HR: 1340h
AN: A53D-1442 [Abstracts]
TI: Evaluation of microphysics and precipitation-type frequencies in long-term three-dimensional cloud-resolving model simulations using passive and active microwave sensors from the TRMM satellite
AU: * Matsui, T
EM: matsui@agnes.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: Goddard Earth Science and Technology University of Maryland Baltimore County, 5523
Research Park Drive, Suite 320, Baltimore, MD 21228, United States
AU: * Matsui, T
EM: matsui@agnes.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 613.1 NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD 20771,
United States
AU: Zeng, X
EM: zeng@agnes.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: Goddard Earth Science and Technology University of Maryland Baltimore County, 5523
Research Park Drive, Suite 320, Baltimore, MD 21228, United States
AU: Zeng, X
EM: zeng@agnes.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 613.1 NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD 20771,
United States
AU: Tao, W
EM: tao@agnes.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: Goddard Earth Science and Technology University of Maryland Baltimore County, 5523
Research Park Drive, Suite 320, Baltimore, MD 21228, United States
AU: Lang, S
EM: lang@agnes.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: Goddard Earth Science and Technology University of Maryland Baltimore County, 5523
Research Park Drive, Suite 320, Baltimore, MD 21228, United States
AU: Lang, S
EM: lang@agnes.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: Science Systems and Applications, Inc., 10210 Greenbelt Road, Suite 600, Lanham, MD
20706, United States
AU: Zhang, M
EM: mzhang@notes.cc.sunysb.edu
AF: Institute for Terrestrial and Planetary Atmospheres
Marine Sciences Research Center
Stony Brook University, Institute for Terrestrial and Planetary Atmospheres
Marine Sciences Research Center
Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-500, United States
AU: Masunaga, H
EM: masunaga@hyarc.nagoya-u.ac.jp
AF: Hydrospheric Atmospheric Research Center
Nagoya University, Hydrospheric Atmospheric Research Center
Nagoya University
Furocho Chikusaku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan
AB:
With significant improvements in computational power over the last decades, cloud-resolving model (CRM)
simulations can now be conducted on larger scales for longer time periods to better understand cloud-
precipitation systems. However, even after the decadal development of CRMs, there are many uncertainties in
cloud microphysics processes and cloud-precipitation structures due to the lack of routine observations.
Therefore, we need to establish a practical CRM evaluation framework using frequent observations from
satellites. This evaluation framework consists of i) multi-satellite simulators and ii) the construction of statistical
composites that can be used to effectively evaluate cloud-precipitation systems. First, simulated cloud-
precipitation structures and microphysics processes are converted to satellite-consistent radar reflectivity and
microwave brightness temperature using microwave and radar simulators in the Satellite Data Simulator Unit
(SDSU). Second, the CRM-computed and satellite-observed radar reflectivities and microwave brightness
temperatures are used to construct two statistical composites. One combines TRMM (Tropical Rainfall
Measuring Mission) PR (precipitation radar) 13.8-GHz radar echo-top heights and TRMM VIRS (visible/infrared
scanner) 10.8-micron brightness temperatures. This composite categorizes precipitating clouds into shallow
warm, cumulus congestus, deep stratiform, and deep convective clouds. The other composite combines multi-
frequency TMI (TRMM microwave imager) brightness temperatures. The combination of low- and high-frequency
channels reveals the performance of the model cloud microphysics in terms of liquid and ice precipitation
amounts. In this study, long-term CRM simulations are performed using the Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE)
model for three cases: ARM TWP-ICE (Tropical Warm Pool International Cloud Experiment), SCSMEX (South
China Sea Monsoon Experiment), and KWAJEX (Kwajalein Experiment). Results from the proposed evaluation
framework for cloud microphysics and cloud-precipitation structures will be shown for these different cases.
DE: 3310 Clouds and cloud feedbacks
DE: 3314 Convective processes
DE: 3354 Precipitation (1854)
DE: 3359 Radiative processes
DE: 3360 Remote sensing
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting