scholarly journals Trends of MSU Brightness Temperature in the Middle Troposphere Simulated by CMIP5 Models and Their Sensitivity to Cloud Liquid Water

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 1029-1041
Author(s):  
Xuanze Zhang ◽  
Xiaogu Zheng ◽  
Zhian Sun ◽  
San Luo
Keyword(s):  
Brightness Temperature ◽  
Liquid Water ◽  
Weighting Function ◽  
Atmospheric Temperature ◽  
Temperature Trend ◽  
Cmip5 Models ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Weighting Functions ◽  
Cloud Liquid Water ◽  
Middle Troposphere

AbstractOnly a climate model that is able to simulate well the historical atmospheric temperature trend can be used for estimating the future atmospheric temperature trends on different emission scenarios. Satellite-based Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) brightness temperature in the middle troposphere (T2) is an important analog of midtropospheric atmospheric temperature. So, there is the need to compare the atmospheric temperature trend simulated by the fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) historical realizations and the observed MSU T2. There are two approaches for estimating modeled MSU T2: apply a global-mean static weighting function to generate the weighted average of the modeled temperature at all atmospheric layers and simulate satellite-view MSU T2 using the model’s output as input into a radiative transfer model (RTM).In this paper, the two approaches for estimating modeled MSU T2 are evaluated. For each CMIP5, it is shown that there exists a model-simulated static weighting function, such that the MSU T2 trend using the weighting function is equivalent to that calculated by RTM. The effect of modeled cloud liquid water on MSU T2 trends in CMIP5 simulations is investigated by comparing the modeled cloud liquid water vertical profile and the weighting function. Moreover, it is found that warming trends of MSU T2 for CMIP5 simulations calculated by the RTM are about 15% less than those using the two traditional static weighting functions. By comparing the model-derived weighting function with the two traditional weighting functions, the reason for the systematical biases is revealed.

A Physically Based Algorithm for Non-Blackbody Correction of Cloud-Top Temperature and Application to Convection Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (7) ◽  
pp. 1844-1857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunpeng Wang ◽  
Zhengzhao Johnny Luo ◽  
Xiuhong Chen ◽  
Xiping Zeng ◽  
Wei-Kuo Tao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brightness Temperature ◽  
Weighting Function ◽  
Convective Cloud ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Height Range ◽  
Convective Clouds ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Cloud Top Temperature

AbstractCloud-top temperature (CTT) is an important parameter for convective clouds and is usually different from the 11-μm brightness temperature due to non-blackbody effects. This paper presents an algorithm for estimating convective CTT by using simultaneous passive [Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)] and active [CloudSat + Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO)] measurements of clouds to correct for the non-blackbody effect. To do this, a weighting function of the MODIS 11-μm band is explicitly calculated by feeding cloud hydrometer profiles from CloudSat and CALIPSO retrievals and temperature and humidity profiles based on ECMWF analyses into a radiation transfer model. Among 16 837 tropical deep convective clouds observed by CloudSat in 2008, the averaged effective emission level (EEL) of the 11-μm channel is located at optical depth ~0.72, with a standard deviation of 0.3. The distance between the EEL and cloud-top height determined by CloudSat is shown to be related to a parameter called cloud-top fuzziness (CTF), defined as the vertical separation between −30 and 10 dBZ of CloudSat radar reflectivity. On the basis of these findings a relationship is then developed between the CTF and the difference between MODIS 11-μm brightness temperature and physical CTT, the latter being the non-blackbody correction of CTT. Correction of the non-blackbody effect of CTT is applied to analyze convective cloud-top buoyancy. With this correction, about 70% of the convective cores observed by CloudSat in the height range of 6–10 km have positive buoyancy near cloud top, meaning clouds are still growing vertically, although their final fate cannot be determined by snapshot observations.

scholarly journals Microwave signatures of ice hydrometeors from ground-based observations above Summit, Greenland

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (23) ◽  
pp. 34497-34532
Author(s):  
C. Pettersen ◽  
R. Bennartz ◽  
M. S. Kulie ◽  
A. J. Merrelli ◽  
M. D. Shupe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brightness Temperature ◽  
Temperature Difference ◽  
Liquid Water ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Passive Microwave ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Cloud Radar ◽  
Brightness Temperatures ◽  
High Frequency Microwave

Abstract. Multi-instrument, ground-based measurements provide unique and comprehensive datasets of the atmosphere for a specific location over long periods of time and resulting data compliments past and existing global satellite observations. This paper explores the effect of ice hydrometeors on ground-based, high frequency passive microwave measurements and attempts to isolate an ice signature for summer seasons at Summit, Greenland from 2010–2013. Data from a combination of passive microwave, cloud radar, radiosonde, and ceilometer were examined to isolate the ice signature at microwave wavelengths. By limiting the study to a cloud liquid water path of 40 g m−2 or less, the cloud radar can identify cases where the precipitation was dominated by ice. These cases were examined using liquid water and gas microwave absorption models, and brightness temperatures were calculated for the high frequency microwave channels: 90, 150, and 225 GHz. By comparing the measured brightness temperatures from the microwave radiometers and the calculated brightness temperature using only gas and liquid contributions, any residual brightness temperature difference is due to emission and scattering of microwave radiation from the ice hydrometeors in the column. The ice signature in the 90, 150, and 225 GHz channels for the Summit Station summer months was isolated. This measured ice signature was then compared to an equivalent brightness temperature difference calculated with a radiative transfer model including microwave single scattering properties for several ice habits. Initial model results compare well against the four years of summer season isolated ice signature in the high-frequency microwave channels.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Cloud Liquid Water Path Trends Using a Multidecadal Record of Passive Microwave Observations

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (15) ◽  
pp. 5871-5884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Manaster ◽  
Christopher W. O’Dell ◽  
Gregory Elsaesser
Keyword(s):  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Liquid Water ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
Cmip5 Models ◽  
Model Intercomparison ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Cloud Liquid Water ◽  
Water Path ◽  
Intercomparison Project ◽  
Cloud Liquid Water Path

In this study, observed cloud liquid water path (LWP) trends from the Multisensor Advanced Climatology of Liquid Water Path (MAC-LWP) dataset (1988–2014) are compared to trends computed from the temporally coincident records of 16 global climate models (GCMs) participating in phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). For many regions, observed trend magnitudes are several times larger than the corresponding model mean trend magnitudes. Muted model mean trends are thought to be the result of cancellation effects arising from differing interannual variability characteristics and differences in model physics–dynamics. In most regions, the majority of modeled trends were statistically consistent with the observed trends. This was thought to be because of large estimated errors in both the observations and the models due to interannual variability. Over the southern oceans (south of 40°S latitude), general agreement between the observed trend and virtually all GCM trends is also found (about 1–2 g m−2 decade−1). Observed trends are also compared to those from the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP). Like the CMIP5 models, the majority of modeled AMIP trends were statistically consistent with the observed trends. It was also found that, in regions where the AMIP model mean time series better captures observed interannual variability, it tends to better capture the magnitude of the observed trends.

scholarly journals A MODIS-Derived Value-Added Climatology of Maritime Cloud Liquid Water Path That Conserves Solar Reflectance

2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 1767-1781
Author(s):  
Amanda Gumber ◽  
Michael J. Foster
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Liquid Water ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Cloud Liquid Water ◽  
Water Path ◽  
Cloud Liquid Water Path ◽  
Visible Reflectance

AbstractA dataset is generated from a method to retrieve distributions of cloud liquid water path over partially cloudy scenes. The method was introduced in a 2011 paper by Foster and coauthors that described the theory and provided test cases. Here it has been applied to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) collection-5 and collection-6 cloud products, resulting in a value-added dataset that contains adjusted distributions of cloud liquid water path for more than 10 years for marine liquid cloud for both Aqua and Terra. This method adjusts horizontal distributions of cloud optical properties to be more consistent with observed visible reflectance and is especially useful in areas where cloud optical retrievals fail or are considered to be of low quality. Potential uses of this dataset include validation of climate and radiative transfer models and facilitation of studies that intercompare satellite records. Results show that the fit method is able to reduce bias between observed visible reflectance and that derived from optical retrievals by up to an average improvement of 3%. The level of improvement is dependent on several factors, including seasonality, viewing geometry, cloud fraction, and cloud heterogeneity. Applications of this dataset are explored through a satellite intercomparison with PATMOS-x and Global Change Observation Mission–First Water (GCOM-W1; “SHIZUKU”) AMSR-2 and use of a Monte Carlo radiative transfer model. From the 3D Monte Carlo model simulations, albedo biases are found when the method is applied, with seasonal averages that range over 0.02–0.06.

scholarly journals Microwave signatures of ice hydrometeors from ground-based observations above Summit, Greenland

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 4743-4756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Pettersen ◽  
Ralf Bennartz ◽  
Mark S. Kulie ◽  
Aronne J. Merrelli ◽  
Matthew D. Shupe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brightness Temperature ◽  
Temperature Difference ◽  
Liquid Water ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Passive Microwave ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Cloud Radar ◽  
Brightness Temperatures ◽  
High Frequency Microwave

Abstract. Multi-instrument, ground-based measurements provide unique and comprehensive data sets of the atmosphere for a specific location over long periods of time and resulting data compliment past and existing global satellite observations. This paper explores the effect of ice hydrometeors on ground-based, high-frequency passive microwave measurements and attempts to isolate an ice signature for summer seasons at Summit, Greenland, from 2010 to 2013. Data from a combination of passive microwave, cloud radar, radiosonde, and ceilometer were examined to isolate the ice signature at microwave wavelengths. By limiting the study to a cloud liquid water path of 40 g m−2 or less, the cloud radar can identify cases where the precipitation was dominated by ice. These cases were examined using liquid water and gas microwave absorption models, and brightness temperatures were calculated for the high-frequency microwave channels: 90, 150, and 225 GHz. By comparing the measured brightness temperatures from the microwave radiometers and the calculated brightness temperature using only gas and liquid contributions, any residual brightness temperature difference is due to emission and scattering of microwave radiation from the ice hydrometeors in the column. The ice signature in the 90, 150, and 225 GHz channels for the Summit Station summer months was isolated. This measured ice signature was then compared to an equivalent brightness temperature difference calculated with a radiative transfer model including microwave single-scattering properties for several ice habits. Initial model results compare well against the 4 years of summer season isolated ice signature in the high-frequency microwave channels.

scholarly journals A model sensitivity study of the impact of clouds on satellite detection and retrieval of volcanic ash

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 1935-1949 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Kylling ◽  
N. Kristiansen ◽  
A. Stohl ◽  
R. Buras-Schnell ◽  
C. Emde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Liquid Water ◽  
Volcanic Ash ◽  
Spectral Band ◽  
Sensitivity Study ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Mass Loading ◽  
Ice Clouds ◽  
Medium Range Weather Forecast ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Volcanic ash is commonly observed by infrared detectors on board Earth-orbiting satellites. In the presence of ice and/or liquid-water clouds, the detected volcanic ash signature may be altered. In this paper the sensitivity of detection and retrieval of volcanic ash to the presence of ice and liquid-water clouds was quantified by simulating synthetic equivalents to satellite infrared images with a 3-D radiative transfer model. The sensitivity study was made for the two recent eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull (2010) and Grímsvötn (2011) using realistic water and ice clouds and volcanic ash clouds. The water and ice clouds were taken from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) analysis data and the volcanic ash cloud fields from simulations by the Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART. The radiative transfer simulations were made both with and without ice and liquid-water clouds for the geometry and channels of the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI). The synthetic SEVIRI images were used as input to standard reverse absorption ash detection and retrieval methods. Ice and liquid-water clouds were on average found to reduce the number of detected ash-affected pixels by 6–12%. However, the effect was highly variable and for individual scenes up to 40% of pixels with mass loading >0.2 g m−2 could not be detected due to the presence of water and ice clouds. For coincident pixels, i.e. pixels where ash was both present in the FLEXPART (hereafter referred to as "Flexpart") simulation and detected by the algorithm, the presence of clouds overall increased the retrieved mean mass loading for the Eyjafjallajökull (2010) eruption by about 13%, while for the Grímsvötn (2011) eruption ash-mass loadings the effect was a 4% decrease of the retrieved ash-mass loading. However, larger differences were seen between scenes (standard deviations of ±30 and ±20% for Eyjafjallajökull and Grímsvötn, respectively) and even larger ones within scenes. The impact of ice and liquid-water clouds on the detection and retrieval of volcanic ash, implies that to fully appreciate the location and amount of ash, hyperspectral and spectral band measurements by satellite instruments should be combined with ash dispersion modelling.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document