Aura MLS
IWC
Contact: Alyn Lambert
Cloud ice water content (IWC) is defined as cloud ice mass in unit volume of atmospheric air.
It can vary largely from 0.0001 g/m3 in thin cirrus to 1 g/m3 inside convective core. The vertically integrated column of IWC is ice water path (IWP).
How it is part of MLS Science Objectives
Clouds are a major source of uncertainty in understanding climate change of our home planet. Important to cloud radiative and hydrological properties, IWC is the key variable that connects cloud macrophysical and microphysical (such as ice particle sizes and shapes) properties. MLS cloud ice measurements can be used to reduce uncertainties in climate model parameterizations so that cloud physics/processes can be better represented. MLS IWC has units of g/m^3.
How EOS MLS Derives IWC
The standard product for IWC is retrieved from the 240 GHz cloud-induced radiances (Tcir) at 215 - 68 hPa. The IWC- Tcir relation is calculated using a radiative transfer model where ice particle size distribution is prescribed based on in-situ data. The modeled IWC-Tcir relation forms the basis of the operational IWC retrieval, which converts Tcir directly to IWC without any inversion.
The MLS IWC represents an average quantity over the volume of ~300 x 7 x 4 km3 (length, width, height) near the tangent point of each Tcir measurement. Cloud inhomogeneity and assumptions about particle size distribution are largest uncertainties. Averaging MLS IWC data (e.g. monthly) helps to reduce some of the inhomogeneity-induced uncertainties but the uncertainties induced by particle size assumptions (~100%) cannot be reduced.
Quick Product Information for data version v5
- Swath Name: IWC
- Status Flag: User is recommended to screen the IWC data using the Status field in the collocated temperature profile to exclude bad retrievals.
- Useful Range: 215 - 83 hPa
- DAAC Short Name: ML2IWC
Latest Publications (IWC)
Dion, I., C. Dallet, P. Ricaud, F. Carminati, T. Dauhut and P. Haynes
Ice injected into the tropopause by deep convection – Part 2: Over the Maritime Continent
Wang, T., D. Wu, J. Gong and C. Wang
Long‐Term Observations of Upper‐Tropospheric Cloud Ice From the MLS
Vignesh, P.P., J.H. Jiang, P. Kishore, H. Su, T. Smay, N. Brighton and I. Velicogna
Assessment of CMIP6 Cloud Fraction and Comparison with Satellite Observations
Chen, Q., G. Gao, Y. Li, H. Cai, X. Zhou and Z. Wang
Main Detrainment Height of Deep Convection Systems over the Tibetan Plateau and Its Southern Slope
Dion, I., P. Ricaud, P. Haynes, F. Carminati and T. Dauhut
Ice injected into the tropopause by deep convection – Part 1: In the austral convective tropics
Dolinar, E.K., X. Dong, B. Xi, J.H. Jiang, N.G. Loeb, J.R. Campbell and H. Su
A global record of single-layered ice cloud properties and associated radiative heating rate profiles from an A-Train perspective
Climate Dynamics 2019Jiang, J.H., Q. Yue, H. Su, P. Kangaslahti, M. Lebsock, S. Reising, M. Schoeberl, L. Wu and R.L. Herman
Simulation of Remote Sensing of Clouds and Humidity From Space Using a Combined Platform of Radar and Multifrequency Microwave Radiometers
Kubar, T.L. and J.H. Jiang
Net Cloud Thinning, Low-Level Cloud Diminishment, and Hadley Circulation Weakening of Precipitating Clouds with Tropical West Pacific SST Using MISR and Other Satellite and Reanalysis Data
Su, H., C. Zhai, J.H. Jiang, L. Wu, J. D, . Neelin and Y.L. Yung
A dichotomy between model responses of tropical ascent and descent to surface warming
Huang, H., Y. Gu, Y. Xue, J. Jiang and B. Zhao
Assessing aerosol indirect effect on clouds and regional climate of East/South Asia and West Africa using NCEP GFS
Climate Dynamics 2018Lambert, A. and M. Santee
Accuracy and precision of polar lower stratospheric temperatures from reanalyses evaluated from A-Train CALIOP and MLS, COSMIC GPS RO, and the equilibrium thermodynamics of supercooled ternary solutions and ice clouds
Jiang, J.H., Q. Yue, H. Su, S.C. Reising, P.P. Kangaslahti, W.R. Deal, E.T. Schlecht, L. Wu and K.F. Evans
[PDF] from wiley.com A Simulation of Ice Cloud Particle Size, Humidity and Temperature Measurements from the TWICE CubeSat
Earth and Space Science 2017Liu, R., K. Liou, H. Su, Y. Gu, B. Zhao, J.H. Jiang and S. Liu
High cloud variations with surface temperature from 2002 to 2015: Contributions to atmospheric radiative cooling rate and precipitation changes
Santee, M.L., G.L. Manney, N.J. Livesey, M.J. Schwartz, J.L. Neu and W.G. Read
A comprehensive overview of the climatological composition of the Asian summer monsoon anticyclone based on 10 years of Aura Microwave Limb Sounder measurements
Shi, C., W. Cai and D. Guo
Composition and Thermal Structure of the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere in a Penetrating Mesoscale Convective Complex Determined by Satellite Observations and Model Simulations
Su, H., J.H. Jiang, J.D. Neelin, T.J. Shen, C. Zhai, Q. Yue, Z. Wang, L. Huang, Y.S. Choi, G.L. Stephens and Y.L. Yung
Tightening of tropical ascent and high clouds key to precipitation change in a warmer climate
Chakraborty, S., R. Fu, S. Massie and G. Stephens
Relative influence of meteorological conditions and aerosols on the lifetime of mesoscale convective systems
Elsaesser, G.S., A.D. Genio, J.H. Jiang and M. van Lier-Walqui
An Improved Convective Ice Parameterization for the NASA GISS Global Climate Model and Impacts on Cloud Ice Simulation
Elsaesser, G.S., A.D. Genio, J.H. Jiang and M. van Lier-Walqui
An Improved Convective Ice Parameterization for the NASA GISS Global Climate Model and Impacts on Cloud Ice Simulation
Huang, L., J.H. Jiang, L. Murry, M. Damon, H. Su and N. Livesey
Evaluation of UTLS carbon monoxide simulations in GMI and GEOS-Chem chemical transport models using Aura MLS observations
Massie, S.T., J. Delanoë, C.G. Bardeen, J.H. Jiang and L. Huang
Changes in the shape of cloud ice water content vertical structure due to aerosol variations
Takahashi, H., H. Su and J.H. Jiang
Error analysis of upper tropospheric water vapor in CMIP5 models using “A-Train” satellite observations and reanalysis data
Wang, Y., H. Su, J.H. Jiang, N.J. Livesey, M.L. Santee, P.C. Stek, L. Froidevaux, W.G. Read and J. Anderson
The linkage between stratospheric water vapor and surface temperature in an observation-constrained coupled general circulation model
Wright, C.J., N.P. Hindley, A.C. Moss and N.J. Mitchell
Multi-instrument gravity-wave measurements over Tierra del Fuego and the Drake Passage – Part 1: Potential energies and vertical wavelengths from AIRS, COSMIC, HIRDLS, MLS-Aura, SAAMER, SABER and radiosondes
Geller, M.A., T. Zhou and P.T. Love
Tropical Gravity Wave Momentum Fluxes and Latent Heating Distributions
J. Atmos. Sci. 2015Gong, J., D.L. Wu and V. Limpasuvan
Meridionally tilted ice cloud structures in the tropical upper troposphere as seen by CloudSat
Huang, L., J.H. Jiang, Z. Wang, H. Su, M. Deng and S. Massie
Climatology of Cloud Water Content Associated with Different Cloud Types Observed by A-Train Satellites
Jiang, J.H., H. Su, C. Zhai, L. Wu, K. Minschwaner, A.M. Molod and A.M. Tompkins
An assessment of upper-troposphere and lower-stratosphere water vapor in MERRA, MERRA2 and ECMWF reanalyses using Aura MLS observations
Jiang, J.H., H. Su, C. Zhai, T.J. Shen, T. Wu, J. Zhang, J. Cole, K. von Salzen, L.J. Donner, C. Seman, A.D. Genio, L.S. Nazarenko, J.L. Dufresne, M. Watanabe, C. Morcrette, T. Koshiro, H. Kawai, A. Gettelman, L. Millan, W.G. Read, N.J. Livesey, Y. Kasai and M. Shiotani
Evaluating the diurnal cycle of upper tropospheric ice clouds in climate models using SMILES observations
Kristiansen, N.I., A.J. Prata, A. Stohl and S.A. Carn
Stratospheric volcanic ash emissions from the 13 February 2014 Kelut eruption
Lee, J., J. Worden, D. Noone, J.H. Chae and C. Frankenberg
Isotopic changes due to convective moistening of the lower troposphere associated with variations in the ENSO and IOD from 2005 to 2006
Minschwaner, K., G.L. Manney, I. Petropavlovskikh, L.A. Torres, Z.D. Lawrence, B. Sutherland, A.M. Thompson, B.J. Johnson, Z. Butterfield, M.K. Dubey, L. Froidevaux, A. Lambert, W.G. Read and M.J. Schwartz
Signature of a tropical Pacific cyclone in the composition of the upper troposphere over Socorro, NM
Stanfield, R.E., J.H. Jiang, X. Dong, B. Xi, H. Su, L. Donner, L. Rotstayn, T. Wu, J. Cole and E. Shindo
A Quantitative Assessment of Precipitation Associated With the ITCZ in the CMIP5 GCM Simulations Climate Dynamics
Zhai, C., J.H. Jiang and H. Su
Long term cloud change imprinted in seasonal cloud variation: more evidence of high climate sensitivity
Bhawar, R.L., J.H. Jiang, H. Su and M.J. Schwartz
Variation of upper tropospheric clouds and water vapour over the Indian Ocean
Carminati, F., P. Ricaud, J.P. Pommereau, E. Riviere, S. Khaykin, J.L. Attie and J. Warner
Impact of tropical land convection on the water vapour budget in the tropical tropopause layer
Dolinar, E.K., X. Dong, B. Xi, J.H. Jiang and H. Su
Evaluation of CMIP5 simulated clouds and TOA radiation budgets using NASA satellite observations
Huang, L., R. Fu and J.H. Jiang
Impacts of Fire Emissions and Transport Pathways on the Interannual Variation of CO in the Tropical Upper Troposphere
Millan, L., M. Lebsock, N.J. Livesey, S. Tanellin and G. Stephens
Differential absorption radar techniques: surface pressure
Rong, P.P., J.M. Russell III, C.E. Randall, S.M. Bailey and A. Lambert
Northern PMC brightness zonal variability and its correlation with temperature and water vapor
Stanfield, R.E., X. Dong, B. Xi, A. Kennedy, A.D.D. Genio, P. Minnis and J.H. Jiang
Assessment of NASA GISS CMIP5 and Post-CMIP5 Simulated Clouds and TOA Radiation Budgets Using Satellite Observations: Part I: Cloud fraction and properties
Wu, D.L., A. Lambert, W.G. Read, P. Eriksson and J. Gong
MLS and CALIOP Cloud Ice Measurements in the Upper Troposphere: A Constraint from Microwave on Cloud Microphysics
Livesey, N.J., J.A. Logan, M.L. Santee, J.W. Waters, R.M. Doherty, W.G. Read, L. Froidevaux and J.H. Jiang
Interrelated variations of O3, CO and deep convection in the tropical/subtropical upper troposphere observed by the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder MLS during 2004–2011
Millan, L., W. Read, Y. Kasai, A. Lambert, N. Livesey, J. Mendrok, H. Sagawa, T. Sano, M. Shiotani and D.L. Wu
SMILES ice cloud products
Su, H., J.H. Jiang, C. Zhai, V.S. Perun, J.T. Shen, A.D. Genio, L.S. Nazarenko, L.J. Donner, L. Horowitz, C. Seman, C. Morcrette, J. Petch, M. Ringer, J. Cole, M. Mesquita, T. Iversen, J.E. Kristjansson, A. Gettelman, L. Rotstayn, S. Jeffrey, J.L. Dufresne, M. Watanabe, H. Kawai, T. Koshiro, T. Wu, E.M. Volodin, T. L'Ecuyer, J. Teixeira and G.L. Stephens
Diagnosis of Regime-dependent Cloud Simulation Errors in CMIP5 Models Using A-Train Satellite Observations
Su, H. and J.H. Jiang
Tropical Clouds and Circulation Changes During the 2006-07 and 2009-10 El Niños
Gu, Y., K.N. Liou, J.H. Jiang, H. Su and X. Liu
Dust aerosol impact on North Africa climate: a GCM investigation of aerosol-cloud-radiation interactions using A-Train satellite data
Huang, L., R. Fu, J.H. Jiang, J.S. Wright and M. Luo
Geographic and seasonal distributions of CO transport pathways and their roles in determining CO centers in the upper troposphere
Jiang, J.H., H. Su, C. Zhai, V.S. Perun, A. Del Genio, L.S. Nazarenko, L.J. Donner, L. Horowitz, C. Seman, J. Cole, A. Gettelman, M. Ringer, L. Rotstayn, S. Jeffrey, T. Wu, F. Brient, J-L. Dufresne, H. Kawai, T. Koshiro, M. Watanabe, T.S. LÉcuyer, E.M. Volodin, T. Iversen, H. Drange, M.S. Mesquita, W.G. Read, J.W. Waters, B. Tian, J. Teixeira and G.L. Stephens
Evaluation of Cloud and Water Vapor Simulations in CMIP5 Climate Models Using NASA A-Train Satellite Observations
Wang, T. and A.E. Dessler
Analysis of cirrus in the tropical tropopause layer from CALIPSO and MLS data: A water perspective
Yi, M., Y. Fu, P. Liu, Z. Heng, Y. Gao and X. Hong
Analysis of the variation of atmospheric composition in the upper troposphere during a strong convection in eastern China in summer
Bhawar, R.L., J.H. Jiang and H. Su
Variation of upper tropospheric clouds and water vapor over the Indian ocean
Hendricks, J., B. Karcher and U. Lohmann
Effects of ice nuclei on cirrus clouds in a global climate model
Jiang, J.H., H. Su, C. Zhai, S.T. Massie, M.R. Schoeberl, P.R. Colarco, S. Platnick, Y. Gu and K.N. Liou
Influence of convection and aerosol pollution on ice cloud particle effective radius
Jin, J.J., N.J. Livesey, J.H. Jiang, A. Lupu, J.W. Kaminski and J.C. McConnell
Seasonal Variation of Trans-Pacific Transport of Carbon Monoxide (CO) in the Upper Troposphere: MLS Observations and GEOS-Chem and GEM-AQ simulations
Su, H., J.H. Jiang, X. Liu, J.E. Penner, W.G. Read, S.T. Massie, M.R. Schoeberl, P. Colarco, N.J. Livesey and M.L. Santee
Observed Increase of TTL Temperature and Water Vapor in Polluted Clouds over Asia
Zhang, L., Q.B. Li, J. Jin, H. Liu, N. Livesey, J.H. Jiang, Y. Mao, D. Chen, M. Luo and Y. Chen
Impacts of 2006 Indonesian fires and dynamics on tropical upper tropospheric carbon monoxide and ozone
Eriksson, P., B. Rydberg, M. Johnston, D.P. Murtagh, H. Struthers, S. Farrachat and U. Lohmann
Diurnal variations of humidity and ice water content in the tropical upper troposphere
Jiang, J.H., H. Su, S. Pawson, H.C. Liu, W. Read, J.W. Waters, M. Santee, D.L. Wu, M. Schwartz, N. Livesey, A. Lambert, R. Fuller and J.N. Lee
Five-year (2004-2009) Observations of Upper Tropospheric Water Vapor and Cloud Ice from MLS and Comparisons with GEOS-5 analyses
Luo, M., C. Boxe, J.H. Jiang, R. Nassar and N. Livesey
Interpretation of Aura satellite observations of CO and aerosol index related to the December 2006 Australia fires
Su, H., J.H. Jiang, J.D. Neelin, B.H. Kahn, J.W. Waters, N.J. Livesey and Y. Gu
Reply to comment by Roberto Rondanelli and Richard S. Lindzen on “Variations in convective precipitation fraction and stratiform area with sea surface temperature”
Yan, X., N. Arnold and J. Remedios
Global observations of gravity waves from High Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder temperature measurements: A yearlong record of temperature amplitude and vertical wavelength
Chauhan, S., M. Hoepfner, G.P. Stiller, T. von Clarmann, B. Funke, N. Glatthor, U. Grabowski, A. Linden, S. Kellmann, M. Milz, T. Steck, H. Fischer, L. Froidevaux, A. Lambert, M. Santee, M. Schwartz, W.G. Read and N.J. Livesey
MIPAS reduced spectral resolution UTLS-1 mode measurements of temperature, O3, HNO3, N2O, H2O and relative humidity over ice: retrievals and comparison to MLS
Jiang, J.H., H. Su, S.T. Massie, P.R. Colarco, M.R. Schoeberl and S. Platnick
Aerosol-CO relationship and aerosol effect on Ice cloud particle size: Analyses from Aura Microwave Limb Sounder and Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer observations
Rydberg, B., P. Eriksson, S.A. Buehler and D.P. Murtagh
Non-Gaussian Bayesian retrieval of tropical upper tropospheric cloud ice and water vapour from Odin-SMR measurements
Su, H., J.H. Jiang, G.L. Stephens, D.G. Vane and N.J. Livesey
Radiative effects of upper tropospheric clouds observed by Aura MLS and CloudSat
Tao, W-K., J-D. Chern, D.D. Randall, M. Khairoutdinov, J-L. Li, D.E. Waliser, A. Hou, X. Lin, C. Peters-Lidard, W. Lau, J. Jiang and J. Simpson
A Multiscaling Modeling System Developments, Applications, and Critical issues
Waliser, D.E., J.F. Li, C.P. Woods, R.T. Austin, J. Bacmeister, J. Chern, A. Del Genio, J.H. Jiang, Z. Kuang, H. Meng, P. Minnis, S. Platnick, W. B Rossow, G. L Stephens, S. Sun-Mack, W-K. Tao, A.M. Tompkins, D.G. Vane, C. Walker and D. Wu
Cloud ice: A climate model challenge with signs and expectations of progress
Wu, D.L., R. Austin, S. Durden, A. Heymsfield, J.H. Jiang, A. Lambert, J. Li, N.J. Livesey, G. McFarquhar, J. Pittman, G. Stephens, S. Tanelli, D. Vane and D. Waliser
Comparisons of Global Cloud Ice from MLS, CloudSat, and Correlative Data Sets
Ekstrom, M. and P. Eriksson
Altitude resolved ice-fraction in the uppermost tropical troposphere
Eriksson, P., M. Ekstrom, B. Rydberg, D.L. Wu, R.T. Austin and D.P. Murtagh
Comparison between the first Odin-SMR, Aura MLS and CloudSat retrievals of cloud ice mass in the upper tropical troposphere
Jiang, J.H., H. Su, M. Schoeberl, S.T. Massie, P. Colarco, S. Platnick and N. Livesey
Clean and polluted clouds: relationships among pollution, ice cloud and precipitation in South America
Su, H., J.H. Jiang, D.G. Vane and G.L. Stephens
Observed Vertical Structure of Tropical Oceanic Clouds Sorted in Large-scale Regimes
Su, H., J.H. Jiang, Y. Gu, J.D. Neelin, B.H. Kahn, D. Feldman, Y.L. Yung, J.W. Waters, N.J. Livesey, M.L. Santee and W.G. Read
Variations of tropical upper tropospheric clouds with sea surface temperature and implications for radiative effects
Wu, D.L., H.M. Pickett and N.J. Livesey
Aura MLS THz observations of global cirrus near the tropopause
Wu, D.L., J.H. Jiang, W.G. Read, R.T. Austin, C.P. Davis, A. Lambert, G.L. Stephens, D.G. Vane and J.W. Waters
Validation of the Aura MLS Cloud Ice Water Content (IWC) Measurements
Davis, C.P., H.C. Pumphrey, K.F. Evans, S. Buehler and D.L. Wu
3D polarised simulations of space-borne passive mm/sub-mm midlatitude cirrus observations: A case study
Eriksson, P., M. Ekstrom, B. Rydberg and D.P. Murtagh
First Odin sub-mm retrievals in the tropical upper troposphere: ice cloud properties
Kahn, B.H., A. Eldering, A.J. Braverman, E.J. Fetzer, J.H. Jiang, E. Fishbein and D.L. Wu
Towards the characterization of upper tropospheric clouds using AIRS and MLS observations
Li, J-L., J.H. Jiang, D.E. Waliser and A.M. Tompkins
Assessing Consistency between EOS MLS and ECMWF Analyzed and Forecast Estimates of Cloud Ice
Liu, C.
Geographical and seasonal distribution of tropical tropopause thin clouds and their relation to deep convection and water vapor viewed from satellite measurements
Cofield, R.E. and P.C. Stek
Design and field-of-view calibration of 114-660 GHz optics of the Earth Observing System Microwave Limb Sounder
Fu, R., Y. Hu, J.S. Wright, J.H. Jiang, R.E. Dickinson, M. Chen, M. Filipiak, W.G. Read, J.W. Waters and D.L. Wu
Short circuit of water vapor and polluted air to the global stratosphere by convective transport over the Tibetan Plateau
Su, H., W.G. Read, J.H. Jiang, J.W. Waters, D.L. Wu and E.J. Fetzer
Enhanced positive water vapor feedback associated with tropical deep convection: New evidence from Aura MLS
Su, H., D.E. Waliser, J.H. Jiang, J-L. Li, W.G. Read, J.W. Waters and A.M. Tompkins
Relationships of upper tropospheric water vapor, clouds and SST: MLS observations, ECMWF analyses and GCM simulations
Wu, D.L., J.H. Jiang and C.P. Davis
EOS MLS cloud ice measurements and cloudy-sky radiative transfer model
Davis, C., C. Emde and R. Harwood
A 3D polarized reversed Monte Carlo radiative transfer model for mm and sub-mm passive remote sensing in cloudy atmospheres
Davis, C.P., D.L. Wu, C. Emde, J.H. Jiang, R.E. Cofield and R.S. Harwood
Cirrus Induced Polarization in 122 GHz Aura Microwave Limb Sounder Radiances
Li, J.L., D.E. Waliser, J.H. Jiang, D.L. Wu, W.G. Read, J.W. Waters, A.M. Tompkins, L.J. Donner, J.D. Chern, W.K. Tao, R. Atlas, Y. Gu, K.N. Liou, A.D. Genio, M. Khairoutdinov and A. Gettleman
Comparisons of EOS MLS Cloud Ice Measurements with ECMWF analyses and GCM Simulations: Initial Results
Wu, D.L., W.G. Read, A.E. Dessler, S.C. Sherwood and J.H. Jiang
UARS MLS Cloud Ice Measurements and Implications for H2O Transport near the Tropopause
Jiang, J.H., B. Wang, K. Goya, K. Hocke, S.D. Eckermann, J. Ma, D.L. Wu and W.G. Read
Geographical Distribution and Inter-Seasonal Variability of Tropical Deep Convection: UARS MLS Observations and Analyses
Jiang, J.H. and D.L. Wu
Ice and Water Permittivities for Millimeter and Sub-millimeter Remote Sensing Applications