The Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) is a Japanese-European collaborative earth observation satellite mission, designed to better understand uncertain aerosol-cloud-radiation interactions. Among its instruments is the Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR), which is the world's first onboard millimeter-wave Doppler radar in space. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), in partnership with the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), developed the CPR for this mission. The EarthCARE satellite was successfully launched at 07:20 JST on 29th May 2024 by the SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA. The CPR conducted its first observations on June 12th and 13th, achieving the world's first measurement of vertical cloud motion from space. Additionally, in October, synergistic cloud images combining data from multiple sensors onboard EarthCARE were released. Currently the mission is under the Commissioning and CAL/VAL Phase to calibrate and validate the CPR data. Following this phase, it will transition to the Measurement/Operation Phase in December.

This study aimed to merge monthly precipitation from remote sensing products and rain gauge observations to provide high-quality long-term historical precipitation data to support climate change studies. In this study, two satellite precipitation products, the TRMM 3B43V7 and GPM-3IMERGM Final Level 3 precipitation analysis, were used as input datasets. This study used Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) prediction models to train a monthly satellite precipitation dataset from 1998 to 2018 and predict precipitation from 2019 to 2023. The Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) method was employed to combine the modeled predicted precipitation dataset with 28 rain gauge data in Kelantan, Malaysia to consider each input impact and enhance the precipitation prediction. The BMA weights were assigned to three models: model_0 with the input variable ARIMA and rain gauge, model_1 with LSTM and rain gauge input, and model_2 with ARIMA, LSTM, and rain gauge as input variables. After assigning weights to each model, new ensemble datasets were calculated using the weight sum method and averaged to obtain the ensemble average model. The performance of the merged precipitation products was evaluated using RMSE, R², and NSE. The ensemble using the weighted average of all precipitation prediction models demonstrated an increase in R² to 18.70% and a reduction in RMSE of 3.56%. Another significant finding is that increasing the input variable does not enhance the accuracy of rainfall prediction, meanwhile by using ensemble averaging the gap between merged precipitation products and rain gauge data able to be reduced.

Selective super-wetting surfaces maintain the contrasting super-wetting properties for the oil and the water, and that have received widespread attention since 2000 due to their high surface energy, particularly in oil-water separation applications. Concerning about these surfaces, superoleophobic/superhydrophilic surfaces are effective due to their oil-repellent characteristics.In this paper, Ultraviolet light polymerization was used to polymerize fluorinated substances (TFOA) and hydrophilic substances (MMA), forming a coating on chemically etched copper foam . The resulting porous copper foam exhibited superhydrophilicity and superoleophobicity, facilitating effective oil-water separation tests. The fluorinated substances imparted oleophobic properties to the surface, while the hydrophilic substances provided hydrophilic characteristics to the copper foam. Wear resistance tests using sandpaper and a Taber abrasion tester confirmed that the copper foam exhibits good mechanical durability. The superoleophobic/superhydrophilic copper foam can offer the solution that can overcome continuous oil/water separation process, and help us develop antifouling fabrics, together with self-cleaning surfaces.

New constellations to provide high-resolution atmospheric observations from microwave sounders operating in lowearth orbit are now coming online and are demonstrating the potential to provide operationally useful data. The first of these missions, the NASA TROPICS (Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats) Earth Venture (EVI-3) mission, was successfully launched into orbit on May 8 and May 25, 2023 (two CubeSats in each of the two launches). TROPICS is now providing nearly all-weather observations of 3-D temperature and humidity, as well as cloud ice and precipitation horizontal structure, at high temporal resolution to conduct high-value science investigations of tropical cyclones. TROPICS is providing rapid-refresh microwave measurements (median refresh rate of better than 60 minutes early in the mission with four functional CubeSats, and now approximately 70-90 minutes with three functional CubeSats) over the tropics that can be used to observe the thermodynamics of the troposphere and precipitation structure for storm systems at the mesoscale and synoptic scale over the entire storm lifecycle. Over 10 Billion observations have been collected thus far by the TROPICS mission, including over 1000 high-resolution images of tropical cyclones, revealing detailed structure of the eyewall and surrounding rain bands. The new 205-GHz channel in particular (together with a traditional channel near 92 GHz) is providing new information on the inner storm structure, and, coupled with the relatively frequent revisit and low downlink latency, is already informing tropical cyclone analysis at operational centers. Four 3U CubeSats (5.4 kg each) for the TROPICS constellation mission were launched into two low-Earth orbital planes inclined at approximately 33 degrees with a 550-km altitude. Each CubeSat comprises a Blue Canyon Technologies bus and a high-performance radiometer payload to provide temperature profiles using seven channels near the 118.75 GHz oxygen absorption line, water vapor profiles using three channels near the 183 GHz water vapor absorption line, imagery in a single channel near 90 GHz for precipitation measurements (when combined with higher resolution water vapor channels), and a single channel at 205 GHz that is more sensitive to precipitation-sized ice particles. TROPICS spatial resolution and measurement sensitivity is comparable with current state-of-the-art observing platforms. Data from the three currently operational CubeSats are downlinked to the ground via the KSAT-Lite and ATLAS Space Operations ground networks with latencies better than one hour. The separate TROPICS Pathfinder mission, which launched into a sun-synchronous orbit on June 30, 2021 in advance of the TROPICS constellation mission, served as a technology demonstration and risk reduction effort. The TROPICS Pathfinder mission, now concluded, yielded useful data for 30+ months of operation and provided an opportunity to checkout and optimize all mission elements prior to the primary constellation mission. TROPICS temperature vertical profile products yield performance slightly worse than ATMS (1.5 K RMS uncertainty for TROPICS versus 1.3 K RMS uncertainty for ATMS averaged from 0-20 km in 3-km layers), and TROPICS water vapor profile products yield performance slightly better than ATMS (19% RMS uncertainty for TROPICS versus 21% uncertainty for ATMS averaged from 0-10 km in 3-km layers). TROPICS rain rate and tropical cyclone intensity products are also available with performance that is on par with that of ATMS. These TROPICS products are now available with much improved median revisit rates and excellent data latencies, enabling their use in operational tropical cyclone forecasting applications.

This study utilizes remote sensing analysis to investigate the interaction between a marine heatwave (MHW) and Typhoon Hinnamnor (2022) in the Western Pacific Ocean. An extreme MHW developed in two subregions (122-150°E, 20-28°N (box A) and 122-132°E and 26-35°N (box B)), reaching category 3 in box A due to a shallow mixed layer depth (MLD), increased upper-ocean stratification, and substantial heat fluxes. These conditions elevated the sea surface temperature (SST) to 31°C and caused subsurface warming, creating an energy-rich environment along Typhoon Hinnamnor’s path. This MHW facilitated the rapid intensification of Hinnamnor, which reached peak intensity at an unprecedented speed. In turn, Typhoon Hinnamnor disrupted the MHW through intense wind-driven mixing, which deepened the mixed layer, cooled the surface, and diminished the subsurface heat content. This cooling effect reduced the SST anomalies post- Hinnamnor, with a slower recovery observed in the deeper layers, suggesting long-term impacts on ocean stratification. By analyzing high-resolution satellite SST data and ocean reanalysis models, we quantified changes in SST, mixed layer depth (MLD), ocean heat content (OHC), and average temperature within the upper 100 meters (𝑇_{1̅̅0̅̅0̅} ). The results underscore the feedback mechanisms between MHWs and tropical typhoons, showing how MHWs can fuel typhoon intensification while typhoons can disrupt these warming events. This study contributes to a better understanding of compound extreme events in a warming climate. It underscores the importance of monitoring surface and subsurface ocean changes to improve resilience and preparedness for coastal ecosystems and communities impacted by extreme marine and atmospheric phenomena.

This study investigates the radial distribution of deep convective clouds (DCCs) 24 hours prior to the rapid intensification (RI) of tropical cyclones (TCs) in the Western North Pacific. TCs are categorized according to the 24-hour future intensity change (ΔV_max), as follows: non-RI (ΔV_max < 30 kt), short RI (RI-S, ΔV_max ≥ 30 kt for less than a day), and long RI (RI-L, ΔV_max ≥ 30 kt continuously for at least 1 day). The study finds that TCs in the Tropical Storm phase are most likely to undergo RI, with RI-L TCs having the strongest convective activity and coldest DCC temperatures near the center, and the most rapid ΔV_max, 24-6 h prior to RI. Higher temperature difference and more rapid increase in DCC percentage in RIL TCs as compared to other categories, suggest that these storms experience a more efficient and rapid intensification process. Larger radius of maximum wind found for RI-L TCs provides more room for intensification, potentially allowing for a more gradual development of the storm’s inner core, prolonging RI, before reaching maximum intensity. The results of this study can be used to identify TCs that are more likely to undergo prolonged RI even before its onset.

Microphysical characteristics of summer season rainfall over four (north, south, central and east) regions of Taiwan are investigated using GPM DPR parameters. Analysis of GPM DPR data products for summer season rainfall over Taiwan using contoured frequency by altitude diagrams (CFADs) of radar reflectivity, rainfall rate, mass-weighted mean diameter, and concentration clearly demonstrated the dominance of large-size super-cooled liquid and ice particles above the melting layer and rain particles below the melting layers in the south and central Taiwan. Moreover, coalescence and breakup processes dominate summer monsoon rainfall over Taiwan, regardless of precipitation type and geographic location.

Precipitation Measuring Mission (PMM) is the next generation rain mission planned by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). after the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM). In June 2023, the PMM project team was established in JAXA. JAXA has been developing PMM satellite and the first space-borne Ku-band Doppler precipitation radar in the world, called KuDPR. The observation in PMM mission will enable us to elucidate cloud-precipitation system to mitigate the impact of frequent and severe water-related disasters on human society under the global climate change. KuDPR measurements will provide doppler velocity of global precipitation and three-dimensional precipitation structure including snowfall over both ocean and land. KuDPR is equipped with doppler velocity measurement using Displaced Phase Center Antenna (DPCA) technique in order to improve the sensitivity of precipitation measurement than Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) on GPM. In this paper, the overview of PMM mission is presented.

The East China Sea (ECS) (25°N - 40°N, 120°E - 130°E) experiences frequent harmful algal blooms, particularly after major weather events, as observed in early 2024. Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), a critical photosynthetic pigment, serves as a primary bloom indicator, with nutrient-rich aerosol deposition often stimulating phytoplankton growth. Enhanced satellite monitoring of Chl-a and aerosol optical depth (AOD) now provides high-resolution insights, integrating environmental factors such as wind speed, sea surface temperature (SST), suspended particulate matter (SPM), sea currents, and sea level anomalies (SLA). This study, utilizing NOAA and VIIRS/NOAA-20 satellite data, found a strong correlation between AOD and Chl-a in the southern ECS (28°–30°N, 124°–126°E), with stable SST, SLA, and sea currents showing consistent patterns among Chl-a, SPM, and AOD. Future research will aim to differentiate local from external aerosol sources, which is essential for understanding aerosol impacts on algal blooms and enhancing mitigation strategies.

The cloud-to-rain process has been proposed as highly temporal, while the in-depth research on this topic in the winter season and the variation due the air pollution remains underexplored in recent studies. On the basis of advanced instruments including the Parsivel-disdrometer and the Himawari 8/9 satellite, we investigated the raindrop size distribution and rain parameters of warming cloud rain during the winter seasons of 2022 and 2023 in Northern Taiwan. In addition, we selected subsamples under different air pollution scenarios which are based on the surface PM_2.5 concentration thresholds. Preliminary analysis results suggested that rainfall under a warming cloud generally had tighter distributions with smaller drop sizes but higher concentrations compared to typical rain. In terms of rain rates, drizzle had higher concentrations of smaller drops, while light rain exhibited higher concentrations of larger drops and greater liquid water content. However, light rain under warming rain conditions showed a higher likelihood of forming large drops. The lower value of PM_2.5 concentrations within warming cloud rain is a main reason to suppress the formation of larger raindrops and heavier rainfall. This result may cause the slightly intensity of precipitation as drizzle and light rain of warming cloud rain, revealing to the scavenging effect of precipitation due to the less availability of aerosol. Our studies encourage for understanding the relationship between cloud properties, aerosol concentrations, and rain parameters in high-temporal resolution can help improve weather forecasting and inform strategies to manage air quality and its impact on weather systems.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a major air pollutant and a precursor of ozone, influencing atmospheric oxidation and ozone dynamics. It serves as a tracer for tracking pollutant transport. Asia is characterized by the highest CO concentrations in the world, and the CO concentrations there very greatly from year to year. It has been suggested that biomass burning is one of the main drivers for such interannual variation (IAV). This study integrates satellite remote sensing of fires from MODIS, and of CO from MOPITT and AIRS to capture IAV of CO in Asia and the its response to fire activities during 2003-2017. The results show that the IAV of CO total column in Asia is highest over frequent fire regions, including Indo-China, Indonesia and South Siberia. The correlation between the interannual CO and fire activities is highest over forest land cover, while among seasons, the correlation is highest in fall.

Due to power scalability, applications of near-infrared high energy lasers (NIR HEL) in local climate change monitoring and anomalous atmospheric parameter probing have been of interest in remote sensing research. The energy transmission effectiveness of HEL is impacted by a variety of atmospheric effects, such as atmospheric extinction and refraction, atmospheric turbulence and thermal blooming. To understand how atmospheric effects affect HEL propagation, we introduce a tropospheric laser propagation channel model to evaluate power transmission for NIR HELs by estimating focal irradiance on a focal plane under various atmospheric conditions. A key feature of thermal blooming to limit applications of HEL output power is investigated.

The theoretically calculated radiance plays a crucial role in numerical weather prediction models. Therefore, improving the accuracy of radiative transfer models is essential for precise radiance calculations. This study aims to enhance the accuracy of radiative transfer models by utilizing atmospheric profiles along the satellite-observed slant path rather than the vertical path. This approach is expected to improve the retrieval of temperature and humidity profiles, which are critical for accurate weather predictions. Previous research has shown that slant-path simulations significantly impact regions with high atmospheric variability and large viewing angles, improving RMSD in temperature and wind forecasts by 2-3% in the stratosphere and high latitudes⁹ This study extends these evaluations to all-sky conditions, considering the parallax effect of clouds for more accurate radiance calculations (B). The findings are expected to enhance weather prediction models by incorporating slant-path radiative transfer simulations.

Monitoring greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as CO₂ and CH₄ is essential for understanding their role in climate change and informing mitigation strategies. The ASIA-AQ campaign, a multi-country field study on Asian air quality during winter, was jointly organized by research institutions from various countries and NASA. As part of the campaign, a mobile Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) was deployed at Ewha Womans University (EW) in Seoul for targeted observations. The mobile FTS, while offering the advantage of mobility to assess regional GHG characteristics, has a lower spectral resolution of 0.5 cm^-1 , compared to the higher 0.02 cm^-1 resolution of the stationary FTS at the Anmyeon-do (AMY) Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Regional Station in Korea. To validate the accuracy of the mobile FTS, its retrievals were compared with those from the stationary high-resolution FTS before and after the ASIA-AQ campaign through sideby- side observation. Pre-ASIA-AQ, both the IFS125HR and EM27/SUN showed consistent differences in XCO2 and XCH4 concentrations, with both instruments demonstrating high sensitivity, as evidenced by their ability to capture shortterm changes effectively. After the campaign, the difference increased, showing slightly different characteristics compared to before ASIA-AQ. During the ASIA-AQ campaign, XCO2 measurements at EW were slightly lower than those at AMY, though occasional higher concentrations were observed. For XCH₄, concentrations were higher at EW. Additionally, the XCH₄ to XCO₂ ratio remained relatively stable at AMY, while it varied slightly at EW. TROPOMI measurements of XCH₄, compared to EM27/SUN, showed similar trends but an underestimation.

This study focuses on retrieving and validating Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) trace gas vertical column densities (VCDs) using an experimental Portable Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (PDOAS) instrument deployed at Kaohsiung during the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Airborne and Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality (ASIA-AQ) field campaign in the spring of 2024. The PDOAS spectral measurements at multiple viewing elevation angles between 1 and 90 deg were processed with the widely recognized QDOAS software package to obtain Differential Slant Column Densities (DSCD) for NO₂ and O₄. Subsequently, the QDOAS results were further analyzed using the Retrieval of Atmospheric Parameters from Spectroscopic Observations using DOAS Instruments (RAPSODI) software to determine the vertical column densities (VCDs) of NO₂. As an initial evaluation of the NO2 VCD retrievals from PDOAS measurements, the PDOAS retrievals are compared with data from the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS). After excluding measurements contaminated by clouds, 10 effective measurements collected over four days were compared. A high correlation coefficient of 78.93% was found between our PDOAS-retrieved NO₂ VCDs and those from GEMS. This correlation coefficient is comparable to correlations between long-term daily mean NO₂ retrievals from GEMS and in-situ station observations in Kaohsiung. The compact and portable design of PDOAS allows for flexible and mobile air quality measurements. Additionally, the instrument and methodologies developed for PDOAS can be extended beyond NO₂ analysis, making them suitable for examining aerosols and other trace gases as well.

Due to limited ground instruments and lack of direct satellite measurements, local studies related to PM (particulate matter) estimation are often limited only to the Metro Manila area in the Philippines. This study explores the use of satellite data to produce PM models for the country using Artificial Neural Network (ANN). Monthly concentrations of NO₂, SO₂, CO, O₃, HCHO, and H₂O for a period of five years (2019 to 2023) were acquired from Sentinel-5P’s Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument while in-situ PM data were from the Air Quality Monitoring Stations of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Results showed that integrating SO₂, CO, O₃, and H₂O as inputs produced the best-performing PM_2.5 model with an R of 0.281 and RMSE of 6.64 while incorporating HCHO and H₂O yielded the best-performing PM₁₀ model with an R of 0.307 and RMSE of 21.1. Low correlations indicate that these inputs capture only a portion of the variability in PM, suggesting a complex relationship between gases and PM that may not be fully captured by the models. Using these models, sample PM maps for the whole Philippines were generated.

This study examines the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) structure and temperature inversion characteristics in the Chiayi region of Taiwan during wintertime, using high vertical and temporal resolution data from a microwave radiometer (MWR). The results show that surface-based inversions (SBIs) exhibit a distinct diurnal pattern, with the frequency of SBIs being much higher at night, reaching nearly 100% between 05:00 and 08:00 LST, primarily due to surface longwave cooling. Temperature inversions are associated with surface conditions of higher relative humidity, lower temperatures, and weaker wind speeds, which contribute to the stability of the inversion layer and inhibit vertical mixing. Interestingly, the mixing ratio remains stable despite the presence of inversions, suggesting that the increase in relative humidity during inversion events is likely due to surface cooling or weak winds, rather than an increase in water vapor. Further flux analysis is needed to confirm the causes of the increase in relative humidity.