Version 4 of the Cloud, Aerosol and Trace gas detection software (CATDS) has been released by the NWP-SAF. This package is used to identify channels in hyperspectral infrared spectra which are affected by atmospheric features that cannot be simulated accurately in a clear-sky assimilation framework for numerical weather prediction (NWP).

This latest version includes a new neural-network emulator of the cloud and aerosol capability for IASI, which requires only observations as input (i.e. no model information). Also, cloud detection for CrIS is possibly in the absence of a long-wave infrared band (such as for S-NPP). Finally, the numerical precision of the variables can now easily be set by users, which can help with computational savings.

For further information, please see: https://nwp-saf.eumetsat.int/site/software/cloud-and-aerosol-detection/