Less than a month after its launch, the EarthCARE satellite of the European Space Agency (ESA) presented the first data from one of its instruments revealing, for the first time from Space, information on the constituents and internal structure of clouds.

The satellite was launched on May 29, 2024. It carries four sophisticated instruments, which will shed light on the role played by clouds and aerosols in the heating and cooling of the Earth’s atmosphere, thus contributing to a better understanding of climate change and better forecasting of weather conditions.

The first data presented comes from the Cloud Profiler Radar Instrument, developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The other three instruments are expected to provide data in the coming weeks.

The released image shows details about the internal structure of clouds over the ocean east of Japan on June 13, 2024. At left, the data reveal the vertical concentration of cloud particles.

The densest part of the cloud is in its center, where there are more large particles. On the right, the falling speed of the cloud particles can be seen. Low values ​​in the upper layer indicate ice crystals and snowflakes that float or fall slowly. In the lower layer, much higher fall velocity values ​​indicate rain.

It is noted that the Institute of Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing of the National Observatory of Athens also participates in the mission through a series of experiments. As the director of research of the Institute, Vassilis Amoiridis, stated some time earlier in APE-MPE, “EarthCARE is the first satellite that will simultaneously provide us with all the necessary information from Space to decode unknown atmospheric processes that will improve forecasts”.