ESA’s Earth Explorer EarthCARE is designed to answer critical scientific questions related to the role that clouds and aerosols, such as desert dust, play in reflecting incident solar radiation back out to space and trapping infrared radiation emitted from Earth’s surface. This delicate balance is an important factor in regulating Earth’s temperature.

The mission provides global profiles of clouds and aerosols along with measurements of solar radiation reflected from the planet and thermal radiation emitted from the planet.

To do this the satellite carries a unique set of four instruments to provide a holistic view of the interplay between clouds, aerosols and radiation.

Its cloud profiling radar provides information on the vertical structure and internal dynamics of clouds, its atmospheric lidar provides cloud-top information and profiles of thin clouds and aerosols, its multispectral imager provides a wide-scene overview in multiple wavelengths, and its broadband radiometer measures reflected solar radiation and outgoing infrared radiation.

The use of these instruments together means that 3D cloud and aerosol scenes can be directly related to reflected solar and emitted thermal radiation.