The preliminary programme can be downloaded here (pdf). (Updated 24 April 2007.)

The workshop shall provide an overview and discussion platform for the EarthCARE mission in support of the preparation of its scientific exploitation. Observational techniques related or similar to EarthCARE and their respective data retrieval techniques and scientific applications will be included.

Of particular interest will be experiences that are presently being gained with CloudSAT, CALIPSO, ground-based and air-borne cloud radars (including Doppler measurements) and cloud/aerosol lidars (including high spectral resolution technique), the use of satellite imagery for cloud and aerosol observations, as well as Earth radiation satellite missions.

A further topic of the workshop will be the modelling of clouds, aerosols and radiation and model improvement and evaluation through use of observational data.

Topic A: The EarthCARE Mission
This topic is concerned with the EarthCARE mission objectives, observational requirements, system and instruments presentation, science and programmatic aspects.

Topic B: Remote Sensing Techniques for Clouds, Aerosols and Radiation
This topic is concerned with observation techniques similar to EarthCARE, their calibration, validation, geophysical retrieval algorithms (including synergistic retrievals) and scientific results.

B.1 Active Techniques for Cloud Observations - Radar
This topic is in particular concerned with the first results from CloudSAT and the experience gained from this mission, ground-based and air-borne radars, including Doppler radars.

B.2 Active Techniques for Cloud and Aerosol Observations - Lidar
This topic is in particular concerned with the first results from CALIPSO and the experience gained from this mission, ground-based and air-borne lidars, including high-spectral resolution lidars.

B.3 Satellite Imagery for Cloud and Aerosol Observations
This topic is concerned with cloud and/or aerosol observations from satellite imagers.

B.4 Earth radiation budget satellite measurements
This topic is concerned with the observations of short-wave and long-wave broad-band radiances and fluxes measured from space.

B.5 Synergistic Exploitation of Active and Passive Observation Techniques
This topic is concerned with the retrieval of geophysical products exploiting synergies between measurements from radar, lidar and passive instruments.

Topic C: Modelling of Clouds, Aerosols and Radiation
This topic is concerned with the modelling of clouds, aerosols and radiation and the use of respective observational data (including the data that can be expected from EarthCARE) for model improvement or evaluation. The contributions to this topic should be related to the modelling of clouds and aerosols in general and their parameterisation in GCMs in particular. The use of vertically resolved cloud observation for the evaluation of NWP models would be of particular interest. Furthermore, this topic includes radiative transfer modelling as well as Earth radiation budget and flux calculation aspects.