EarthCAREs

EarthCARE, which stands for Earth Cloud Aerosols and Radiation Explorer, is a joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Its primary objective is to advance our understanding of the relationship between clouds, aerosols, and radiation, and how these components influence Earth's climate. The satellite carries a suite of advanced instruments designed to observe these atmospheric phenomena in unprecedented detail.

Key instruments on EarthCARE include the Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR), the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Infrared and Ultraviolet Atmospheric Sounder (CALIOP), a Multi-Spectral Imager (MSI), and a Broad-Band Radiometer (BBR). The CPR and CALIOP work together to provide vertical profiles of cloud and aerosol properties, while the MSI and BBR offer broader spatial and spectral information. This synergy allows scientists to simultaneously measure the atmospheric constituents and the radiative fluxes they impact.

The mission aims to fill critical gaps in our knowledge of the Earth's radiative balance, particularly concerning the complex interactions between clouds and aerosols. Understanding these interactions is crucial for improving climate models and making more accurate predictions about future climate change. EarthCARE's data will be invaluable for assessing the impact of aerosols on cloud formation and longevity, and how these, in turn, affect the amount of solar radiation absorbed or reflected by the Earth. The collected data will be made available to the global scientific community.