Evaluation of CloudSat Products with ACTRIS Lidar/Radar Measurements over the Eastern Mediterranean

In this study, we evaluate NASA CloudSat products using ground-based measurements performed in the framework of the Aerosol, Clouds, and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure (ACTRIS). Combined ground-based lidar–radar observations performed in the framework of the PRE-TECT experiment during April 2017 at the Greek Atmospheric Observatory in Finokalia, Greece (35.338° N, 25.670° E, 250 m asl) are used to evaluate the CloudSat performance in detecting hydrometeors. A case study with a persistent thin high layer, mostly consisting of aspherical particles, is presented here. CloudSat CPR (Cloud Profiling Radar) observations detect the hydrometeor layer with a top higher than that detected by the collocated ground-based cloud Doppler radar system (9.0 vs. 8.4 km) and a base higher than that detected by the lidar system (7.1 vs. 6.5 km). The outcome of this work is a step towards the use of CloudSat products for performing a decade-long cloud statistical analysis over the poorly studied East Mediterranean region.