Lesigne et al. (2026) Using BeCOOL microlidar for satellite calibration/validation

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology)
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-04-09
• Authors: Thomas Lesigne, François Ravetta, Aurélien Podglajen, Vincent Mariage, Jacques Pelon
• DOI: 10.1051/epjconf/202636208016/pdf

Research Groups

Not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Short Summary

This study evaluates the performance of the BeCOOL microlidar, designed for stratospheric balloon deployment, by comparing its high-resolution cloud profiles with CALIOP observations, demonstrating its excellent agreement and enhanced sensitivity to ultra-thin clouds.

Objective

• To evaluate the performance and capabilities of the BeCOOL microlidar for monitoring high clouds from stratospheric balloons, specifically its agreement with collocated CALIOP observations and its sensitivity to ultra-thin clouds.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Along the equator.
• Temporal Scale: October 2021 to January 2022 (4 months).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not applicable (instrument-based study).
• Data sources: BeCOOL microlidar profiles (from stratospheric balloons), CALIOP (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization) observations (for comparison).

Main Results

• BeCOOL successfully gathered hundreds of hours of high-resolution nighttime lidar profiles of high clouds.
• Case studies of collocated observations and statistical comparisons demonstrated very good agreement between BeCOOL and CALIOP.
• BeCOOL exhibited enhanced sensitivity to ultra-thin clouds compared to CALIOP.

Contributions

• Validation of the BeCOOL microlidar as a reliable instrument for monitoring high clouds from stratospheric balloons.
• Demonstration of BeCOOL's superior capability in detecting ultra-thin clouds.
• Identification of BeCOOL's potential for calibration and validation of future space-borne lidar missions such as Earthcare or AOS.

Funding

Not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Lesigne2026Using,
  author = {Lesigne, Thomas and Ravetta, François and Podglajen, Aurélien and Mariage, Vincent and Pelon, Jacques},
  title = {Using BeCOOL microlidar for satellite calibration/validation},
  journal = {Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology)},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1051/epjconf/202636208016/pdf},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202636208016/pdf}
}