HR: 1330h
AN: A43A-09    [Abstracts]
TI: Validation of Local-Cloud Model Outputs With the GOES Satellite Imagery
AU: * Malek, E
EM: emalek@mendel.usu.edu
AF: Utah State University, 4820 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-4820 United States
AB: Clouds (visible aggregations of minute droplets of water or tiny crystals of ice suspended in the air) affect the radiation budget of our planet by reflecting, absorbing and scattering solar radiation, and the re-emission of terrestrial radiation. They affect the weather and climate by positive or negative feedbacks. Many researchers have worked on the parameterization of clouds and their effects on the radiation budget. There is little information about ground-based approaches for continuous evaluation of cloud, such as cloud base height, cloud base temperature, and cloud coverage, at local and regional scales. This present article deals with the development of an algorithm for continuous (day and night) evaluation of cloud base temperature, cloud base height and percent of skies covered by cloud at local scale throughout the year. The Vaisala model CT-12K laser beam ceilometer is used at the Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS) to measure the cloud base height and report the sky conditions on an hourly basis or at shorter intervals. This laser ceilometer is a fixed-type whose transmitter and receiver point straight up at the cloud (if any) base. It is unable to measure clouds that are not above the sensor. To report cloudiness at the local scale, many of these type of ceilometers are needed. This is not a perfect method for cloud measurement. A single cloud hanging overhead the sensor will cause overcast readings, whereas, a hole in the clouds could cause a clear reading to be reported. To overcome this problem, we have set up a ventilated radiation station at Logan-Cache airport, Utah, U.S.A., since 1995, which is equipped with one of the above-mentioned ceilometers. This radiation station (composed of pyranometers, pyrgeometers and net radiometer) provides continuous measurements of incoming and outgoing shortwave and longwave radiation and the net radiation throughout the year. We have also measured the surface temperature and pressure, the 2-m air temperature and humidity, precipitation, and the 3-m wind and direction at this station. Having the air temperature, moisture, and the measured cloudless incoming longwave (atmospheric) radiation during 1999 through 2004, based upon the ASOS and the algorithm data, we found the appropriate formula (among four reported approaches) for computation of the cloudless-skies atmospheric emissivity. Considering the additional longwave radiation captured by the facing-up pyrgeometer during the cloudy skies, coming from the cloud in the wave band which the gaseous emission lacks (from 8-13 �m), we developed an algorithm which provides the continuous 20-min cloud information (cloud base height, cloud base temperature, and percent of skies covered by cloud) over the Cache Valley during day and night throughout the year. The comparisons between the ASOS and the algorithm data during the period of 8-12 June, 2004 are reported in this article. The proposed algorithm is a promising approach for evaluation of the cloud base temperature, cloud base height, and percent of skies covered by cloud at the local scale throughout the year. It also reports the comparison between model outputs and GOES 10 satellite images.
DE: 3307 Boundary layer processes
DE: 3337 Numerical modeling and data assimilation
DE: 3359 Radiative processes
DE: 3394 Instruments and techniques
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly