A Comparison of the Radar Ray Path Equations and Approximations for Use in Radar Data Assimilation

The radar ray path equations are used to determine the physical location of each radar measurement. These equations are necessary for mapping radar data to computational grids for diagnosis, display and numerical weather prediction (NWP). They are also used to determine the forward operators for assimilation of radar data into forecast models. In this paper, a stepwise ray tracing method is developed. The influence of the atmospheric refractive index on the ray path equations at different locations related to an intense cold front is examined against the ray path derived from the new tracing method. It is shown that the radar ray path is not very sensitive to sharp vertical gradients of refractive index caused by the strong temperature inversion and large moisture gradient in this case. In the paper, the errors caused by using the simplified straight ray path equations are also examined. It is found that there will be significant errors in the physical location of radar measurements if the earth’s curvature is not considered, especially at lower elevation angles. A reduced form of the equation for beam height calculation is derived using Taylor series expansion. It is computationally more efficient and also avoids the need to use double precision variables to mitigate the small difference between two large terms in the original form. The accuracy of this reduced form is found to be sufficient for modeling use.     

Light refraction by mean temperature gradients in the near-earth atmosphere

Visible light ray paths in the atmospheric surface layer are numerically computed by division of 500- to 5000-m ranges into small intervals so that the ray path height and thus refractive index gradient is nearly constant for each step. Meteorological conditions are varied by using different combinations of sensible heat fluxes, surface stresses, and surface roughnesses. Although the effect of water vapor gradients can be substantial, their effect is not included here. The results are confined to heights of less than 5 m because of the restrictive values chosen for the ratio of the eddy diffusivity of heat to that of momentum. Mirages hide lower portions of images and the minimum height seen varies approximately inversely proportionally to the observer height. Image distortion and laser beam displacement or angle of arrival can be used to determine the mean refractive index gradient, which determines the temperature gradient in the absence of large moisture gradients along the propagation path. A simple, non-iterative formula relating laser beam displacement or angle of arrival to the average temperature gradient can be used only if the beam height varies less than 10% throughout the path.     

Forecasting weather radar propagation conditions

Summary The increasing use of weather radar quantitative precipitation estimates, particularly in automatic applications such as operational hydrometeorological modelling or assimilation in numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, has promoted the development of quality control procedures on radar data. Anomalous propagation (AP) of the radar beam due to deviation from the standard refractivity vertical profile, is one of the factors that may affect seriously the quality of radar observations because of the increase in quantity and intensity of non-precipitating clutter echoes and consequent contamination of the estimated rainfall field. Another undesired effect of AP is the change in the expected radar echo height, which may be relevant when correcting for beam blockage in radar rainfall estimation in complex terrain. The aim of this paper is to study the use of NWP mesoscale forecasts to predict and monitor AP events. A nested 15-km grid resolution version of the MASS model has been used to retrieve refractivity profiles in the coastal area of Barcelona, near a weather radar and a radiosonde station. Using the refractivity profiles two different magnitudes were computed: the vertical refractivity profile of the lowest 1000 m layer and a ducting index which describes the existence and intensity of the most super-refractive layer contained in the lowest 3-km layer. A comparison between model forecasts and radiosonde diagnostics during a six-month period showed that the model tended to underestimate the degree of super-refraction, with a bias of 4 km⁻¹ and RMSE of 11 km⁻¹ in the 1-km vertical refractivity gradient. Further analysis of the data showed that a combination of previous observations and forecasts allowed to produce modified forecasts improving the original direct model output, decreasing substantially the bias, reducing the RMSE by 20% and improving the skill by 40%, beating also radiosonde observations persistence.     

Two-Dimensional Variational Analysis of Near-Surface Moisture from Simulated Radar Refractivity-Related Phase Change Observations

Because they are most sensitive to atmospheric moisture content, radar refractivity observations can provide high-resolution information about the highly variable low-level moisture field. In this study, simulated radar refractivity-related phase-change data were created using a radar simulator from realistic highresolution model simulation data for a dryline case. These data were analyzed using the 2DVAR system developed specifically for the phase-change data. Two sets of experiments with the simulated observations were performed, one assuming a uniform target spacing of 250 m and one assuming nonuniform spacing between 250 m to 4 km. Several sources of observation error were considered, and their impacts were examined. They included errors due to ground target position uncertainty, typical random errors associated with radar measurements, and gross error due to phase wrapping. Without any additional information, the 2DVAR system was incapable of dealing with phase-wrapped data directly. When there was no phase wrapping in the data, the 2DVAR produced excellent analyses, even in the presence of both position uncertainty and random radar measurement errors. When a separate pre-processing step was applied to unwrap the phase-wrapped data, quality moisture analyses were again obtained, although the analyses were smoother due to the reduced effective resolution of the observations by interpolation and smoothing involved in the unwrapping procedure. The unwrapping procedure was effective even when significant differences existed between the analyzed state and the state at a reference time. The results affirm the promise of using radar refractivity phase-change measurements for near-surface moisture analysis.     

一次降雨过程风廓线雷达回波特征

为应用风廓线雷达监测降水天气,通过对2006年南京地区一次春季降雨过程的边界层风廓线雷达探测数据与自动站雨量数据进行对比分析和相关性统计,研究降水发生、维持和消亡期间风廓线雷达资料的变化特征,分析风廓线雷达垂直速度、速度谱宽与降雨强度之间的相关性。结果表明：当降雨临近时,风廓线雷达水平风廓线上的空洞逐渐消失,当降雨结束时空洞再次出现,且伴随着低空急流的出现降水明显增强。随着降雨的发生,风廓线雷达产品的垂直速度、速度谱宽和折射率结构常数值均明显增大。整个降水期间,550 m高度层以下的垂直速度与降水量存在显著线性负相关,450—950 m高度层之间的速度谱宽与降水量存在显著线性正相关,可见垂直速度、速度谱宽的变化与降水强度关系密切;当垂直负速度变小或速度谱宽变大时,降水增强的可能性增大。研究结果揭示了风廓线雷达垂直速度、速度谱宽与降雨强度之间的内在联系,可为风廓线雷达应用于降雨天气监测提供参考。     

NCEP再分析资料在强对流环境分析中的应用

为考察NCEP再分析资料在我国强对流天气产生环境分析中的适用性,选取2002—2009年多普勒天气雷达识别的60例超级单体风暴个例,对比分析常规探空资料和NCEP再分析资料提取的温、湿、风垂直廓线,结果表明:NCEP再分析资料计算的对流有效位能因对抬升气团湿度敏感而与观测间差异较大,宜用K指数、温度直减率分析大气层结稳定度;因对流层中高层风与探空差异不大,其中500~700 hPa的风与探空近乎一致,因此NCEP再分析资料计算的深层、中层风垂直切变参量可靠性较高;NCEP再分析资料水汽参数与探空资料差异大,特别是在大气边界层,需用观测资料订正;边界层物理量,特别是风向与探空差异显著,因此不宜用NCEP再分析资料讨论雷暴触发问题;平均而言,NCEP再分析资料湿度廓线低层偏干而中层偏湿,925 hPa以上风速偏小,降低了强对流发生概率。     

The impact of Global Positioning System data on the prediction of an extratropical cyclone: an observing system simulation experiment

In this paper, we report a series of observing system simulation experiments that we conducted to assess the potential impact of Global Positioning System/meteorology (GPS/MET) refractivity data on short-range numerical weather prediction. We first conducted a control experiment using the Penn State/NCAR mesoscale model MM5 at 90-km resolution on an extratropical cyclone known as the ERICA (Experiment on Rapidly Intensifying Cyclones over the Atlantic) IOP 4 storm. The results from the control experiment were then used to simulate GPS/MET refractivity observations with different spatial resolution and measurement characteristics. The simulated refractivity observations were assimilated into an 180-km model during a 6-h period, which was followed by a 48-h forecast integration. Key findings can be summarized as follows:

• The assimilation of refractivity data at the 180-km resolution can recover important atmospheric structures in temperature and moisture fields both in the upper and lower troposphere, and, through the internal model dynamical processes, also the wind fields. The assimilation of refractivity data led to a considerably more accurate prediction of the cyclone.

• Distributing the refractivity randomly in space and applying a line averaging did not alter the results significantly, while reducing the spatial resolution from 180 km to 360 km produced a moderately degraded result. Even at the 360-km resolution, the GPS-type refractivity data still have a notable positive impact on cyclone prediction.

• Restricting the refractivity data to altitude 3 km and above considerably degraded its impact on cyclone prediction. This degradation was greater than the combined effects of distributing the refractivity data randomly, performing line averaging, and reducing the resolution to 360 km.

These results showed that the GPS/MET refractivity data is likely to have a significant impact on short-range operational numerical weather prediction. The random distribution and line averaging associated with the inherent GPS occultation do not pose a problem for effective assimilation. On the other hand, these results also argue that we need to improve the GPS/MET retrieval algorithm in order to recover useful data in the lower troposphere, and to increase the number of low-earth-orbiting satellites carrying GPS receivers in order to increase the density of GPS soundings, so that the potential impact of GPS/MET refractivity data on numerical weather prediction can be fully realized.     

一次新生脉冲风暴分析

本文利用多普勒天气雷达、地面自动站等高时空分辨率观测资料和NCEP1×1°再分析资料,对2017年7月28日南充市区由脉冲风暴引起的局地强对流天气的背景、环境条件、雷达特征、大风成因等进行了研究和探讨。结果表明:(1)此次强对流天气过程以受西太平洋副热带高压控制为背景,有异常强的对流不稳定能量和十分充足的水汽;边界层切变线与弱冷空气回流进入盆地东北部及下垫面加热不均匀导致的强温度梯度是风暴新生的触发机制;在弱垂直风切变的环境条件下,使得过程中雷暴具有脉冲风暴特征。(2)此次过程有多个脉冲风暴的活动,造成南充城区大风的脉冲风暴主要有两个,1号风暴单体在强的温度梯度触发后,快速向上向下发展,成熟崩塌时以下击暴流的形式形成强的地面辐散气流,造成高坪站大风;强的下沉气流到达地面形成冷中心,冷中心与前方的暖中心形成强的温度梯度即冷池密度流,冷池密度流产生强的气压梯度力风,再叠加单体下层辐散气流造成了华凤镇的极端大风。      

一次降雨过程风廓线雷达特征

为应用风廓线雷达监测降水天气,通过对2006年南京地区一次春季降雨过程的边界层风廓线雷达探测数据和自动站雨量数据进行对比分析和相关性统计,研究了降水发生、维持和消亡期间风廓线雷达资料的变化特征,分析风廓线雷达垂直速度、速度谱宽与降雨强度之间的相关性。结果表明：当降雨临近时,风廓线雷达水平风廓线上的空洞逐渐消失,当降雨结束时空洞再次出现,且伴随着低空急流的出现降水明显增强。随着降雨的发生,风廓线雷达产品的垂直速度、速度谱宽和折射率结构常数值均明显增大。整个降水期间,550 m高度层以下的垂直速度与降水量存在显著线性负相关,450-950 m高度层之间的速度谱宽与降水量存在显著线性正相关,可见垂直速度、速度谱宽的变化与降水强度关系密切;当垂直负速度变小或速度谱宽变大时,降水增强的可能性增大。研究结果揭示了风廓线雷达垂直速度、速度谱宽与降雨强度之间的内在联系,可为风廓线雷达应用于降雨天气的监测。     

An Observation Operator for Radar Refractivity Change: Comparison of Observations and Convective-Scale Simulations

Weather radar refractivity depends on low-level moisture, temperature, and pressure and is available at high space–time resolutions over large areas. It is of definite meteorological interest for assimilation, verification, and process-study purposes. In this study, the path-averaged refractivity change is simulated from the Arome cloud-resolving atmospheric system analyses and compared with corresponding radar observations over a 35-day period with various meteorological conditions. For that, a novel post-processing procedure is applied to radar data to improve its quality. Also, an observation operator is developed that ingests Arome analyses and simulates a 3-h path-averaged refractivity change. A sensitivity study shows that simulated path-averaged refractivity change is immune to the modelling of the beam height as long as it remains below approximately 60 m above the ground. Comparisons show overall consistency between observed and simulated path-averaged refractivity change, with discrepancies at times that suggest an improvement in analyses once radar refractivity change observations are assimilated. Finally, errors introduced when retrieving local refractivity from path-averaged refractivity are estimated and it is found for our dataset that such retrievals halve the range of usable observations.     

GPS可降水量与掩星折射率资料同化对暴雨模拟的影响

利用WRF-3DVAR系统同化GPS地基可降水量资料和空基掩星探测资料,对2011年6月14日我国夏季江淮流域暴雨天气过程进行数值模拟试验,对比分析可降水量和掩星折射率资料在暴雨天气数值模拟中的影响。结果表明:可降水量和掩星探测对底层水汽都有明显改善,可降水量对水汽的改善更为显著,比掩星同化平均高一个量级,改进了暴雨的强度和暴雨的影响范围;掩星折射率资料的同化通过改善强对流区域的风场和温度场,从而改进暴雨的降水落区;GPS可降水量和折射率资料的同时同化,一定程度上弥补了可降水量探测站点分布的不足和掩星折射率资料稀疏,对暴雨的强度、范围和落区预报都有很好的提高,两者可以很好地相互补充。      

CINRAD-SA/SB零度层亮带识别方法

该文提出一种使用S波段多普勒天气雷达回波三维特征和反射率因子垂直廓线(vertical profile of reflectivity,VPR)来自动识别零度层亮带的方法(简称3DVPR-BBID),并利用2003年6月22日—7月11日和2007年7月合肥雷达资料、2008年6月广州雷达资料以及相应的探空资料,同仅使用VPR识别零度层亮带的方法(简称VPR-BBID)进行比较。结果表明:VPR-BBID和3DVPR-BBID在大部分情况下能够有效识别零度层亮带的存在,而且3DVPR-BBID能够减少VPR-BBID产生的误识别。在同探空资料观测的零度层高度的比较中,两种方法确定的零度层高度同实况比较接近,进一步分析表明:3DVPR-BBID确定的零度层高度比VPR-BBID确定的更接近观测值。     

用常规探空资料估算Cn2和ε垂直变化初探

用南京、射阳的常规探空资料建立了估算折射率结构常数C_n²和湍能耗散率ε垂直变化理论模式。结果表明:用该理论模式计算的ε值与用天气脉冲多普勒雷达探测的速度谱宽σ_r²再估算得到的ε值有较好的一致性。     

Links Between Weather Phenomena and Characteristics of Refractivity Measured by Precipitation Radar

Refractivity depends on meteorological parameters such as temperature and water vapour pressure and can be measured using a weather radar. A realistic atmospheric simulation from the Meso-NH numerical model is used in order to describe and establish the relation between refractivity and the dynamic and thermodynamic phenomena responsible for the development and propagation of convection. These investigations lead to discussion of the complementarity between the refractivity and the convective available potential energy. The relation observed between the refractivity signal and the meteorological parameters calls the refractivity measurement into question, since it is based on phase differentiation with time and space and can be degraded by phase aliasing problems. These aliasing problems increase with the radar frequency (perceptible in the S-band, serious in the C-band, and more serious in the X-band) and also with the integration range and sampling time. Thus, a statistical approach permits us to simulate the possibility of measuring the refractivity with operational radar during convective events. A typical case in the south-east region of France is selected to simulate measurements by radar (S-band, C-band, X-band) in convective systems, in order to evaluate the measurement feasibility, particularly in terms of phase ambiguity, related to temporal and spatial sampling, of a future implementation of the refractivity measurement over the French operational radar network. This numerical statistical approach is completed with a similar study using in-situ measurements performed at the Trappes station. The seasonal and diurnal dependencies of aliasing are investigated, leading to clarification of the impact of the turbulent fluxes on the refractivity measurement.     

Climate trends of the North American prairie pothole region 1906–2000

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is unique to North America. Its millions of wetlands and abundant ecosystem goods and services are highly sensitive to wide variations of temperature and precipitation in time and space characteristic of a strongly continental climate. Precipitation and temperature gradients across the PPR are orthogonal to each other. Precipitation nearly triples from west to east from approximately 300 mm/year to 900 mm/year, while mean annual temperature ranges from approximately 1°C in the north to nearly 10°C in the south. Twentieth-century weather records for 18 PPR weather stations representing 6 ecoregions revealed several trends. The climate generally has been getting warmer and wetter and the diurnal temperature range has decreased. Minimum daily temperatures warmed by 1.0°C, while maximum daily temperatures cooled by 0.15°C. Minimum temperature warmed more in winter than in summer, while maximum temperature cooled in summer and warmed in winter. Average annual precipitation increased by 49 mm or 9%. Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) trends reflected increasing moisture availability for most weather stations; however, several stations in the western Canadian Prairies recorded effectively drier conditions. The east-west moisture gradient steepened during the twentieth century with stations in the west becoming drier and stations in the east becoming wetter. If the moisture gradient continues to steepen, the area of productive wetland ecosystems will shrink. Consequences for wetlands would be especially severe if the future climate does not provide supplemental moisture to offset higher evaporative demand.     

The Impact of Assimilating FY-3C GNOS GPS Radio Occultation Observations on GRAPES Forecasts

In the present study, a gross quality control (QC) procedure is proposed for the Global Navigation Satellite System Occultation Sounder (GNOS) Global Positioning System radio occultation (GPS RO) refractivity data to remove abnormal data before they are assimilated. It consists of a climate extreme check removing data outside the range of the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) climate maxima and minima over approximately five years, and a vertical gradient check that rejects profiles containing super-refractions. These two QC steps were applied sequentially to identify outliers in GNOS GPS RO refractivity data during boreal winter 2013/2014. All of the abnormal refractivity profiles and the outliers at each level of the GNOS GPS RO observations were effectively removed by the proposed QC procedure. The post-QC GNOS GPS RO refractivity observations were then assimilated in the Global/ Regional Analysis and PrEdiction System (GRAPES) using the three-dimensional variational (3D-Var) system. The impacts of the GNOS refractivity observation on GRAPES analysis and forecasting were evaluated and analyzed using an observation system experiment run over one whole winter season of 2013 / 2014. The experiment results demonstrated a positive impact of GNOS GPS RO data on analysis and forecast quality. The root mean squared error of GRAPES analysis temperature was reduced by 1% in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) extratropics and in the tropics, and the anomaly correlation scores of the forecasted 500-hPa geopotential height over the SH increased significantly during days 1 to 5. Overall, the benefits of using GNOS GPS RO data are significant in the SH and tropics.     

一次华北平原大雾天气CINRAD/SA雷达超折射回波的射线追踪分析

为准确分析和识别超折射雷达回波,发挥多普勒天气雷达效益,利用石家庄CINRAD/SA型多普勒天气雷达资料,结合探空实况对2005年11月19—21日华北平原大雾天气过程的超折射回波进行了射线追踪分析。结果表明:华北平原大雾天气有利于大气波导的形成,产生3层模式超折射回波。超折射回波使得雷达的目标视位置与实际位置产生偏差,特别是对雷达测高影响较大。超折射回波一般出现在大雾天气的发展和维持过程中,为进行雷达空间定位和华北平原大雾天气的监测、预报提供新的技术手段和科学依据。     

DRP-4DVar方法同化AIRS反演资料在一次江淮流域暴雨中的应用

利用经济省时的降维投影四维变分同化方法(DRP-4DVar),在2009年7月22～23日江淮流域的一次大暴雨过程中同化晴空条件下高光谱大气红外探测仪(AIRS)反演温度、湿度廓线,改进此次强降水过程的模拟。试验结果分析显示,同化AIRS反演的温度及湿度场后,基于四维变分同化系统的模式约束,能够改进湿度场、高度场、高低层散度场。从累积降水量偏差图及同化试验增量图可以看到,正降水量偏差对应于正湿度增量、负位势高度增量及低层负散度高层正散度增量,负降水量偏差则与之相反。同化试验较参照试验可更好地模拟出暴雨的天气形势、对暴雨的落区及强度有更好的反映。此外,从单次同化与连续同化的试验对比结果看出,连续同化试验结果较单次同化结果有进一步的改进,说明不断加入新的观测资料可以更好地模拟强降水过程。     

GNSS反演资料在GRAPES_Meso三维变分中的应用

为了进一步提高GRAPES_Meso的分析和预报效果,该文在GRAPES_Meso三维变分同化系统中建立了同化GNSS/RO反演的大气资料的观测算子,实现了对GNSS/RO反演的大气资料的同化应用,并通过2013年7月1个月的同化和预报试验分析了GNSS/RO反演大气资料对GRAPES_Meso模式系统分析和预报的影响。结果表明:增加了GNSS/RO反演大气资料的同化后,GRAPES_Meso位势高度场的分析误差明显减小,平均分析误差减小约8%,预报误差略有减小,平均预报误差减小约1%;湿度场的分析误差和预报误差变化不明显,常规观测资料稀少的青藏高原地区的降水预报技巧有所提高,小雨到大雨的ETS (equitable threat score) 评分提高约0.01,对全国及其他分区的降水预报技巧总体上有正效果。     

广西几次不同类型天气系统造成暴雨过程的物理量分析

利用NCEP(分辨率2.5×2.5)再分析格点资料和北京"9210"系统下发MICAPS格式常规资料对影响广西6次暴雨过程中的影响天气系统分型,在此基础上利用T 213物理量(比湿、水汽通量、水汽通量散度、垂直速度、涡度、散度、假相当位温500hPa与850hPa的差值、K指数)格点资料对这6次过程进行垂直剖面和前后时序分析,试图找出不同类型天气系统影响广西造成暴雨过程的一些物理量的共同特征。