A global record of single-layered ice cloud properties and associated radiative heating rate profiles from an A-Train perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 3069-3088 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica K. Dolinar ◽  
Xiquan Dong ◽  
Baike Xi ◽  
Jonathan H. Jiang ◽  
Norman G. Loeb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heating Rate ◽  
Radiative Heating ◽  
Ice Cloud ◽  
Cloud Properties

An Observed Tropical Oceanic Radiative–Convective Cloud Feedback

2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 2065-2078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew D. Lebsock ◽  
Christian Kummerow ◽  
Graeme L. Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Stability ◽  
Convective Cloud ◽  
Precipitation Anomaly ◽  
Cloud Feedback ◽  
Radiative Heating ◽  
Large Spatial Scale ◽  
Cloud Properties ◽  
Tropical Oceans ◽  
The Mean ◽  
High Level

Abstract Anomalies of precipitation, cloud, thermodynamic, and radiation variables are analyzed on the large spatial scale defined by the tropical oceans. In particular, relationships between the mean tropical oceanic precipitation anomaly and radiative anomalies are examined. It is found that tropical mean precipitation is well correlated with cloud properties and radiative fields. In particular, the tropical mean precipitation anomaly is positively correlated with the top of the atmosphere reflected shortwave anomaly and negatively correlated with the emitted longwave anomaly. The tropical mean relationships are found to primarily result from a coherent oscillation of precipitation and the area of high-level cloudiness. The correlations manifest themselves radiatively as a modest decrease in net downwelling radiation at the top of the atmosphere, and a redistribution of energy from the surface to the atmosphere through reduced solar radiation to the surface and decreased longwave emission to space. Integrated over the tropical oceanic domain, the anomalous atmospheric column radiative heating is found to be about 10% of the magnitude of the anomalous latent heating. The temporal signature of the radiative heating is observed in the column mean temperature that indicates a coherent phase-lagged oscillation between atmospheric stability and convection. These relationships are identified as a radiative–convective cloud feedback that is observed on intraseasonal time scales in the tropical atmosphere.

scholarly journals Are elevated moist layers a blind spot for hyperspectral infrared sounders? A model study

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 7025-7044
Author(s):  
Marc Prange ◽  
Manfred Brath ◽  
Stefan A. Buehler
Keyword(s):  
Heating Rate ◽  
Local Heating ◽  
Optimal Estimation ◽  
Forecast Model ◽  
Temperature Inversion ◽  
Radiative Heating ◽  
Reference Dataset ◽  
Tropical Ocean ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
New Framework

Abstract. The ability of the hyperspectral satellite-based passive infrared (IR) instrument IASI to resolve elevated moist layers (EMLs) within the free troposphere is investigated. EMLs are strong moisture anomalies with significant impact on the radiative heating rate profile and typically coupled to freezing level detrainment from convective cells in the tropics. A previous case study by Stevens et al. (2017) indicated inherent deficiencies of passive satellite-based remote sensing instruments in resolving an EML. In this work, we first put the findings of Stevens et al. (2017) into the context of other retrieval case studies of EML-like structures, showing that such structures can in principle be retrieved, but retrievability depends on the retrieval method and the exact retrieval setup. To approach a first more systematic analysis of EML retrievability, we introduce our own basic optimal estimation (OEM) retrieval, which for the purpose of this study is based on forward-modelled (synthetic) clear-sky observations. By applying the OEM retrieval to the same EML case as Stevens et al. (2017), we find that a lack of independent temperature information can significantly deteriorate the humidity retrieval due to a strong temperature inversion at the EML top. However, we show that by employing a wider spectral range of the hyperspectral IR observation, this issue can be avoided and EMLs can generally be resolved. We introduce a new framework for the identification and characterization of moisture anomalies, a subset of which are EMLs, to specifically quantify the retrieval's ability to capture moisture anomalies. The new framework is applied to 1288 synthetic retrievals of tropical ocean short-range forecast model atmospheres, allowing for a direct statistical comparison of moisture anomalies between the retrieval and the reference dataset. With our basic OEM retrieval, we find that retrieved moisture anomalies are on average 17 % weaker and 15 % thicker than their true counterparts. We attribute this to the retrieval smoothing error and the fact that rather weak and narrow moisture anomalies are most frequently missed by the retrieval. Smoothing is found to also constrain the magnitude of local heating rate extremes associated with moisture anomalies, particularly for the strongest anomalies that are found in the lower to mid troposphere. In total, about 80 % of moisture anomalies in the reference dataset are found by the retrieval. Below 5 km altitude, this fraction is only of the order of 52 %. We conclude that the retrieval of lower- to mid-tropospheric moisture anomalies, in particular of EMLs, is possible when the anomaly is sufficiently strong and its thickness is at least of the order of about 1.5 km. This study sets the methodological basis for more comprehensively investigating EMLs based on real hyperspectral IR observations and their operational products in the future.

scholarly journals Effect of Aerosols on the Ice Cloud Properties Over the Tibetan Plateau

2019 ◽  
Vol 124 (16) ◽  
pp. 9594-9608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuzhi Liu ◽  
Shan Hua ◽  
Rui Jia ◽  
Jianping Huang
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Ice Cloud ◽  
Cloud Properties

scholarly journals Investigation of ice particle habits to be used for ice cloud remote sensing for the GCOM-C satellite mission

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (18) ◽  
pp. 12287-12303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Husi Letu ◽  
Hiroshi Ishimoto ◽  
Jerome Riedi ◽  
Takashi Y. Nakajima ◽  
Laurent C.-Labonnote ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Thickness ◽  
Single Scattering ◽  
Single Scattering Albedo ◽  
Asymmetry Factor ◽  
Size Parameter ◽  
Geometric Optics ◽  
Ice Clouds ◽  
Extinction Efficiency ◽  
Ice Cloud ◽  
Cloud Properties

Abstract. In this study, various ice particle habits are investigated in conjunction with inferring the optical properties of ice clouds for use in the Global Change Observation Mission-Climate (GCOM-C) satellite programme. We develop a database of the single-scattering properties of five ice habit models: plates, columns, droxtals, bullet rosettes, and Voronoi. The database is based on the specification of the Second Generation Global Imager (SGLI) sensor on board the GCOM-C satellite, which is scheduled to be launched in 2017 by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. A combination of the finite-difference time-domain method, the geometric optics integral equation technique, and the geometric optics method is applied to compute the single-scattering properties of the selected ice particle habits at 36 wavelengths, from the visible to the infrared spectral regions. This covers the SGLI channels for the size parameter, which is defined as a single-particle radius of an equivalent volume sphere, ranging between 6 and 9000 µm. The database includes the extinction efficiency, absorption efficiency, average geometrical cross section, single-scattering albedo, asymmetry factor, size parameter of a volume-equivalent sphere, maximum distance from the centre of mass, particle volume, and six nonzero elements of the scattering phase matrix. The characteristics of calculated extinction efficiency, single-scattering albedo, and asymmetry factor of the five ice particle habits are compared. Furthermore, size-integrated bulk scattering properties for the five ice particle habit models are calculated from the single-scattering database and microphysical data. Using the five ice particle habit models, the optical thickness and spherical albedo of ice clouds are retrieved from the Polarization and Directionality of the Earth's Reflectances-3 (POLDER-3) measurements, recorded on board the Polarization and Anisotropy of Reflectances for Atmospheric Sciences coupled with Observations from a Lidar (PARASOL) satellite. The optimal ice particle habit for retrieving the SGLI ice cloud properties is investigated by adopting the spherical albedo difference (SAD) method. It is found that the SAD is distributed stably due to the scattering angle increases for bullet rosettes with an effective diameter (Deff) of 10 µm and Voronoi particles with Deff values of 10, 60, and 100 µm. It is confirmed that the SAD of small bullet-rosette particles and all sizes of Voronoi particles has a low angular dependence, indicating that a combination of the bullet-rosette and Voronoi models is sufficient for retrieval of the ice cloud's spherical albedo and optical thickness as effective habit models for the SGLI sensor. Finally, SAD analysis based on the Voronoi habit model with moderate particle size (Deff = 60 µm) is compared with the conventional general habit mixture model, inhomogeneous hexagonal monocrystal model, five-plate aggregate model, and ensemble ice particle model. The Voronoi habit model is found to have an effect similar to that found in some conventional models for the retrieval of ice cloud properties from space-borne radiometric observations.

scholarly journals Ice cloud microphysical trends observed by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian H. Kahn ◽  
Hanii Takahashi ◽  
Graeme L. Stephens ◽  
Qing Yue ◽  
Julien Delanoë ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Strong Dependence ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Single Layer ◽  
Particle Growth ◽  
Surface Wind Speed ◽  
Ice Cloud ◽  
Cloud Properties ◽  
Strong Convection ◽  
Ice Water ◽  
Cloud Top Temperature

Abstract. We use the AIRS version 6 ice cloud property and thermodynamic phase retrievals to quantify variability and 14-year trends in ice cloud frequency, ice cloud top temperature (Tci), ice optical thickness (τi) and ice effective radius (rei). The trends in ice cloud properties are shown to be independent of trends in information content and χ2. Statistically significant decreases in ice frequency, τi, and ice water path (IWP) are found in the SH and NH extratropics, but trends are much smaller and statistically insignificant in the tropics. However, statistically significant increases in rei are found in all three latitude bands. Perturbation experiments consistent with estimates of AIRS radiometric stability fall significantly short of explaining the observed trends in ice properties, averaging kernels, and χ2 trends. Values of rei are larger at the tops of opaque clouds and exhibit strong dependence on surface wind speed, column water vapour (CWV) and surface temperature (Tsfc) with changes up to 10–12 μm. Transparent clouds exhibit a much smaller change in rei for CWV, while none is observed for Tsfc. Comparisons between DARDAR and AIRS suggest that rei is smallest for single-layer cirrus, larger for cirrus above weak convection, and largest for cirrus above strong convection at the same cloud top temperature. This behaviour is consistent with enhanced particle growth from radiative cooling above convection or large particle lofting from strong convection.

scholarly journals Ice crystal number concentration estimates from lidar-radar satellite retrievals. Part 2: Controls on the ice crystal number concentration

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Gryspeerdt ◽  
Odran Sourdeval ◽  
Johannes Quaas ◽  
Julien Delanoë ◽  
Philipp Kühne
Keyword(s):  
Global Scale ◽  
Number Concentration ◽  
Ice Crystal ◽  
Ice Clouds ◽  
Ice Cloud ◽  
Cloud Properties ◽  
Radar Satellite ◽  
Mixed Phase Clouds

Abstract. The ice crystal number concentration (Ni) is a key property of ice clouds, both radiatively and microphysically. However, due to sparse in-situ measurements of ice cloud properties, the controls on the Ni have remained difficult to determine. As more advanced treatments of ice clouds are included in global models, it is becoming increasingly necessary to develop strong observational constraints on the processes involved. This work uses the DARDAR-LIM Ni retrieval described in part one to investigate the controls of the Ni at a global scale. The retrieved clouds are separated by type. The effects of temperature, proxies for in-cloud updraught and aerosol concentrations are investigated. Variations in the cloud top Ni (Ni(top)) consistent with both homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation are observed and along with a possible role of aerosol both increasing and decreasing the Ni(top) depending on the prevailing meteorological situation. Away from the cloud top, the Ni displays a different sensitivity to these controlling factors, providing a possible explanation to the low Ni sensitivity to temperature and INP observed in previous in-situ studies. This satellite dataset provides a new way of investigating the response of cloud properties to meteorological and aerosol controls. The results presented in this work increase our confidence in the retrieved Ni and will form the basis for further study into the processes influencing ice and mixed phase clouds.

scholarly journals Molecular cloud formation by compression of magnetized turbulent gas subjected to radiative cooling

2020 ◽  
Vol 493 (3) ◽  
pp. 3098-3113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankush Mandal ◽  
Christoph Federrath ◽  
Bastian Körtgen
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Cloud ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Turnover Rate ◽  
Radiative Heating ◽  
Cloud Formation ◽  
Neutral Medium ◽  
Contraction Rate ◽  
Mhd Turbulence ◽  
Cloud Properties ◽  
Hydrodynamical Simulations

ABSTRACT Complex turbulent motions of magnetized gas are ubiquitous in the interstellar medium (ISM). The source of this turbulence, however, is still poorly understood. Previous work suggests that compression caused by supernova shockwaves, gravity, or cloud collisions, may drive the turbulence to some extent. In this work, we present three-dimensional (3D) magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of contraction in turbulent, magnetized clouds from the warm neutral medium of the ISM to the formation of cold dense molecular clouds, including radiative heating and cooling. We study different contraction rates and find that observed molecular cloud properties, such as the temperature, density, Mach number, and magnetic field strength, and their respective scaling relations, are best reproduced when the contraction rate equals the turbulent turnover rate. In contrast, if the contraction rate is significantly larger (smaller) than the turnover rate, the compression drives too much (too little) turbulence, producing unrealistic cloud properties. We find that the density probability distribution function evolves from a double lognormal representing the two-phase ISM, to a skewed, single lognormal in the dense, cold phase. For purely hydrodynamical simulations, we find that the effective driving parameter of contracting cloud turbulence is natural to mildly compressive (b ∼ 0.4–0.5), while for MHD turbulence, we find b ∼ 0.3–0.4, i.e. solenoidal to naturally mixed. Overall, the physical properties of the simulated clouds that contract at a rate equal to the turbulent turnover rate, indicate that large-scale contraction may explain the origin and evolution of turbulence in the ISM.

scholarly journals The variability of tropical ice cloud properties as a function of the large-scale context from ground-based radar-lidar observations over Darwin, Australia

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 8363-8384 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Protat ◽  
J. Delanoë ◽  
P. T. May ◽  
J. Haynes ◽  
C. Jakob ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Effective Radius ◽  
Ice Clouds ◽  
Ice Cloud ◽  
Microphysical Properties ◽  
Cloud Properties ◽  
Ice Water Content ◽  
Mean Differences ◽  
Ice Water ◽  
Lidar Observations

Abstract. The high complexity of cloud parameterizations now held in models puts more pressure on observational studies to provide useful means to evaluate them. One approach to the problem put forth in the modelling community is to evaluate under what atmospheric conditions the parameterizations fail to simulate the cloud properties and under what conditions they do a good job. It is the ambition of this paper to characterize the variability of the statistical properties of tropical ice clouds in different tropical "regimes" recently identified in the literature to aid the development of better process-oriented parameterizations in models. For this purpose, the statistical properties of non-precipitating tropical ice clouds over Darwin, Australia are characterized using ground-based radar-lidar observations from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program. The ice cloud properties analysed are the frequency of ice cloud occurrence, the morphological properties (cloud top height and thickness), and the microphysical and radiative properties (ice water content, visible extinction, effective radius, and total concentration). The variability of these tropical ice cloud properties is then studied as a function of the large-scale cloud regimes derived from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP), the amplitude and phase of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), and the large-scale atmospheric regime as derived from a long-term record of radiosonde observations over Darwin. The vertical variability of ice cloud occurrence and microphysical properties is largest in all regimes (1.5 order of magnitude for ice water content and extinction, a factor 3 in effective radius, and three orders of magnitude in concentration, typically). 98 % of ice clouds in our dataset are characterized by either a small cloud fraction (smaller than 0.3) or a very large cloud fraction (larger than 0.9). In the ice part of the troposphere three distinct layers characterized by different statistically-dominant microphysical processes are identified. The variability of the ice cloud properties as a function of the large-scale atmospheric regime, cloud regime, and MJO phase is large, producing mean differences of up to a factor 8 in the frequency of ice cloud occurrence between large-scale atmospheric regimes and mean differences of a factor 2 typically in all microphysical properties. Finally, the diurnal cycle of the frequency of occurrence of ice clouds is also very different between regimes and MJO phases, with diurnal amplitudes of the vertically-integrated frequency of ice cloud occurrence ranging from as low as 0.2 (weak diurnal amplitude) to values in excess of 2.0 (very large diurnal amplitude). Modellers should now use these results to check if their model cloud parameterizations are capable of translating a given atmospheric forcing into the correct statistical ice cloud properties.

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