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Title: Insights into riming and aggregation processes as revealed by aircraft, radar, and disdrometer observations for a 27 April 2011 widespread precipitation event: Insights into Riming and Aggregation

Abstract

Abstract This study presents aircraft spiral ascent and descent observations intercepting a transition to riming processes during widespread stratiform precipitation. The sequence is documented using collocated scanning and profiling radar, including longer‐wavelength dual polarization measurements and shorter‐wavelength Doppler spectra. Riming regions are supported using aircraft measurements recording elevated liquid water concentrations, spherical particle shapes, and saturation with respect to water. Profiling cloud radar observations indicate riming regions during the event as having increasing particle fall speeds, rapid time‐height changes, and bimodalities in Doppler spectra. These particular riming signatures are coupled to scanning dual polarization radar observations of higher differential reflectivity ( Z DR ) aloft. Reduced melting layer enhancements and delayed radar bright‐band signatures in the column are also observed during riming periods, most notably with the profiling radar observations. The bimodal cloud radar Doppler spectra captured near riming zones indicate two time‐height spectral ice peaks, one rimed particle peak, and one peak associated with pristine ice needle generation and/or growth between −4°C and −7°C also sampled by aircraft probes. This pristine needle population gives a partial explanation for the enhanced Z DR we observe near this rimed particle region. The riming signatures aloft and radar measurements within the meltingmore » level are weakly lag correlated ( r ~0.6) with smaller median drop sizes at the surface, as compared with later times when aggregation of larger particle sizes was believed dominant.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [4]
  1. Atmospheric Sciences Division, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton New York USA
  2. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder Colorado USA
  3. Department of Meteorology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park Pennsylvania USA
  4. Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, University of Oklahoma and NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman Oklahoma USA
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
OSTI Identifier:
1260164
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1402202
Report Number(s):
BNL-112320-2016-JA
Journal ID: ISSN 2169-897X; R&D Project: 2016-BNL-EE630EECA-Budg; KP1701000
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC00112704; DE‐SC0008648
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 121; Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 2169-897X
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Citation Formats

Giangrande, Scott E., Toto, Tami, Bansemer, Aaron, Kumjian, Matthew R., Mishra, Subhashree, and Ryzhkov, Alexander V. Insights into riming and aggregation processes as revealed by aircraft, radar, and disdrometer observations for a 27 April 2011 widespread precipitation event: Insights into Riming and Aggregation. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1002/2015JD024537.
Giangrande, Scott E., Toto, Tami, Bansemer, Aaron, Kumjian, Matthew R., Mishra, Subhashree, & Ryzhkov, Alexander V. Insights into riming and aggregation processes as revealed by aircraft, radar, and disdrometer observations for a 27 April 2011 widespread precipitation event: Insights into Riming and Aggregation. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JD024537
Giangrande, Scott E., Toto, Tami, Bansemer, Aaron, Kumjian, Matthew R., Mishra, Subhashree, and Ryzhkov, Alexander V. Thu . "Insights into riming and aggregation processes as revealed by aircraft, radar, and disdrometer observations for a 27 April 2011 widespread precipitation event: Insights into Riming and Aggregation". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JD024537. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1260164.
@article{osti_1260164,
title = {Insights into riming and aggregation processes as revealed by aircraft, radar, and disdrometer observations for a 27 April 2011 widespread precipitation event: Insights into Riming and Aggregation},
author = {Giangrande, Scott E. and Toto, Tami and Bansemer, Aaron and Kumjian, Matthew R. and Mishra, Subhashree and Ryzhkov, Alexander V.},
abstractNote = {Abstract This study presents aircraft spiral ascent and descent observations intercepting a transition to riming processes during widespread stratiform precipitation. The sequence is documented using collocated scanning and profiling radar, including longer‐wavelength dual polarization measurements and shorter‐wavelength Doppler spectra. Riming regions are supported using aircraft measurements recording elevated liquid water concentrations, spherical particle shapes, and saturation with respect to water. Profiling cloud radar observations indicate riming regions during the event as having increasing particle fall speeds, rapid time‐height changes, and bimodalities in Doppler spectra. These particular riming signatures are coupled to scanning dual polarization radar observations of higher differential reflectivity ( Z DR ) aloft. Reduced melting layer enhancements and delayed radar bright‐band signatures in the column are also observed during riming periods, most notably with the profiling radar observations. The bimodal cloud radar Doppler spectra captured near riming zones indicate two time‐height spectral ice peaks, one rimed particle peak, and one peak associated with pristine ice needle generation and/or growth between −4°C and −7°C also sampled by aircraft probes. This pristine needle population gives a partial explanation for the enhanced Z DR we observe near this rimed particle region. The riming signatures aloft and radar measurements within the melting level are weakly lag correlated ( r ~0.6) with smaller median drop sizes at the surface, as compared with later times when aggregation of larger particle sizes was believed dominant.},
doi = {10.1002/2015JD024537},
journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres},
number = 10,
volume = 121,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu May 19 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Thu May 19 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

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