |  2017 |  2018 |  2019 |  2020 |  2021 |  2022 |  2023 |  2024 |  2025 |  2026
 

Citation

When the data is used in scientific publications, please refer to the following publication:

For FRESCO (GOME,SCIAMACHY,GOME-2) data:
* P. Wang, P. Stammes, R. van der A, G. Pinardi, and M. van Roozendael, FRESCO+: an improved O2 A-band cloud retrieval algorithm for tropospheric trace gas retrievals, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 8, 6565-6576, doi:10.5194/acp-8-6565-2008, 2008. (link)

For OMI data:
* Veefkind, J. P., J. F. de Haan, M. Sneep, and P. Levelt, Improvements of the OMI O2-O2 operational cloud algorithm and comparisons with ground-based radar-lidar observations, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 6035-6049, doi:10.5194/amt-9-6035-2016, 2016. (link)
* Acarreta, J. R., J. F. de Haan, and P. Stammes, Cloud pressure retrieval using the O2-O2 absorption band at 477 nm, J. Geophys. Res., 109, doi:10.1029/2003JD003915, 2004.
(link)


Acknowledgement

The FRESCO data products of GOME-2 were generated using level 1 data developed by EUMETSAT.
 

Documentation

Scientific papers

  • Wang, P. and Stammes, P.: Evaluation of SCIAMACHY Oxygen A band cloud heights using Cloudnet measurements, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 1331-1350, doi:10.5194/amt-7-1331-2014, 2014. (link)
  • Wang, P., Tuinder, O. N. E., Tilstra, L. G., de Graaf, M., and Stammes, P., Interpretation of FRESCO cloud retrievals in case of absorbing aerosol events, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 9057-9077, doi:10.5194/acp-12-9057-2012, 2012. (link)
  • Wang, P., P. Stammes, and R. Mueller, Surface solar irradiance from SCIAMACHY measurements: algorithm and validation, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 4, 875-891, doi:10.5194/amt-4-875-2011, 2011. (link)
  • Wang, P., P. Stammes, R. van der A, G. Pinardi, and M. van Roozendael, FRESCO+: an improved O2 A-band cloud retrieval algorithm for tropospheric trace gas retrievals, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 8, 6565-6576, doi:10.5194/acp-8-6565-2008, 2008. (link)
  • Fournier, N., P. Stammes, M. de Graaf, R. van der A, A. Piters, M. Grzegorski, A. Kokhanovsky, Improving cloud information over deserts from SCIAMACHY Oxygen A-band measurements, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 163-172, SRef-ID: 1680-7324/acp/2006-6-163, 2006. (link)
  • Koelemeijer, R. B. A., P. Stammes, J. W. Hovenier, and J. F. de Haan, Global distributions of effective cloud fraction and cloud top pressure derived from oxygen A band spectra measured by the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment: Comparison to ISCCP data, J. Geophys. Res., 107, doi:10.1029/2001JD000840, 2002. (link)
  • Koelemeijer, R. B. A., P. Stammes, J. W. Hovenier, and J. F. de Haan, A fast method for retrieval of cloud parameters using oxygen A band measurements from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 3475-3490, doi:10.1029/2000JD900657, 2001. (link)