Near-Real-Time Applications of CloudSat Data

Mitrescu, C.; Miller, Steven D.; Hawkins, Jeffrey D.; L’Ecuyer, Tristan; Turk, J.; Partain, Philip T.; Stephens, Graeme L.

doi:10.1175/2007jamc1794.1

Cited by 26 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…The minimum detectable reflectivity at 1 km is approximately −27 dBZ for the nadir‐pointing antenna and −26 dBZ for the zenith‐pointing antenna. This sensitivity is similar to that of CloudSat (−30 dBZ; Mitrescu et al , ).…”

Section: Cloud Radar Data and Model Simulationssupporting

confidence: 78%

Simulation of W‐band radar reflectivity for model validation and data assimilation

Borderies

Caumont

Augros

et al. 2018

Quart J Royal Meteoro Soc

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This article describes a reflectivity forward operator developed for the validation and assimilation of W-band radar data into the regional AROME class of numerical weather prediction models. The forward operator is consistent with the AROME ICE3 one-moment microphysical scheme and is devised for vertically pointing radars. A new neighbourhood validation method, the Most Resembling Column (MRC) method, is designed to disentangle spatial location model errors from errors in the forward operator. This novel method is used to validate the forward operator using data collected in diverse conditions by the airborne cloud radar RASTA (Radar Airborne System Tool for Atmosphere) during a 2 month period over a region of the Mediterranean. The MRC method is then applied to retrieve the optimal effective shapes (i.e. the mean axis ratios) of the predicted graupel, snow and pristine ice, by minimizing the standard deviation between observations and simulations. The optimal mean axis ratio is approximately 0.7 for snow and 0.8 for graupel. It is shown that treating snow and graupel particles as oblate spheroids with axis ratios close to their optimal values leads to good agreement between the observations and simulations of the ice levels. Conversely, there is a large bias if snow and graupel particles are considered to be either spherical or overly flattened. The results also indicate that pristine ice can be approximated by a sphere, but this conclusion should be taken cautiously since the amount of pristine ice particles is probably overestimated in the ICE3 microphysical scheme.

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Section: Cloud Radar Data and Model Simulationssupporting

confidence: 78%

Simulation of W‐band radar reflectivity for model validation and data assimilation

Borderies

Caumont

Augros

et al. 2018

Quart J Royal Meteoro Soc

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show abstract

“…During T-PARC/TCS-08, near-real-time (4-6-h data latency) digital CloudSat data were made available by the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) and provided crucial vertical cloud structure information along its nadir track (no swath). | NRL created vertical cross sections of radar reflectivity with graphics that merged the CloudSat data with coincident MTSAT, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) VIS/IR imagery, and AMSR-E 89-GHz brightness temperatures (Mitrescu et al 2008). In Fig.…”

Section: Real-time Mission Planning Nowcasting and Forecast Supportmentioning

confidence: 99%

Supporting Meteorological Field Experiment Missions and Postmission Analysis with Satellite Digital Data and Products

Hawkins¹,

Velden²

2011

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

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“…It is also well known that when radio waves propagate through regions of high liquid water content or through regions with large liquid or ice hydrometeors they can be strongly attenuated. In CloudSat measurements of deep convection, large portions of high-reflectivity cores are often entirely missing because of severe W-band attenuation (e.g., Mitrescu et al 2008). The strong attenuation in deep convection could also affect the TRMM PR at Ku band.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Airborne Radar Observations of Severe Hailstorms: Implications for Future Spaceborne Radar

Heymsfield¹,

Tian²,

Li³

et al. 2013

Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology

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A new dual-frequency (Ku and Ka band) nadir-pointing Doppler radar on the high-altitude NASA ER-2 aircraft, called the High-Altitude Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (HIWRAP), has collected data over severe thunderstorms in Oklahoma and Kansas during the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E). The overarching motivation for this study is to understand the behavior of the dualwavelength airborne radar measurements in a global variety of thunderstorms and how these may relate to future spaceborne-radar measurements. HIWRAP is operated at frequencies that are similar to those of the precipitation radar on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (Ku band) and the upcoming Global Precipitation Measurement mission satellite's dual-frequency (Ku and Ka bands) precipitation radar. The aircraft measurements of strong hailstorms have been combined with ground-based polarimetric measurements to obtain a better understanding of the response of the Ku-and Ka-band radar to the vertical distribution of the hydrometeors, including hail. Data from two flight lines on 24 May 2011 are presented. Doppler velocities were ;39 m s 21 at 10.7-km altitude from the first flight line early on 24 May, and the lower value of ;25 m s 21 on a second flight line later in the day. Vertical motions estimated using a fall speed estimate for large graupel and hail suggested that the first storm had an updraft that possibly exceeded 60 m s 21 for the more intense part of the storm. This large updraft speed along with reports of 5-cm hail at the surface, reflectivities reaching 70 dBZ at S band in the storm cores, and hail signals from polarimetric data provide a highly challenging situation for spaceborne-radar measurements in intense convective systems. The Ku-and Ka-band reflectivities rarely exceed ;47 and ;37 dBZ, respectively, in these storms.

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Near-Real-Time Applications of CloudSat Data

Cited by 26 publications

References 12 publications

Simulation of W‐band radar reflectivity for model validation and data assimilation

Simulation of W‐band radar reflectivity for model validation and data assimilation

Supporting Meteorological Field Experiment Missions and Postmission Analysis with Satellite Digital Data and Products

Airborne Radar Observations of Severe Hailstorms: Implications for Future Spaceborne Radar

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