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Revision as of 20:20, 15 February 2011

What is CREW?

Eumetsats CREW (Cloud Retrieval Evaluation Workshop) is a research activity to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the most important algorithms that retrieve cloud property from passive imager instruments onboard both polar and geostationary satellites (SEVIRI, AVHRR, and MODIS). The CREW working group members operate the most advanced cloud retrieval algoritms. Their level 2 data products are inter-compared and validated against observations from the A-Atrain satellite constallation (CALIPSO, CLOUDSAT, and AMSR). The results of the inter-comparison are discussed at the Eumetsat Cloud Retrieval Intercomparioson Workshops. The first two CREWs took place in Norrköping, Sweden from 17.-19. Mai 2006 and Locarno, Switzerland in Februar 2009.
The third CREW will be hald in Madison, USA from 15.-17. November 2011.

Why? – The science

Clouds cover about 70 % of the Earth's surface and play a dominant role in the energy and water cycle of our planet. Only satellite observations provide a continuous survey of the state of the atmosphere over the globe, at the space-time scales at which cloud processes occur. more here

How? - The approach

Currently 13 groups provide data sets of retrieved cloud physical properties: Cloud mask, cloud fraction, cloud top temperature, cloud top pressure, cloud top height, cloud optical depth, effective radius, cloud water path, cloud type, and convective signiture. The data is intercompared for 4 days, that were most suitable for validation purpuses. We cooperate with the GEWAX - Cloud Assessment project that rather compares climatologies, where CREW is intended for investigating the details of the retrieval algorithms.

Who? - The members

For whom? – The users

Validation of weather and climate models, UV forecast, aviation, solar energy more here