Microwave Radiometric Observations Near 19.35, 92 and 183 GHz of Precipitation in Tropical Storm Cora

Wilheit, T. T.; Chang, A. T. C.; King, James Ferguson; Rodgers, E. B.; Nieman, R. A.; Krupp, Brian; Milman, A. S.; Stratigos, J. A.; Siddalingaiah, H.

doi:10.1175/1520-0450(1982)021<1137:mronag>2.0.co;2

Cited by 103 publications

(50 citation statements)

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“…Studies on the microwave radiometric signatures of precipitation have been made quite extensively in the past two decades, especially at frequencies below 85 GHz [Wilheit et al, 1977[Wilheit et al, , 1982[Wilheit et al, , 1991 GHz was also reported by Bauer and Grody [1995]. These recent results established that the depression in brightness temperatures observed over the storms was mainly caused by scattering of hydrometeors aloft above the freezing level.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Multiple aircraft microwave observations of storms over the western Pacific Ocean

Wang¹,

Zhan²,

Racette³

1998

Radio Science

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Abstract. During the second half (January-February 1993) of the intensive observation phase of the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere/Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA/COARE), NASA deployed both DC-8 and ER-2 research aircraft in Townsville, Australia. A number of flights were made over the western Pacific Ocean With the objective of studying strong equatorial convection and clouds. A host of microwave radiometers operating in the frequency range of 10-220 GHz were placed on board both aircraft. Many other instruments were also present in both aircraft; among them was a 13.8-GHz radar in the DC-8 aircraft that provides reflectivity profiles of atmospheric hydrometeors essential for the present study. Observations were made by both aircraft on weather systems of convection as well as of cloud radiation. Some of these observations were conducted with both aircraft flying over the same regions at near coincidence but different altitudes. The nearly concurrent microwave radiometric measurements at comparable frequencies from the two aircraft at the altitudes of about 11 and 20 km provide a unique means to examine the properties of hydrometeors associated with storms. Three well-coordinated DC-8 and ER-2 aircraft flights over storms are described below. All of the microwave radiometers and the 13.8-GHz radar functioned normally during these flights. Some radiometers on the ER-2 and the DC-8 aircraft have comparable frequencies; signatures acquired by these radiometers from these flights are analyzed in detail. It is shown that storm-associated brightness temperature depressions observed at frequencies -<90 GHz from two different altitudes are quite comparable. At high frequencies ->150 GHz the brightness temperature depressions observed at 20-km altitude are significantly larger than those observed at 11-km altitude in some portions of the storms. This suggests the presence of hydrometeors in the 11-to 20-km altitude region that effectively scatter radiation at frequencies ->150 GHz.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Multiple aircraft microwave observations of storms over the western Pacific Ocean

Wang¹,

Zhan²,

Racette³

1998

Radio Science

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“…Thus, scattering-based techniques using medium to high frequencies are used to detect precipitation over land. Moreover, microwave observations at higher frequencies (> 89 GHz) have been shown to discriminate between liquid and frozen hydrometeors (Wilheit et al, 1982).…”

Section: Space-based Remote Sensing Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rain or snow: hydrologic processes, observations, prediction, and research needs

Harpold

Kaplan

Klos

et al. 2017

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

154

106

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Abstract. The phase of precipitation when it reaches the ground is a first-order driver of hydrologic processes in a watershed. The presence of snow, rain, or mixed-phase precipitation affects the initial and boundary conditions that drive hydrological models. Despite their foundational importance to terrestrial hydrology, typical phase partitioning methods (PPMs) specify the phase based on near-surface air temperature only. Our review conveys the diversity of tools available for PPMs in hydrological modeling and the advancements needed to improve predictions in complex terrain with large spatiotemporal variations in precipitation phase. Initially, we review the processes and physics that control precipitation phase as relevant to hydrologists, focusing on the importance of processes occurring aloft. There is a wide range of options for field observations of precipitation phase, but there is a lack of a robust observation networks in complex terrain. New remote sensing observations have the potential to increase PPM fidelity, but generally require assumptions typical of other PPMs and field validation before they are operational. We review common PPMs and find that accuracy is generally increased at finer measurement intervals and by including humidity information. One important tool for PPM development is atmospheric modeling, which includes microphysical schemes that have not been effectively linked to hydrological models or validated against near-surface precipitation-phase observations. The review concludes by describing key research gaps and recommendations to improve PPMs, including better incorporation of atmospheric information, improved validation datasets, and regional-scale gridded data products. Two key points emerge from this synthesis for the hydrologic community: (1) current PPMs are too simple to capture important processes and are not well validated for most locations, (2) lack of sophisticated PPMs increases the uncertainty in estimation of hydrological sensitivity to changes in precipitation phase at local to regional scales. The advancement of PPMs is a critical research frontier in hydrology that requires scientific cooperation between hydrological and atmospheric modelers and field scientists.

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“…Pioneering observations of Wilheit et al [23] uncovered the capabilities of the various PMW channels for cloud ice detection and precipitation potential. The sensitivity of PMW observations of precipitation to the ice particle size distribution variations was investigated by Bennartz and Petty [24].…”

Section: Ice Cloud Sensing In the Microwavesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection and Measurement of Snowfall from Space

2011

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Snowfall detection and measurement represent highly difficult problems in modern hydrometeorology. Ground measurements are complicated due to detection technology limitations, snow drift and accumulation issues, and error definition. The snowfall detection from space is in turn affected by all detection limitations that characterize the measurement of rainfall with the addition of several complications, such as the indirect character of remote sensing precipitation estimation, the presence of frozen or snow-covered terrain, and the unknown vertical distribution of hydrometeors in the cloud column. Several methods for the retrieval of snowfall intensity from satellite have been proposed in recent times using passive and active sensors. No satisfactory answer to the general problem of quantitative snowfall intensity determination has been found to date, but several studies contribute to delineate a working framework for the future operational retrieval algorithms.

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Microwave Radiometric Observations Near 19.35, 92 and 183 GHz of Precipitation in Tropical Storm Cora

Cited by 103 publications

References 0 publications

Multiple aircraft microwave observations of storms over the western Pacific Ocean

Multiple aircraft microwave observations of storms over the western Pacific Ocean

Rain or snow: hydrologic processes, observations, prediction, and research needs

Detection and Measurement of Snowfall from Space

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