SAGE III/ISS aerosol/cloud categorization and its impact on GloSSAC

Abstract. The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment on the International Space Station (SAGE III/ISS) began its mission in June 2017. SAGE III/ISS is an updated version of III Meteor III/M3M) instrument makes observations stratospheric aerosol extinction coefficient at wavelengths that range from 385 to 1550 nm with a near-global coverage between 60∘ S N. While reliable robust solar occultation measurements stratosphere, similar predecessors, interpreting vicinity tropopause troposphere has been challenge for all instruments because potential cloud interference. Herein, we discuss some challenges associated discriminating aerosols clouds within describe methods implemented categorize using available measurements. This cloud/aerosol categorization method based results Thomason Vernier (2013), modifications now incorporate influence recent volcanic/pyrocumulonimbus (PyroCb) events. Herein this new algorithm, demonstrate how it identifies enhanced aerosol–cloud mixture lower region, impact cloud-filtering algorithm latest release Global Space-based Climatology (GloSSAC) data set.