A recent image captured by the Earthcare satellite sheds light on the transformation process of ice and snow into rain within clouds, offering scientists a unique perspective on cloud dynamics and climate patterns.
Satellite Image Reveals New Insights on How Ice and Snow Transform into Rain
A new image taken by the Earthcare satellite, a joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is providing scientists with a unique look into the internal structure of clouds. Captured on June 13 over the ocean east of Japan, the image reveals how ice crystals and snowflakes within clouds transform into rain.
Earthcare’s cloud profiling radar, supplied by JAXA, detected distinct cloud layers. The image shows ice crystals and snowflakes suspended in the upper cloud layers, with some particles slowly falling to lower levels. Notably, a clear boundary at around 5,000 meters marks where ice and snow melt into water droplets.
Takuji Kubota, a mission scientist at JAXA, termed this the first image of its kind obtained from space, offering insights into cloud dynamics never measured before. Simonetta Cheli, ESA’s director for Earth observation programs, highlighted the mission’s potential to enhance understanding of cloud-aerosol interactions and their influence on climate patterns.
Earthcare, which stands for Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer, carries four instruments designed to work collaboratively. Apart from profiling clouds, the satellite will study aerosols like dust and smoke, and measure Earth’s radiation balance. Data from the satellite aims to improve weather and climate predictions.
