scholarly journals Characterization ofZeandLDRof nonspherical and inhomogeneous ice particles for 95-GHz cloud radar: Its implication to microphysical retrievals

2006 ◽  
Vol 111 (D22) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaori Sato ◽  
Hajime Okamoto
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Radar ◽  
Ice Particles

scholarly journals Relationship between temperature and apparent shape of pristine ice crystals derived from polarimetric cloud radar observations during the ACCEPT campaign

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 3739-3754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Myagkov ◽  
Patric Seifert ◽  
Ulla Wandinger ◽  
Johannes Bühl ◽  
Ronny Engelmann
Keyword(s):  
Free Fall ◽  
Crystal Shape ◽  
Ice Crystal ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Axis Ratio ◽  
Microwave Scattering ◽  
Cloud Radar ◽  
Ice Particles ◽  
Rapid Changes ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract. This paper presents first quantitative estimations of apparent ice particle shape at the top of liquid-topped clouds. Analyzed ice particles were formed under mixed-phase conditions in the presence of supercooled water and in the temperature range from −20 to −3 °C. The estimation is based on polarizability ratios of ice particles measured by a Ka-band cloud radar MIRA-35 with hybrid polarimetric configuration. Polarizability ratio is a function of the geometrical axis ratio and the dielectric properties of the observed hydrometeors. For this study, 22 cases observed during the ACCEPT (Analysis of the Composition of Clouds with Extended Polarization Techniques) field campaign were used. Polarizability ratios retrieved for cloud layers with the cloud-top temperatures of  ∼ −5,  ∼ −8,  ∼ −15, and  ∼ −20 °C were 1.6, 0.9, 0.6, and 0.9, respectively. Such values correspond to prolate, quasi-isotropic, oblate, and quasi-isotropic particles, respectively. Data from a free-fall chamber were used for the comparison. A good agreement of detected apparent shapes with well-known shape–temperature dependencies observed in laboratories was found. Polarizability ratios used for the analysis were estimated for areas located close to the cloud top, where aggregation and riming processes do not strongly affect ice particles. We concluded that, in microwave scattering models, ice particles detected in these areas can be assumed to have pristine shapes. It was also found that even slight variations of ambient conditions at the cloud top with temperatures warmer than  ∼ −5 °C can lead to rapid changes of ice crystal shape.

scholarly journals Vertical Structure of Ice Clouds and Vertical Air Motion from Vertically Pointing Cloud Radar Measurements

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 4349
Author(s):  
Bo-Young Ye ◽  
GyuWon Lee
Keyword(s):  
Vertical Structure ◽  
Cirrus Clouds ◽  
Doppler Velocity ◽  
Upward Motion ◽  
Fall Velocity ◽  
Ice Clouds ◽  
Cloud Radar ◽  
Ice Particles ◽  
Stratiform Clouds ◽  
Air Motion

The vertical structure of ice clouds and vertical air motion (Vair) were investigated using vertically pointing Ka-band cloud radar. The distributions of reflectivity (Z), Doppler velocity (VD), and spectrum width (SW) were analyzed for three ice cloud types, namely, cirrus, anvil, and stratiform clouds. The radar parameters of the cirrus clouds showed narrower distributions than those of the stratiform and anvil clouds. In the vertical structures, the rapid growth of Z and VD occurred in the layer between 8 and 12 km (roughly a layer of −40 °C to −20 °C) for all ice clouds. The prominent feature in the stratiform clouds was an elongated “S” shape in the VD near 7–7.5 km (at approximately −16 °C to −13 °C) due to a significant decrease in an absolute value of VD. The mean terminal fall velocity (Vt) and Vair in the ice clouds were estimated using pre-determined Vt–Z relationships (Vt = aZb) and the observed VD. Although the cirrus clouds demonstrated wide distributions in coefficients a and exponents b depending on cloud heights, they showed a smaller change in Z and Vt values compared to that of the other cloud types. The anvil clouds had a larger exponent than that of the stratiform clouds, indicating that the ice particle density of anvil clouds increases at a faster rate compared with the density of stratiform clouds for the same Z increment. The significant positive Vair appeared at the top of all ice clouds in range up to 0.5 m s−1, and the anvil clouds showed the deepest layer of upward motion. The stratiform and anvil clouds showed a dramatic increase in vertical air motion in the layer of 6–8 km as shown by the rapid decrease of VD. This likely caused increase of supersaturation above. A periodic positive Vair linked with a significant reduction in VD appeared at the height of 7–8 km (approximately −15 °C) dominantly in the stratiform clouds. This layer exhibited a bi-modal power spectrum produced by pre-existing larger ice particles and newly formed numerous smaller ice particles. This result raised a question on the origins of smaller ice particles such as new nucleation due to increased supersaturation by upward motion below or the seeder-feeder effect. In addition, the retrieved Vair with high-resolution data well represented a Kelvin-Helmholtz wave development.

scholarly journals Shape-temperature relationships of pristine ice crystals derived from polarimetric cloud radar observations during the ACCEPT campaign

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Myagkov ◽  
P. Seifert ◽  
U. Wandinger ◽  
J. Bühl ◽  
R. Engelmann
Keyword(s):  
Free Fall ◽  
Ice Crystals ◽  
Crystal Shape ◽  
Ice Crystal ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Microwave Scattering ◽  
Cloud Radar ◽  
Ice Particles ◽  
Rapid Changes ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract. This paper presents first quantitative estimations of ice particle shape at the top of liquid-topped clouds. Analyzed ice particles were formed in the presence of supercooled water and in the temperature range from −20 to −3 °C. The estimation is based on polarizability ratios of ice particles measured by a Ka-band cloud radar MIRA-35 with hybrid polarimetric configuration, manufactured by METEK GmbH. For this study, 22 cases observed during the ACCEPT (Analysis of the Composition of Clouds with Extended Polarization Techniques) field campaign were used. Polarizability ratios retrieved for cloud layers with the cloud top temperatures of ~−5, ~−8, ~−15, and ~−20 °C were 1.6, 0.9, 0.6, and 0.9, respectively. Such values correspond to prolate, quasi-isotropic, oblate, and quasi-isotropic particles, respectively. Data from a free-fall chamber were used for the comparison. A good agreement of detected shapes with well-known shape-temperature dependencies observed in laboratories was found. Polarizability ratios used for the analysis were estimated for areas located close to the cloud top where aggregation and riming processes do not strongly affect ice particles. We concluded, that in microwave scattering models ice particles detected in these areas can be assumed to have pristine shapes. It was also found that even slight variations of ambient conditions at the cloud top with temperatures warmer than ~−5 °C can lead to rapid changes of ice crystal shape.

scholarly journals Establishment and preliminary application of forward modeling method for Doppler spectral density of ice particles

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han Ding ◽  
Liping Liu
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Spectral Density ◽  
Cross Section ◽  
Ice Crystals ◽  
Ice Crystal ◽  
Fall Velocity ◽  
Density Data ◽  
Cloud Radar ◽  
Backscattering Cross Section ◽  
Ice Particles

Abstract. Owing to the various shapes of ice particles, the relationships between fall velocity, backscattering cross-section, mass, and particle size are complicated, which affects the application of cloud radar Doppler spectral density data to retrieve the microphysical properties of ice crystals. In this paper, under the assumption of six particle shape types, the relationships between particle mass, fall velocity, backscattering cross-section, and particle size were established based on existing research. Variations of Doppler spectral density with the same particle size distribution (PSD) of different ice particle types are discussed, and the radar-retrieved liquid and ice PSDs, water content, and mean volume-weighted particle diameter are compared with airborne in situ observations in Xingtai, Hebei Province, China, in 2018. The results showed the following: (1) for particles with the same equivalent diameter (De), the fall velocity of aggregates is the largest, followed by hexagonal columns, hexagonal plates, sector plates, and stellar crystals, with ice spheres falling two to three times faster than ice crystals with the same De. Hexagonal columns have the largest backscattering cross-section, followed by stellar crystals and sector plates, and the backscattering cross-sections of hexagonal plates and two kinds of aggregates are very close to those of ice spheres. (2) The width of the simulated radar Doppler spectral density generated by various ice crystal types with the same PSD is mainly affected by particle fall velocity and increased fall velocity rates with increased particle size, as do PSDs retrieved from the same Doppler spectral density data. (3) PSD comparisons showed that each ice crystal type retrieved from the cloud radar corresponded well to aircraft observations within a certain scale range when assuming that only a certain type of ice crystals existed in the cloud, which can fully prove the feasibility of retrieving ice PSDs from reflectivity spectral density.

scholarly journals W-Band (95 GHz) Radar Attenuation in Tropical Stratiform Ice Anvils

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 1463-1476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alain Protat ◽  
Surendra Rauniyar ◽  
Julien Delanoë ◽  
Emmanuel Fontaine ◽  
Alfons Schwarzenboeck
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Attenuation Coefficient ◽  
Cloud Microphysics ◽  
Vertical Profiles ◽  
High Attenuation ◽  
Cloud Radar ◽  
Ice Particles ◽  
W Band ◽  
Ice Water Content ◽  
Ice Water

AbstractAttenuation of the W-band (95 GHz) radar signal by atmospheric ice particles has long been neglected in cloud microphysics studies. In this work, 95-GHz airborne multibeam cloud radar observations in tropical stratiform ice anvils are used to estimate vertical profiles of 95-GHz attenuation. Two techniques are developed and compared, using very different assumptions. The first technique examines statistical reflectivity differences between repeated aircraft passes through the same cloud mass at different altitudes. The second technique exploits reflectivity differences between two different pathlengths through the same cloud, using the multibeam capabilities of the cloud radar. Using the first technique, the two-way attenuation coefficient produced by stratiform ice particles ranges between 1 and 1.6 dB km−1 for reflectivities between 13 and 18 dBZ, with an expected increase of attenuation with reflectivity. Using the second technique, the multibeam results confirm these high attenuation coefficient values and expand the reflectivity range, with typical attenuation coefficient values of up to 3–4 dB km−1 for reflectivities of 20 dBZ. The potential impact of attenuation on precipitating-ice-cloud microphysics retrievals is quantified using vertical profiles of the mean and the 99th percentile of ice water content derived from noncorrected and attenuation-corrected reflectivities. A large impact is found on the 99th percentile of ice water content, which increases by 0.3–0.4 g m−3 up to 11-km height. Finally, T-matrix calculations of attenuation constrained by measured particle size distributions, ice crystal mass–size, and projected area–size relationships are found to largely underestimate cloud radar attenuation estimates.

scholarly journals Establishment and Preliminary Application of the Forward Modeling Method for Doppler Spectral Density of Ice Particles

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 3378
Author(s):  
Han Ding ◽  
Liping Liu
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Spectral Density ◽  
Cross Section ◽  
Ice Crystals ◽  
Doppler Spectrum ◽  
Ice Crystal ◽  
Fall Velocity ◽  
Cloud Radar ◽  
Backscattering Cross Section ◽  
Ice Particles

Owing to the various shapes of ice particles, the relationships between fall velocity, backscattering cross-section, mass, and particle size are complicated. This affects the application of cloud radar Doppler spectral density data in the retrieval of the microphysical properties of ice crystals. In this study, under the assumption of six particle shape types, the relationships between particle mass, fall velocity, backscattering cross-section, and particle size were established based on existing research. Variations of Doppler spectral density with the same particle size distribution (PSD) of different ice particle types are discussed. The radar-retrieved liquid and ice PSDs, water content, and mean volume-weighted particle diameter were compared with airborne in situ observations in the Xingtai, Hebei Province, China, in 2018. The results showed the following. (1) For the particles with the same equivalent diameter (De), the fall velocity of the aggregates was the largest, followed by hexagonal columns, hexagonal plates, sector plates, and stellar crystals, with the ice spheres falling two to three times faster than ice crystals with the same De. Hexagonal columns had the largest backscattering cross-section, followed by stellar crystals and sector plates, and the backscattering cross-sections of hexagonal plates and the two types of aggregates were very close to those of ice spheres. (2) The width of the simulated radar Doppler spectral density generated by various ice crystal types with the same PSD was mainly affected by the particle’s falling velocity, which increased with the particle size. Turbulence had different degrees of influence on the Doppler spectrum of different ice crystals, and it also brought large errors to the PSD retrieval. (3) PSD comparisons showed that each ice crystal type retrieved from the cloud radar corresponded well to aircraft observations within a certain scale range, when assuming that only a certain type of ice crystals existed in the cloud, which could fully prove the feasibility of retrieving ice PSDs from the reflectivity spectral density.

scholarly journals Cloud radar with hybrid mode towards estimation of shape and orientation of ice crystals

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 9105-9163 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Myagkov ◽  
P. Seifert ◽  
M. Bauer-Pfundstein ◽  
U. Wandinger
Keyword(s):  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Orientation Distribution ◽  
Spherical Particles ◽  
Hybrid Mode ◽  
Processing Scheme ◽  
Cloud Radar ◽  
Ice Particles ◽  
Degree Of Orientation ◽  
Path Lengths ◽  
Differential Reflectivity

Abstract. This paper is devoted to the experimental quantitative characterization of the shape and orientation distribution of ice particles in clouds. The characterization is based on measured and modeled elevation dependencies of the polarimetric parameters differential reflectivity and correlation coefficient. The polarimetric data is obtained using a newly developed 35 GHz cloud radar MIRA-35 with hybrid polarimetric configuration and scanning capabilities. The full procedure chain of the technical implementation and the realization of the setup of the hybrid-mode cloud radar for the shape determination are presented. This includes the description of phase adjustments in the transmitting paths, the introduction of the general data processing scheme, correction of the data for the differences of amplifications and electrical path lengths in the transmitting and receiving channels, the rotation of the polarization basis by 45°, the correction of antenna effects on polarimetric measurements, the determination of spectral polarimetric variables, and the formulation of a scheme to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. Modeling of the polarimetric variables is based on existing back-scattering models assuming the spheroidal representation of cloud scatterers. The parameters retrieved from the model are polarizability ratio and degree of orientation, which can be assigned to certain particle orientations and shapes. The developed algorithm is applied to a measurement of the hybrid-mode cloud radar taken on 20 October 2014 in Cabauw, the Netherlands, in the frame of the ACCEPT (Analysis of the Composition of Clouds with Extended Polarization Techniques) campaign. The case study shows the retrieved polarizability ratio and degree of orientation of ice particles for a cloud system of three cloud layers at different heights. Retrieved polarizability ratios are 0.43, 0.85, and 1.5 which correspond to oblate, quasi-spherical, and columnar ice particles, respectively. It is shown that the polarizability ratio is useful for the detection of aggregation/riming processes. The orientation of oblate and prolate particles is estimated to be close to horizontal while quasi-spherical particles were found to be more randomly oriented.

Evaluations of the Spheroidal Particle Model for Describing Cloud Radar Depolarization Ratios of Ice Hydrometeors

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 865-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergey Y. Matrosov
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Particle Model ◽  
Depolarization Ratio ◽  
Spheroidal Particle ◽  
Shape Model ◽  
Cloud Radar ◽  
Aspect Ratios ◽  
Ice Particles ◽  
Principal Axes

AbstractInformation on ice cloud particle nonsphericity is important for many practical applications ranging from modeling the cloud radiation impact to remote sensing of hydrometeor microphysical properties. Scanning cloud radars, which often measure depolarization ratio as a sole polarization variable, can provide a means for retrieving this information. The applicability of a spheroidal particle model (i.e., a regular ellipsoid that has two principal axes of the same length) is evaluated for describing depolarization properties of ice particles. It is shown that this simple model, which uses an aspect ratio as a single parameter characterizing particle nonsphericity, explains reasonably well the scatter of slant 45° linear depolarization ratio (SLDR) measurements versus direct estimates of the zenith direction backscatter enhancement observed during the Storm Peak Laboratory Cloud Property Validation Experiment (StormVEx) with the scanning W-band cloud radar (SWACR). Observed SLDR elevation angle patterns are also approximated reasonably well by this shape model. It is suggested that an SLDR difference between slant and zenith radar pointing can be used for prospective remote sensing methods of inferring particle aspect ratio from cloud radar depolarization measurements. Depending on mass–size relations, the value of this difference corresponding to median zenith reflectivity enhancement observed during StormVEx relates to aspect ratios of about 0.5 ± 0.2, which generally agrees with typical aspect ratios of ice particles. Expected aspect ratio retrieval uncertainties within the spheroidal shape model and the use of different types of radar depolarization ratio measurements are discussed. A correction for estimated zenith direction reflectivity enhancements due to particle nonsphericity is suggested.

scholarly journals Cloud radar with hybrid mode towards estimation of shape and orientation of ice crystals

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 469-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Myagkov ◽  
P. Seifert ◽  
M. Bauer-Pfundstein ◽  
U. Wandinger
Keyword(s):  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Orientation Distribution ◽  
Spherical Particles ◽  
Hybrid Mode ◽  
Processing Scheme ◽  
Cloud Radar ◽  
Ice Particles ◽  
Degree Of Orientation ◽  
Path Lengths ◽  
Differential Reflectivity

Abstract. This paper is devoted to the experimental quantitative characterization of the shape and orientation distribution of ice particles in clouds. The characterization is based on measured and modeled elevation dependencies of the polarimetric parameters differential reflectivity and correlation coefficient. The polarimetric data are obtained using a newly developed 35 GHz cloud radar MIRA-35 with hybrid polarimetric configuration and scanning capabilities. The full procedure chain of the technical implementation and the realization of the setup of the hybrid-mode cloud radar for the shape determination are presented. This includes the description of phase adjustments in the transmitting paths, the introduction of the general data processing scheme, correction of the data for the differences of amplifications and electrical path lengths in the transmitting and receiving channels, the rotation of the polarization basis by 45°, the correction of antenna effects on polarimetric measurements, the determination of spectral polarimetric variables, and the formulation of a scheme to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. Modeling of the polarimetric variables is based on existing back-scattering models assuming the spheroidal representation of cloud scatterers. The parameters retrieved from the model are polarizability ratio and degree of orientation, which can be assigned to certain particle orientations and shapes. The developed algorithm is applied to a measurement of the hybrid-mode cloud radar taken on 20 October 2014 in Cabauw, the Netherlands, in the framework of the ACCEPT (Analysis of the Composition of Clouds with Extended Polarization Techniques) campaign. The case study shows the retrieved polarizability ratio and degree of orientation of ice particles for a cloud system of three cloud layers at different heights. Retrieved polarizability ratios are 0.43, 0.85, and 1.5 which correspond to oblate, quasi-spherical, and columnar ice particles, respectively. It is shown that the polarizability ratio is useful for the detection of aggregation/riming processes. The orientation of oblate and prolate particles is estimated to be close to horizontal while quasi-spherical particles were found to be more randomly oriented.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document