Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites—R Series

A collaborative NOAA & NASA program

Data Products: Cloud Optical Depth

GOES-16 cloud optical depth product, January 24, 2018.

Download daytime product algorithm theoretical basis document (ATBD) Download nighttime product algorithm theoretical basis document (ATBD)

Cloud optical depth uses both the visible and the near-infrared ABI bands during the daytime and a combination of infrared bands for nighttime detection. This product, together with the cloud particle size distribution product, provides valuable information about the radiative properties of clouds. These two properties enhance climate prediction, as they provide global climate models with higher quality data regarding the Earth’s energy and radiation budget.