scholarly journals Horizontal geometry of trade-wind cumuli – aircraft observations from shortwave infrared imager versus radar profiler

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henning Dorff ◽  
Heike Konow ◽  
Felix Ament
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Wind Field ◽  
Trade Wind ◽  
Size Spectrum ◽  
Lower Sensitivity ◽  
Cumulus Clouds ◽  
Research Aircraft ◽  
Shortwave Infrared ◽  
Along Track

Abstract. This study elaborates how aircraft-based horizontal geometries of trade-wind cumulus clouds differ whether a one-dimensional (1D) profiler or a two-dimensional (2D) imager is used. While nadir profiling devices are limited to 1D realisation of the cloud transect size with limited representativeness of horizontal cloud extension, 2D imagers enhance our perspectives by mapping the horizontal cloud field. Both require high-resolution to detect the lower end of the cloud size spectrum. In this regard, the payload aboard the High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO) achieves a comparison and also a synergy of both measurement systems. Using the NARVAL-II campaign, we combine HALO observations from a 35.2 GHz cloud and precipitation radar (1D) and from the hyperspectral 2D imager specMACS, having a 30 times higher along-track resolution and compare their cloud masks. We examine cloud size distributions in terms of sensitivity to sample size, resolution and the considered field of view (2D or 1D). This specifies impacts on horizontal cloud sizes derived from the across-track perspective of the high-resolution imager in comparison to the radar curtain. We assess whether and how the trade-wind field amplifies uncertainties in cloud geometry observations along 1D transects through directional cloud elongation. Our findings reveal that each additional dimension, no matter of the device, causes a significant increase of observed clouds. The across-track field yields the highest increase in the cloud sample. The radar encounters difficulties to characterize the trade-wind cumuli size distribution. More than 60 % of clouds are subgrid scale for the radar. While the radar cannot resolve clouds shorter than 200 m and has a lower sensitivity, the amount of small invisible clouds leads to deviations in the size distribution. Double power law characteristics in the imager based cloud size distribution do not occur in radar observations. Along-track measurements do not necessarily cover the predominant cloud extent and inferred geometries lack of representativeness. Trade-wind cumuli show horizontal patterns similar to ellipses with a mean aspect ratio of 3 : 2. Instead of circular estimations based on the 1D transect, elliptic fits maintain the cloud area size distribution. Increasing wind speed tends to stretch clouds more and tilts them into the wind field, which makes transect measurements more representative along this axis.

scholarly journals Size Spectra of Snow Particles Measured in Wintertime Precipitation in the Pacific Northwest

2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher P. Woods ◽  
Mark T. Stoelinga ◽  
John D. Locatelli
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Size Spectrum ◽  
Size Spectra ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Single Moment ◽  
Research Aircraft ◽  
The University

Abstract Particle size spectra collected by the University of Washington’s Convair-580 research aircraft at a variety of altitudes and temperatures in winter frontal and orographic precipitation systems during the Improvement of Microphysical Parameterization through Observational Verification Experiment (IMPROVE) are analyzed in this study. The particle size spectra generally appeared to conform to an exponential size distribution, with well-correlated linear fits between the log of the number concentration and particle diameter. When the particle size spectra were grouped according to the habit composition as determined from airborne imagery, significantly improved correlations between the size spectrum parameters and temperature were obtained. This result could potentially be exploited for specifying the size distribution in a single-moment bulk microphysical scheme, if particle habit is predicted by the scheme. Analyses of “spectral trajectories” suggest that the rime-splintering process was likely responsible for the presence of needle and column habit types and the positive shift in both N0s and λs at temperatures warmer than −10°C.

scholarly journals Shallow cumulus properties as captured by adiabatic fraction in high-resolution LES simulations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eshkol Eytan ◽  
Alexander Khain ◽  
Mark Pinsky ◽  
Orit Altaratz ◽  
Jacob Shpund ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Atmospheric Modeling ◽  
Trade Wind ◽  
Cumulus Clouds ◽  
Complex Processes ◽  
Cloud Properties ◽  
Shallow Cumulus ◽  
Hebrew University ◽  
Bin Microphysics

Abstract Shallow convective clouds are important players in Earth’s energy budget and hydrological cycle, and are abundant in the tropical and subtropical belts. They greatly contribute to the uncertainty in climate predictions, due to their unresolved, complex processes that include coupling between the dynamics and microphysics. Analysis of cloud structure can be simplified by considering cloud motions as a combination of moist adiabatic motions like adiabatic updrafts and turbulent motions leading to deviation from adiabaticity. In this work, we study the sizes and occurrence of adiabatic regions in shallow cumulus clouds during their growth and mature stages, and use the adiabatic fraction (AF) as a continuous metric to describe cloud processes and properties from the core to the edge. To do so, we simulate isolated trade wind cumulus clouds of different sizes using the System of Atmospheric Modeling (SAM) model in high-resolution (10 m) with the Hebrew University spectral bin microphysics (SBM). The fine features in the cloud’s dynamics and microphysics, including small near-adiabatic volumes and a thin transition zone at the edge of the cloud (∼20-40 m in width) are captured. The AF is shown to be an efficient measure for analyzing cloud properties and key processes determining the droplets-size-distribution formation and shape during the cloud evolution. Physical processes governing the properties of droplets size distributions at different cloud regions (e.g. core, edge) are analyzed in relation to AF.

scholarly journals Deployment of the C-band radar Poldirad on Barbados during EUREC<sup>4</sup>A

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 5899-5914
Author(s):  
Martin Hagen ◽  
Florian Ewald ◽  
Silke Groß ◽  
Lothar Oswald ◽  
David A. Farrell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rain Rate ◽  
Radar Signal ◽  
Trade Wind ◽  
Cumulus Clouds ◽  
Radar Images ◽  
Shallow Cumulus ◽  
Maximum Range ◽  
Research Aircraft ◽  
Radar Measurements

Abstract. The German polarimetric C-band weather radar Poldirad (Polarization Diversity Radar) was deployed for the international field campaign EUREC4A (Elucidating the role of clouds–circulation coupling in climate) on the island of Barbados where it was operated from February until August 2020. Focus of the installation was monitoring clouds and precipitation in the trade wind region east of Barbados. Different scanning modes were used with a temporal sequence of 5 min and a maximum range of 375 km. In addition to built-in quality control performed by the radar signal processor, it was found that the copoloar correlation coefficient ρHV can be used to remove contamination of radar products by sea clutter. Radar images were available in real time for all campaign participants and aboard research aircraft. Examples of mesoscale precipitation patterns, rain rate accumulation, diurnal cycle, and vertical distribution are given to show the potential of the radar measurements for further studies on the life cycle of precipitating shallow cumulus clouds and other related aspects. Poldirad data from the EUREC4A campaign are available on the EUREC4A AERIS database: https://doi.org/10.25326/218 (Hagen et al., 2021a) for raw data and https://doi.org/10.25326/217 (Hagen et al., 2021b) for gridded data.

Quantifying development of shallow/warm marine cumulus clouds from geostationary observations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torsten Seelig ◽  
Felix Müller ◽  
Hartwig Deneke ◽  
Matthias Tesche
Keyword(s):  
Physical Properties ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Cloud Droplet ◽  
Lifetime Distribution ◽  
Trade Wind ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Cumulus Clouds ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Cloud Property ◽  
Cloud Properties

&lt;p&gt;In our study, we track shallow/warm marine cumulus clouds in the trade wind zone centred around the Canary Islands in August 2015. Tracking was performed in the CLAAS-2 data record (CM SAF CLoud property dAtAset using SEVIRI, [1]) which is based on time-resolved geostationary measurements with the Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager (SEVIRI) aboard Meteosat Second Generation. The retrieval of cloud trajectories allows for the calculation of the cloud lifetime distribution, the horizontal cloud size distribution and to characterize temporal changes in cloud properties. Cloud physical properties are available in the daytime. Filtering for daytime and low-level clouds we found about 65 thousand trajectories. For the considered period and domain, the lifetime distribution follows a power law. Most frequent are clouds which live on a time scale of tens of minutes. In the horizontal cloud size distribution, we detected two intervals following an exponential law but with different scaling. The first interval includes cloud sizes smaller than 30 km&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; and the second interval includes cloud sizes equal to or larger than 30 km&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; but smaller than 1000 km&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;. Clouds having a mean horizontal cloud size of approximately 30 km&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; are most frequent. Furthermore, we present time series&amp;#8217; of cloud physical properties, as cloud droplet effective radius at cloud top r&lt;sub&gt;e&lt;/sub&gt;, cloud optical thickness, cloud water path and cloud droplet number concentration. For comparison of the trajectories, we choose r&lt;sub&gt;e&lt;/sub&gt; as a measure. If r&lt;sub&gt;e&lt;/sub&gt; reaches a certain value the trajectories have been centred at this specific relative time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;References&lt;br&gt;[1] Benas, N., Finkensieper, S., Stengel, M., van Zadelhoff, G.-J., Hanschmann, T., Hollmann, R., Meirink, J. F.: The MSG-SEVIRI-based cloud property data&lt;br&gt;record CLAAS-2. Earth System Science Data 9(2), 415&amp;#8211;434 (2017). DOI 10.5194/essd-9-415-2017&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Deployment of the C-band radar Poldirad on Barbados during EUREC<sup>4</sup>A

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Hagen ◽  
Florian Ewald ◽  
Silke Groß ◽  
Lothar Oswald ◽  
David A. Farrell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rain Rate ◽  
Radar Signal ◽  
Trade Wind ◽  
Cumulus Clouds ◽  
Radar Images ◽  
Shallow Cumulus ◽  
Maximum Range ◽  
Research Aircraft ◽  
Radar Measurements

Abstract. The German polarimetric C-band weather radar Poldirad (Polarization Diversity Radar) was deployed for the international field campaign EUREC4A (ElUcidating the RolE of Cloud-Circulation Coupling in ClimAte) on the island of Barbados. Poldirad was operated on Barbados from February until August 2020. Focus of the installation was monitoring clouds and precipitation in the trade wind region east of Barbados. Different scanning modes were used with a temporal sequence of 5 minutes and a maximum range of 375 km. In addition to built-in quality control performed by the radar signal processor, it was found that the copoloar correlation coefficient ρHV can be used to remove contamination of radar products by sea clutter. Radar images were available in real-time for all campaign participants and onboard of research aircraft. Examples of mesoscale precipitation patterns, rain rate accumulation, diurnal cycle, and vertical distribution are given to show the potential of the radar measurements for further studies on the life cycle of precipitating shallow cumulus clouds and other related aspects. Poldirad data from the EUREC4A campaign are available on the EUREC4A AERIS database: https://doi.org/10.25326/218 (Hagen et al., 2021a) for raw data and https://doi.org/10.25326/217 (Hagen et al., 2021b) for gridded data.

NANOSCALE PORE SIZE DISTRIBUTION EFFECTS ON GAS PRODUCTION FROM FRACTAL SHALE ROCKS

Fractals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (08) ◽  
pp. 1950142
Author(s):  
JINZE XU ◽  
KELIU WU ◽  
RAN LI ◽  
ZANDONG LI ◽  
JING LI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fractal Dimension ◽  
Pore Size Distribution ◽  
Pore Size ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Gas Transport ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Lower Sensitivity ◽  
Apparent Permeability ◽  
Transport Efficiency ◽  
Nanoscale Pore

Effect of nanoscale pore size distribution (PSD) on shale gas production is one of the challenges to be addressed by the industry. An improved approach to study multi-scale real gas transport in fractal shale rocks is proposed to bridge nanoscale PSD and gas filed production. This approach is well validated with field tests. Results indicate the gas production is underestimated without considering a nanoscale PSD. A PSD with a larger fractal dimension in pore size and variance yields a higher fraction of large pores; this leads to a better gas transport capacity; this is owing to a higher free gas transport ratio. A PSD with a smaller fractal dimension yields a lower cumulative gas production; this is because a smaller fractal dimension results in the reduction of gas transport efficiency. With an increase in the fractal dimension in pore size and variance, an apparent permeability-shifting effect is less obvious, and the sensitivity of this effect to a nanoscale PSD is also impaired. Higher fractal dimensions and variances result in higher cumulative gas production and a lower sensitivity of gas production to a nanoscale PSD, which is due to a better gas transport efficiency. The shale apparent permeability-shifting effect to nanoscale is more sensitive to a nanoscale PSD under a higher initial reservoir pressure, which makes gas production more sensitive to a nanoscale PSD. The findings of this study can help to better understand the influence of a nanoscale PSD on gas flow capacity and gas production.

scholarly journals Differences between Nonprecipitating Tropical and Trade Wind Marine Shallow Cumuli

2016 ◽  
Vol 144 (2) ◽  
pp. 681-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virendra P. Ghate ◽  
Mark A. Miller ◽  
Ping Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Surface Fluxes ◽  
Cloud Base ◽  
Trade Wind ◽  
Cumulus Clouds ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Lower Cloud ◽  
Observational Site ◽  
Velocity Scale ◽  
Atmospheric Radiation Measurement ◽  
The Mean

Abstract Marine nonprecipitating cumulus topped boundary layers (CTBLs) observed in a tropical and in a trade wind region are contrasted based on their cloud macrophysical, dynamical, and radiative structures. Data from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) observational site previously operating at Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, and data collected during the deployment of ARM Mobile Facility at the island of Graciosa, in the Azores, were used in this study. The tropical marine CTBLs were deeper, had higher surface fluxes and boundary layer radiative cooling, but lower wind speeds compared to their trade wind counterparts. The radiative velocity scale was 50%–70% of the surface convective velocity scale at both locations, highlighting the prominent role played by radiation in maintaining turbulence in marine CTBLs. Despite greater thicknesses, the chord lengths of tropical cumuli were on average lower than those of trade wind cumuli, and as a result of lower cloud cover, the hourly averaged (cloudy and clear) liquid water paths of tropical cumuli were lower than the trade wind cumuli. At both locations ~70% of the cloudy profiles were updrafts, while the average amount of updrafts near cloud base stronger than 1 m s−1 was ~22% in tropical cumuli and ~12% in the trade wind cumuli. The mean in-cloud radar reflectivity within updrafts and mean updraft velocity was higher in tropical cumuli than the trade wind cumuli. Despite stronger vertical velocities and a higher number of strong updrafts, due to lower cloud fraction, the updraft mass flux was lower in the tropical cumuli compared to the trade wind cumuli. The observations suggest that the tropical and trade wind marine cumulus clouds differ significantly in their macrophysical and dynamical structures.

scholarly journals Uncertainty assessment of current size-resolved parameterizations for below-cloud particle scavenging by rain

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 5685-5705 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Wang ◽  
L. Zhang ◽  
M. D. Moran
Keyword(s):  
Size Distribution ◽  
Collection Efficiency ◽  
Theoretical Calculations ◽  
Terminal Velocity ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Size Spectrum ◽  
Cloud Particle ◽  
Particle Collection ◽  
Particle Scavenging ◽  
Empirical Size

Abstract. Current theoretical and empirical size-resolved parameterizations of the scavenging coefficient (Λ), a parameter commonly used in aerosol transport models to describe below-cloud particle scavenging by rain, have been reviewed in detail and compared with available field and laboratory measurements. Use of different formulations for raindrop-particle collection efficiency can cause uncertainties in size-resolved Λ values of one to two orders of magnitude for particles in the 0.01–3 μm diameter range. Use of different formulations of raindrop number size distribution can cause Λ values to vary by a factor of 3 to 5 for all particle sizes. The uncertainty in Λ caused by the use of different droplet terminal velocity formulations is generally small than a factor of 2. The combined uncertainty due to the use of different formulations of raindrop-particle collection efficiency, raindrop size spectrum, and raindrop terminal velocity in the current theoretical framework is not sufficient to explain the one to two order of magnitude under-prediction of Λ for the theoretical calculations relative to the majority of field measurements. These large discrepancies are likely caused by additional known physical processes (i.e, turbulent transport and mixing, cloud and aerosol microphysics) that influence field data but that are not considered in current theoretical Λ parameterizations. The predicted size-resolved particle concentrations using different theoretical Λ parameterization can differ by up to a factor of 2 for particles smaller than 0.01 μm and by a factor of >10 for particles larger than 3 μm after 2–5 mm of rain. The predicted bulk mass and number concentrations (integrated over the particle size distribution) can differ by a factor of 2 between theoretical and empirical Λ parameterizations after 2–5 mm of moderate intensity rainfall.

scholarly journals High-resolution (375 m) cloud microstructure as seen from the NPP/VIIRS satellite imager

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 2479-2496 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Rosenfeld ◽  
G. Liu ◽  
X. Yu ◽  
Y. Zhu ◽  
J. Dai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Infrared Imaging ◽  
Cloud Formation ◽  
Cumulus Clouds ◽  
Marine Stratocumulus ◽  
Initial Stage ◽  
Microphysical Parameters ◽  
Moderate Resolution ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

Abstract. VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite), onboard the Suomi NPP (National Polar-orbiting Partnership) satellite, has an improved resolution of 750 m with respect to the 1000 m of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer for the channels that allow retrieving cloud microphysical parameters such as cloud drop effective radius (re). VIIRS also has an imager with five channels of double resolution of 375 m, which was not designed for retrieving cloud products. A methodology for a high-resolution retrieval of re and microphysical presentation of the cloud field based on the VIIRS imager was developed and evaluated with respect to MODIS in this study. The tripled microphysical resolution with respect to MODIS allows obtaining new insights for cloud–aerosol interactions, especially at the smallest cloud scales, because the VIIRS imager can resolve the small convective elements that are sub-pixel for MODIS cloud products. Examples are given for new insights into ship tracks in marine stratocumulus, pollution tracks from point and diffused sources in stratocumulus and cumulus clouds over land, deep tropical convection in pristine air mass over ocean and land, tropical clouds that develop in smoke from forest fires and in heavy pollution haze over densely populated regions in southeastern Asia, and for pyro-cumulonimbus clouds. It is found that the VIIRS imager provides more robust physical interpretation and refined information for cloud and aerosol microphysics as compared to MODIS, especially in the initial stage of cloud formation. VIIRS is found to identify significantly more fully cloudy pixels when small boundary layer convective elements are present. This, in turn, allows for a better quantification of cloud–aerosol interactions and impacts on precipitation-forming processes.

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