Sensitivity of microwave brightness temperatures to hydrometeors in a tropical deep convective cloud system at 89-190 GHz

Radio Science ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. n/a-n/a ◽  
Author(s):  
Gang Hong ◽  
Georg Heygster ◽  
Jungang Miao ◽  
Klaus Kunzi
Keyword(s):  
Convective Cloud ◽  
Cloud System ◽  
Brightness Temperatures ◽  
Deep Convective Cloud

scholarly journals How do changes in warm-phase microphysics affect deep convective clouds?

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (15) ◽  
pp. 9585-9598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Chen ◽  
Ilan Koren ◽  
Orit Altaratz ◽  
Reuven H. Heiblum ◽  
Guy Dagan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rain Rate ◽  
Convective Cloud ◽  
Cloud Fraction ◽  
Marshall Islands ◽  
Cloud System ◽  
Main Question ◽  
Convective Clouds ◽  
Deep Convective Clouds ◽  
Aerosol Effects ◽  
Deep Convective Cloud

Abstract. Understanding aerosol effects on deep convective clouds and the derived effects on the radiation budget and rain patterns can largely contribute to estimations of climate uncertainties. The challenge is difficult in part because key microphysical processes in the mixed and cold phases are still not well understood. For deep convective clouds with a warm base, understanding aerosol effects on the warm processes is extremely important as they set the initial and boundary conditions for the cold processes. Therefore, the focus of this study is the warm phase, which can be better resolved. The main question is: How do aerosol-derived changes in the warm phase affect the properties of deep convective cloud systems? To explore this question, we used a weather research and forecasting (WRF) model with spectral bin microphysics to simulate a deep convective cloud system over the Marshall Islands during the Kwajalein Experiment (KWAJEX). The model results were validated against observations, showing similarities in the vertical profile of radar reflectivity and the surface rain rate. Simulations with larger aerosol loading resulted in a larger total cloud mass, a larger cloud fraction in the upper levels, and a larger frequency of strong updrafts and rain rates. Enlarged mass both below and above the zero temperature level (ZTL) contributed to the increase in cloud total mass (water and ice) in the polluted runs. Increased condensation efficiency of cloud droplets governed the gain in mass below the ZTL, while both enhanced condensational and depositional growth led to increased mass above it. The enhanced mass loading above the ZTL acted to reduce the cloud buoyancy, while the thermal buoyancy (driven by the enhanced latent heat release) increased in the polluted runs. The overall effect showed an increased upward transport (across the ZTL) of liquid water driven by both larger updrafts and larger droplet mobility. These aerosol effects were reflected in the larger ratio between the masses located above and below the ZTL in the polluted runs. When comparing the net mass flux crossing the ZTL in the clean and polluted runs, the difference was small. However, when comparing the upward and downward fluxes separately, the increase in aerosol concentration was seen to dramatically increase the fluxes in both directions, indicating the aerosol amplification effect of the convection and the affected cloud system properties, such as cloud fraction and rain rate.

Simulations of microwave brightness temperatures at AMSU-B frequencies over a 3D convective cloud system

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 1781-1800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gang Hong ◽  
G. Heygster ◽  
J. Notholt ◽  
Fuzhong Weng ◽  
Quanhua Liu
Keyword(s):  
Convective Cloud ◽  
Cloud System ◽  
Brightness Temperatures

scholarly journals Simulations of Infrared Radiances over a Deep Convective Cloud System Observed during TC4: Potential for Enhancing Nocturnal Ice Cloud Retrievals

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (10) ◽  
pp. 3022-3054 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Minnis ◽  
Gang Hong ◽  
J. Kirk Ayers ◽  
William L. Smith ◽  
Christopher R. Yost ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Convective Cloud ◽  
Cloud System ◽  
Ice Cloud ◽  
Infrared Radiances ◽  
Deep Convective Cloud

scholarly journals How do changes in warm-phase microphysics affect deep convective clouds?

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Chen ◽  
Ilan Koren ◽  
Orit Altaratz ◽  
Reuven H. Heiblum ◽  
Guy Dagan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rain Rate ◽  
Convective Cloud ◽  
Cloud Fraction ◽  
Marshall Islands ◽  
Cloud System ◽  
Main Question ◽  
Convective Clouds ◽  
Deep Convective Clouds ◽  
Aerosol Effects ◽  
Deep Convective Cloud

Abstract. Understanding aerosol effects on deep convective clouds and the derived effects on the radiation budget and rain patterns can largely contribute to estimations of climate uncertainties. The challenge is difficult in part because key microphysical processes in the mixed and cold phases are still not well understood. For deep convective clouds with a warm base, understanding aerosol effects on the warm processes is extremely important as they set the initial and boundary conditions for the cold processes. Therefore, in this study the focus is on the warm phase, which can be better resolved. The main question is: ''How do aerosol-derived changes in the warm phase affect the properties of deep convective cloud systems?'' To explore this question, we used the weather research and forecasting (WRF) model with spectral bin microphysics to simulate a deep convective cloud system over Marshall Islands during the Kwajalein Experiment (KWAJEX). The model results were validated against observations, showing similarities in the vertical profile of radar reflectivity and the surface rain rate. Simulations with larger aerosol loading resulted in a larger total cloud mass, a larger cloud fraction in the upper levels, and a larger frequency of strong updrafts and rain rates. Enlarged mass both below and above the zero temperature level (ZTL) contributed to the increase in clouds’ total mass (water and ice) in the polluted runs. Increased condensation efficiency of cloud droplets governed the gain in mass below the ZTL, while both enhanced condensational and depositional growth led to increased mass above it. Moreover, the polluted runs showed increased upward transport (across the ZTL) of liquid water, driven by two main processes: 1) larger updrafts and 2) larger droplet mobility. These aerosol effects were reflected in the larger ratio between the masses located above and below the ZTL in the polluted runs. When comparing the net mass flux crossing the ZTL in the clean and polluted runs, the difference was small. However, when comparing the upward and downward fluxes separately, the increase in aerosol concentration was seen to dramatically increase the fluxes in both directions, indicating the aerosol-amplification effect of the convection and affecting cloud-system properties such as cloud fraction and rain rate.

scholarly journals Radiometric Performance Evaluation of FY-4A/AGRI Based on Aqua/MODIS

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1859
Author(s):  
Bo Zhong ◽  
Yingbo Ma ◽  
Aixia Yang ◽  
Junjun Wu
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
Spectral Response ◽  
Convective Cloud ◽  
Radiation Level ◽  
High Attenuation ◽  
Total Attenuation ◽  
Attenuation Rate ◽  
Calibration Facility ◽  
Deep Convective Cloud ◽  
Directional Reflectance

Fengyun-4A (FY-4A) is the first satellite of the Chinese second-generation geostationary orbit meteorological satellites (FY-4). The Advanced Geostationary Radiation Imager (AGRI), onboard FY-4A does not load with high-precision calibration facility in visible and near infrared (VNIR) channel. As a consequence, it is necessary to comprehensively evaluate its radiometric performance and quantitatively describe the attenuation while using its VNIR data. In this paper, the radiometric performance at VNIR channels of FY-4A/AGRI is evaluated based on Aqua/MODIS data using the deep convective cloud (DCC) target. In order to reduce the influence of view angle and spectral response difference, the bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) correction and spectral matching have been performed. The evaluation result shows the radiometric performance of FY-4A/AGRI: (1) is less stable and with obvious fluctuations; (2) has a lower radiation level because of 24.99% lower compared with Aqua/MODIS; 3) has a high attenuation with 9.11% total attenuation over 2 years and 4.0% average annual attenuation rate. After the evaluation, relative radiometric normalization between AGRI and MODIS in VNIR channel is performed and the procedure is proved effective. This paper proposed a more reliable reference for the quantitative applications of FY-4A data.

scholarly journals The Unexpected Rapid Intensification of Tropical Cyclones in Moderate Vertical Wind Shear. Part I: Overview and Observations

2018 ◽  
Vol 146 (11) ◽  
pp. 3773-3800 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Ryglicki ◽  
Joshua H. Cossuth ◽  
Daniel Hodyss ◽  
James D. Doyle
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Wind Shear ◽  
Vertical Wind Shear ◽  
Convective Cloud ◽  
Vertical Wind ◽  
Rapid Intensification ◽  
Brightness Temperatures ◽  
Idealized Modeling ◽  
Hurricane Prediction ◽  
Upper Level

Abstract A satellite-based investigation is performed of a class of tropical cyclones (TCs) that unexpectedly undergo rapid intensification (RI) in moderate vertical wind shear between 5 and 10 m s−1 calculated as 200–850-hPa shear. This study makes use of both infrared (IR; 11 μm) and water vapor (WV; 6.5 μm) geostationary satellite data, the Statistical Hurricane Prediction Intensity System (SHIPS), and model reanalyses to highlight commonalities of the six TCs. The commonalities serve as predictive guides for forecasters and common features that can be used to constrain and verify idealized modeling studies. Each of the TCs exhibits a convective cloud structure that is identified as a tilt-modulated convective asymmetry (TCA). These TCAs share similar shapes, upshear-relative positions, and IR cloud-top temperatures (below −70°C). They pulse over the core of the TC with a periodicity of between 4 and 8 h. Using WV satellite imagery, two additional features identified are asymmetric warming/drying upshear of the TC relative to downshear, as well as radially thin arc-shaped clouds on the upshear side. The WV brightness temperatures of these arcs are between −40° and −60°C. All of the TCs are sheared by upper-level anticyclones, which limits the strongest environmental winds to near the tropopause.

scholarly journals The characterization of deep convective cloud albedo as a calibration target using MODIS reflectances

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Doelling ◽  
Gang Hong ◽  
Dan Morstad ◽  
Rajendra Bhatt ◽  
Arun Gopalan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Convective Cloud ◽  
Calibration Target ◽  
Cloud Albedo ◽  
Deep Convective Cloud
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