Retrieval of vertical profiles of liquid water and ice content in mixed clouds from Doppler Radar and microwave radiometer measurements
- Universite Paul Sabatier, Toulouse (France)
A new method to retrieve vertical profiles of liquid water content M{sub w}(z), ice water content M{sub i}(z), and ice particle size distribution N{sub i}(D, z) (where D is the ice particle size and z the vertical coordinate) in mixed nonprecipitating clouds using the observations of a zenith-viewing Doppler radar and of a microwave radiometer is proposed. In this method, the profile of the vertical air velocity deduced from Doppler radar measurements is used to describe the rate of production by the updrafts of water vapor in excess of saturation with respect to ice. Using a Z{sub i}-M{sub i} power-law relation with an unknown linear parameter (let {alpha}{sub i} be this parameter) and initially assuming that Z{sub w} is negligible with respect to Z{sub i} (where Z{sub w} and Z{sub i} are the radar reflectivity factors of liquid water and ice particles, respectively), the measured radar reflectivity factor profile Z{sub m}({approx}Z{sub i}) is inverted to estimate N{sub i}(D, z). From N{sub i}(D, z), the profile of the rate of water vapor that can be consumed by pure deposition on ice particles is calculated. The difference between the rate of production of the excess water vapor and the rate of deposited water vapor is an expression of the rate of liquid water generation at each level. By writing that the integral of the liquid water along the profile has to be equal to the total liquid water deduced from the microwave radiometer measurement, an estimation of the {alpha}{sub i} parameter is obtained. From {alpha}{sub i}, an estimation of the profiles M{sub w}(z), M{sub i}(z), Z{sub w}(z), Z{sub i}(z) (=Z{sub m} - Z{sub w}), and N{sub i}(D, z) is calculated. If Z{sub w} is effectively negligible with respect to Z{sub i}, the computation of the retrieved profiles is ended. If not, Z{sub i}(z) is corrected and a new estimation of the profiles is computed. The results of the numerical simulation of the algorithm are presented. 21 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.
- OSTI ID:
- 274054
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Meteorology, Vol. 35, Issue 1; Other Information: PBD: Jan 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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