Title: Classifying Precipitation Types in Tropical Cyclones Using the NRL 37 GHz Color Product

Abstract

Abstract The tropical cyclone (TC) webpage developed by the U.S. Naval Research Lab (NRL) has been widely used by the community for real‐time TC monitoring and forecasting. Using 14 years of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Microwave Imager and Precipitation Radar data in TCs, precipitation/convection types are quantitatively classified based on vertical radar profiles corresponding to seven different color regions in the NRL's 37 GHz color composite product. The bright cyan and all pink (including pure pink, bright cyan/pink, and weak cyan/pink, and green/pink) regions are identified as nearly 100% precipitative regions. The bright cyan and pure pink regions are shallow and deep convective precipitation, respectively, while the green/pink, weak cyan/pink, and bright cyan/pink regions are mainly stratiform rain. Eighty‐four percent of pixels in the weak cyan region are precipitating, including either shallow convective, stratiform, or anvil precipitation. Seventy‐six percent of pixels in the green region are nonprecipitating pixels, and 24% of them are very lightly precipitating pixels, which could be contaminated from clouds with high liquid water content. The ability to perform TC precipitation‐type analysis of this detail (convective versus stratiform and deep versus shallow) was previously only possible using radar‐based classification algorithms. Using the 37 GHz precipitation‐type analysis, a significant increase ofmore » coverage of stratiform precipitation and shallow convection in the inner core is found between 3 and 21 hr before the onset of TC rapid intensification.« less

Authors:

Jiang, Haiyan  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Jiang, Haiyan"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0001-5537-7487"

Zagrodnik, Joseph P.  ^[2];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Zagrodnik, Joseph P."
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-3918-1967"

Tao, Cheng ^[3]; Zipser, Edward J.  ^[4]

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Zipser, Edward J."
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0001-9328-6391"

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Florida International Univ., Miami, FL (United States). Dept. of Earth and Environment
2. Florida International Univ., Miami, FL (United States). Dept. of Earth and Environment; Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States). Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences
3. Florida International Univ., Miami, FL (United States). Dept. of Earth and Environment; Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
4. Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States). Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences

Publication Date:

Fri May 25 00:00:00 EDT 2018

Research Org.:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

OSTI Identifier:

1488783

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1439130

Report Number(s):

LLNL-JRNL-747690
Journal ID: ISSN 2169-897X; 932668

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC52-07NA27344; NA17OAR4590142; NA15OAR4590199; NA13OAR4590191; NA11OAR4310193; NNX11AL66H; NNX11AP84H; NNX17AH72G; NNX10AG34G; NNX10AG55G; DE‐AC52‐07NA27344

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 123; Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 2169-897X

Publisher:

American Geophysical Union

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

58 GEOSCIENCES; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES