The SCIAMACHY cloud products: Algorithms and examples from ENVISAT Original Research Article

We present here a newly developed satellite cloud retrieval algorithm SACURA. The algorithm is based on the modified exponential approximation for the cloud reflection function. It is valid for clouds having the optical thickness larger than 5. Retrieval results for selected cloudy fields using data from SCIAMACHY onboard ENVISAT are presented. The cloud algorithm itself does not use the look-up-table approach and can be applied to other instruments placed on satellite and airborne platforms.