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GOES-R PLT Cloud Physics LiDAR (CPL)

Published by NASA/MSFC/GHRC | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Catalog Last Checked: November 11, 2026 at 12:32 AM | Dataset Last Updated: November 05, 2026
The GOES-R PLT Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL) dataset consists of backscatter coefficient, lidar depolarization ratio, layer top/base height, layer type, particulate extinction coefficient, ice water content, and layer/cumulative optical depth data collected from the Cloud Physics LiDAR instrument flown aboard the NASA ER-2 high-altitude aircraft during the GOES-R Post Launch Test (PLT) field campaign. The GOES-R PLT field campaign supported post-launch L1B and L2+ product validation of the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) and the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). The CPL instrument is a multi-wavelength backscatter LiDAR that provides multi-wavelength measurements of cirrus clouds and aerosols with high temporal and spatial resolution. Data files are available from April 13, 2017 through May 14, 2017 in HDF-5 format with layer information in ASCII text files. Browse imagery files in GIF format are also available.

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Complete Metadata
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description The GOES-R PLT Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL) dataset consists of backscatter coefficient, lidar depolarization ratio, layer top/base height, layer type, particulate extinction coefficient, ice water content, and layer/cumulative optical depth data collected from the Cloud Physics LiDAR instrument flown aboard the NASA ER-2 high-altitude aircraft during the GOES-R Post Launch Test (PLT) field campaign. The GOES-R PLT field campaign supported post-launch L1B and L2+ product validation of the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) and the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). The CPL instrument is a multi-wavelength backscatter LiDAR that provides multi-wavelength measurements of cirrus clouds and aerosols with high temporal and spatial resolution. Data files are available from April 13, 2017 through May 14, 2017 in HDF-5 format with layer information in ASCII text files. Browse imagery files in GIF format are also available.
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identifier 10.5067/GOESRPLT/CPL/DATA101
keyword 
[
  "earth-science-aerosols-atmosphere-aerosol-backscatter",
  "earth-science-aerosols-atmosphere-aerosol-extinction",
  "earth-science-aerosols-atmosphere-aerosol-optical-depth-thickness",
  "earth-science-aerosols-atmosphere-aerosol-particle-properties",
  "earth-science-clouds-atmosphere-cloud-microphysics",
  "earth-science-clouds-atmosphere-tropospheric-high-level-clouds-observed-analyzed",
  "earth-science-lidar-spectral-engineering-lidar-depolarization-ratio"
]
license https://www.usa.gov/government-works
modified 2026-11-05
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publisher 
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spatial 
"["CARTESIAN", [{"WestBoundingCoordinate": -118.234, "NorthBoundingCoordinate": 43.5723, "EastBoundingCoordinate": -65.3628, "SouthBoundingCoordinate": 26.4487}]]"
temporal 2017-03-23/2017-05-17
theme 
[
  "Earth Science"
]
title GOES-R PLT Cloud Physics LiDAR (CPL)

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