The cloud identification and classification (CIC) algorithm for high spectral resolution observations in the far- and mid-infrared part of the spectrum

A Cloud Identification and Classification algorithm named CIC is illustrated. CIC is a machine learning method used for the classification of far and mid infrared radiances which allows to classify spectral observations by relying on small size training sets. The code is flexible meaning that can be easily set up and can be applied to diverse infrared spectral sensors on multiple platforms. Since its definition in 2019, the CIC has been applied to many observational geometries (airborne, satellite and ground-based) and is currently adopted as the scene classificator of the end-2-end simulator of the next ESA 9th Earth Explorer, the Far-infrared Outgoing Radiation Understanding and Monitoring (FORUM) which will spectrally observe the far infrared part of the spectrum with unprecedent accuracy. The algorithm has been recently improved to enhance its sensitivity to thin clouds (and also to surface features) and to increase the cloud hit rates in challenging conditions such as those characterizing the polar regions. The newly introduced metric is presented in details and the set-up procedures are discussed since they are critical for a correct application of the code. We illustrate the definition of the metric, the calibration process and the code optimization. The issues related to the definition of the reference training sets and to the classification of multiple classes are also presented.