Abstract. For a better utilization of the ground-based microwave radiometer, it is important to detect the cloud presence in the measured data. Here, we introduce a simple and fast cloud detection algorithm by using the optical characteristics of the clouds in the infrared atmospheric window region. The new algorithm utilizes the brightness temperature (Tb) measured by an infrared radiometer installed on top of a microwave radiometer. The two step algorithm consists of a spectral test followed by a temporal test. The measured Tb is first compared with a predicted clear sky Tb obtained by an empirical formula as a function of surface air temperature and water vapor pressure. For the temporal test, the temporal variability of the measured Tb during one minute compares with a dynamic threshold value, representing the variability of the clear sky condition. It is designated as cloud free data only when both the spectral and temporal tests confirm a cloud free data. Overall, most of the thick and uniform clouds are successfully screened out by the spectral test, while the broken and fast-varying clouds are screened out by the temporal test. The algorithm is validated by comparison with the collocated ceilometer data for 6 months, from January 2013 to June 2013. The overall proportion correct is about 88.3% and the probability of detection is 90.8%, which are comparable with or better than those of previous similar approaches. Two thirds of failures occur when the new algorithm detects clouds while the ceilometer does not detect, resulting in different values of the probability of detection with different cloud base altitude, 93.8, 90.3, and 82.8% for low, mid, and high clouds, respectively. Finally, due to the characteristics of the spectral range, the new algorithm is found to be insensitive to the presence of inversion layers.

This study provides a comparative analysis of cloud top heights observed by a Ka-band cloud radar and the Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite (COMS) at Boseong National Center for Intensive Observation of severe weather (NCIO) from May 25, 2013 (1600 UTC) to May 27. The rainfall duration is defined as the period of rainfall from start to finish, and the no rainfall duration is defined as the period other than the rainfall duration. As a result of the comparative analysis, the cloud top heights observed by the cloud radar have been estimated to be lower than that observed by the COMS for the rainfall duration due to the signal attenuation caused by raindrops. The stronger rainfall intensity gets, the more the difference grows. On the other hand, the cloud top heights observed by the cloud radar have been relatively similar to that observed by the COMS for the no rainfall duration. In this case, the cloud radar can effectively detect cloud top heights within the range of its observation. The COMS indicates the cloud top heights lower than the actual ones due to the upper thin clouds under the influence of ground surface temperature. As a result, the cloud radar can be useful in detecting cloud top heights when there are no precipitation events. The COMS data can be used to correct the cloud top heights when the radar gets beyond the valid range of observation or there are precipitation events.

Abstract. The ground-based microwave sounding radiometers installed at nine weather stations of Korea Meteorological Administration alongside with the wind profilers have been operating for more than 4 years. Here we apply a process to assess the characteristics of the observation data by comparing the measured brightness temperature (T b ) with reference data. For the current study, the reference data are prepared by the radiative transfer simulation with the temperature and humidity profiles from the numerical weather prediction model instead of the conventional radiosonde data. Based on the 3 years of data, from 2010 to 2012, we were able to characterize the effects of the absolute calibration on the quality of the measured T b . We also showed that when clouds are present the comparison with the model has a high variability due to presence of cloud liquid water therefore making cloudy data not suitable for assessment of the radiometer's performance. Finally we showed that differences between modeled and measured brightness temperatures are unlikely due to a shift in the selection of the center frequency but more likely due to spectroscopy issues in the wings of the 60 GHz absorption band. With a proper consideration of data affected by these two effects, it is shown that there is an excellent agreement between the measured and simulated T b . The regression coefficients are better than 0.97 along with the bias value of better than 1.0 K except for the 52.28 GHz channel which shows a rather large bias and variability of − 2.6 and 1.8 K, respectively.

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Abstract. For better utilization of the ground-based microwave radiometer, it is important to detect the cloud presence in the measured data. Here, we introduce a simple and fast cloud detection algorithm by using the optical characteristics of the clouds in the infrared atmospheric window region. The new algorithm utilizes the brightness temperature (Tb) measured by an infrared radiometer installed on top of a microwave radiometer. The two-step algorithm consists of a spectral test followed by a temporal test. The measured Tb is first compared with a predicted clear-sky Tb obtained by an empirical formula as a function of surface air temperature and water vapor pressure. For the temporal test, the temporal variability of the measured Tb during one minute compares with a dynamic threshold value, representing the variability of clear-sky conditions. It is designated as cloudfree data only when both the spectral and temporal tests confirm cloud-free data. Overall, most of the thick and uniform clouds are successfully detected by the spectral test, while the broken and fast-varying clouds are detected by the temporal test. The algorithm is validated by comparison with the collocated ceilometer data for six months, from January to June 2013. The overall proportion of correctness is about 88.3 % and the probability of detection is 90.8 %, which are comparable with or better than those of previous similar approaches. Two thirds of discrepancies occur when the new algorithm detects clouds while the ceilometer does not, resulting in different values of the probability of detection with different cloud-base altitude, 93.8, 90.3, and 82.8 % for low, mid, and high clouds, respectively. Finally, due to the characteristics of the spectral range, the new algorithm is found to be insensitive to the presence of inversion layers.

This study investigated a method for the discrimination of precipitation type using thickness of geopotential height at 1000~850 hPa and improved Matsuo's scheme over South Korea using 7 upper-level observations data during winter time from 2003 to 2008. With this research, it was suggested that thickness between snow and rain should range from 1281 to 1297 gpm at 1000~850 hPa. This threshold was suitable for determining precipitation type such as snow, sleet and rain and it was verified by investigation at 7 upper-level observation and 10 surface observation data for 3 years (2009~2011). In addition, precipitation types were separated properly by Matsuo's scheme and its improved one, which is a fuction of surface air temperature and relative humidity, when they lie in mixed sectors. Precipitation types in the mixed sector were subdivided into 5 sectors (rain, rain and snow, snow and rain, snow, and snow cover). We also present the decision table for monitoring and predicting precipitation types using model output of Korea Local Analysis and Prediction System (KLAPS) and observation data.

Cloud detection using downwelling radiation measured by infrared thermometer (IRT) has been utilized for many applications. The current study investigates the effects of disparate IRT specifications, including the dynamic range and sampling rates on the performance of cloud detection, which utilizes the spectral and temporal characteristics of cloudy radiation. To analyze the effects, the detection algorithm that was prepared with and applied to the IRT data with different specifications is compared with reference data, a ceilometer, and micro-pulse lidar (MPL). The comparison results show that the low-altitude clouds are detected with a sufficient accuracy: better than 97% probability of detection (POD). This is due to the much warmer brightness temperature (Tb) of the low clouds compared with the clear sky in the atmospheric window region where the IRT measurement was made. Conversely, the high-altitude cold clouds are hard to detect with the spectral test due to the much-reduced Tb contrast between cloudy and clear sky. Thus, the algorithm performance is largely dependent on the performance of the temporal test. Since the lower measurement noise provides a better estimation of the temporal variability of clear sky Tb with less estimation uncertainty, the IRT data having a better noise performance shows a better POD value by as much as 52.2% compared with the MPL result. However, the improvement is realized only when the dynamic range of IRT covers sufficiently cold Tb, such as −100 • C.

Abstract. The ground-based microwave sounding radiometers installed at 9 weather stations of Korea Meteorological Administration alongside with the wind profilers have been operated for more than 4 years. Here we introduce a process to assess the characteristics of the instrument calibration by comparing the measured brightness temperature (Tb) with the theoretical reference data, which are prepared by the radiative transfer simulation with the temperature and humidity profiles from the numerical weather prediction model. Based on the three years of data, from 2010 to 2012, we were able to characterize the effects of the absolute calibration, the thick clouds, and the frequency calibration to the quality of the measured Tb. When the three effects are properly considered, including the frequency adjustment which is estimated using the simulated Tb, the measured and simulated Tb show an excellent agreement. The regression coefficients are better than 0.97 along with the bias value of better than 0.5 K. However, the variability given as the SD of difference between the measured and simulated Tb, show a relatively large value at the lower observation frequencies, as large as 2.6 K at the 51.28 GHz channel, while they improve with the increasing frequency.