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Recent Developments in Remote Sensing Instruments, Technologies, and Results for Aerosol and Cloud Measurements (Second Edition)

A special issue of Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292). This special issue belongs to the section "Atmospheric Remote Sensing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1707

Special Issue Editor


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Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Interests: cloud and aerosol remote sensing; lidar remote sensing; radiative transfer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to the overwhelming support for and interest in the previous Special Issue, we are introducing a second edition on “Recent Developments in Remote Sensing Instruments, Technologies, and Results for Aerosol and Cloud Measurements”. We would like to thank all the authors and co-authors who contributed to the success of the first edition of this Special Issue.

Clouds are the primary modifier of the Earth’s surface temperature. Aerosols, especially dense aerosol emissions from fires, volcanic eruptions, and dust storms, also provide a modulating effect on the Earth’s temperature.  Acting as cloud condensation nuclei, aerosols provide sources for cloud formation, leading to complex interactions between clouds and aerosols that are still poorly understood.  In addition to radiative impacts, aerosols impact air quality, especially in the planetary boundary layer (PBL). The  remote sensing of clouds and aerosols, both active and passive, provides a means to study clouds, aerosols, and their interactions on both local and global scales.

The objective of this Special Issue is to highlight emerging concepts, new instruments and technologies, and scientific results related to remotely sensed measurement of clouds and aerosols in the Earth’s atmosphere. The Special Issue will highlight the following topics:

  • Emerging concepts that can provide improved measurements and understanding of cloud and aerosol processes in the Earth’s atmosphere;
  • Recent sensor and technology developments that enable new or enhanced measurements and understanding of cloud and aerosol properties including distributions, radiative properties, and interactions;
  • Original scientific results from the analysis of data, with emphasis on (1) the diurnal variability of clouds and aerosols, (2) the application of advanced machine learning techniques, and (3) the synergy of active and passive remote sensing techniques.

Prof. Dr. Matthew McGill
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • clouds
  • cloud radiative effects
  • aerosols
  • aerosol radiative effects
  • cloud–aerosol interactions
  • aerosol transport
  • diurnal variability
  • remote sensing

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 3595 KB  
Article
Fiber Lidar Sensing of the Vertical Profiles of Low-Level Cloud Extinction Coefficients at 1064 nm
by Sun-Ho Park, Sergei N. Volkov, Nikolai G. Zaitsev, Han-Lim Lee, Duk-Hyeon Kim and Young-Min Noh
Remote Sens. 2026, 18(6), 891; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18060891 - 14 Mar 2026
Viewed by 291
Abstract
Results of a methodological case study of low-level clouds in the atmosphere using a 1064 nm fiber lidar are presented. The lidar experiment was carried out in Daejeon, Republic of Korea, in January–March 2025. The study’s primary objective was to ascertain the vertical [...] Read more.
Results of a methodological case study of low-level clouds in the atmosphere using a 1064 nm fiber lidar are presented. The lidar experiment was carried out in Daejeon, Republic of Korea, in January–March 2025. The study’s primary objective was to ascertain the vertical extinction coefficient profiles pertaining to tenuous, low-altitude cloud formations via implementation of a refined Sequential Lidar Signal Processing Algorithm (SLSPA). The SLSPA incorporates statistical estimation theory to assess signal and measurement error. Cloud extinction coefficient profiles are estimated within the SLSPA utilizing the modified Klett–Fernald inversion algorithm. The SLSPA adaptation is required (a) to evaluate the accuracy of Q-switch laser-based lidar sounding signal deconvolution, (b) to mitigate the impact of the lidar form factor on measurement results, (c) to account for aerosol extinction coefficient variability within the cloud in the modified inversion algorithm (MIA), and (d) to evaluate multiple scattering effect correction in the MIA. Theoretical and experimental aspects of the modified SLSPA are considered sequentially in the present work. The experimental results presented here are based on datasets sampled from the entire array of experimental data obtained during the measurement period. Full article
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20 pages, 3406 KB  
Article
Using Multitask Machine Learning to Type Clouds and Aerosols from Space-Based Photon-Counting Lidar Measurements
by Chase A. Fuller, Patrick A. Selmer, Joseph Gomes and Matthew J. McGill
Remote Sens. 2025, 17(16), 2787; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17162787 - 12 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1058
Abstract
Space-based, photon-counting lidar instruments are effective tools for observing cloud and aerosol layers in the atmosphere. Cloud phases and several different kinds of aerosols are presently identified and typed using sophisticated, fine-tuned classification algorithms that operate using processed lidar data. We present a [...] Read more.
Space-based, photon-counting lidar instruments are effective tools for observing cloud and aerosol layers in the atmosphere. Cloud phases and several different kinds of aerosols are presently identified and typed using sophisticated, fine-tuned classification algorithms that operate using processed lidar data. We present a deep neural network semantic segmentation model that was trained using raw, uncalibrated photon count data and data products from the Cloud/Aerosol Transport System’s (CATS) 1064 nm lidar. Our approach successfully types layers in complex scenes using only raw photon counts, bin altitudes, and ground surface type at 14 to 171 times the spatial resolution of the CATS operational data product. We observe comparable cloud detection and phase determination to the CATS operational algorithm while also exhibiting a 15-point improvement in finding tenuous aerosol layers. Because the model is lightweight, does not rely upon ancillary information, and is optimized to leverage GPU computing, it has the potential to be deployed on-instrument to perform cloud and aerosol typing in real time. Full article
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