Recent progress in atmospheric observation research in China

Recent progress in atmospheric observation techniques, observational systems and their application in China are reviewed. According to different observational platforms, the review is presented in three sections, i.e., satellite remote sensing （SRS）, ground-based observation technologies and applications, and aircraft/balloon measurements. The section ＂satellite remote sensing＂ presents advances in SRS techniques, SRS of clouds and aerosols, and SRS of trace gases and temperature/moisture profiles. The section ＂groundbased observation technologies and applications＂ focuses on research such as lidar systems and applications, sun/sky radiometer and broadband radiation observations, weather radar and wind profilers, GPS measurements, and some new concept systems. The section ＂aircraft/balloon measurements＂ presents some newly developed aircraft- and balloon-based sounding techniques.     

Actinometric System Aboard the Yak-42D “Roshydromet” Research Aircraft

The actinometric system installed aboard the Yak-42D "Roshydromet" research aircraft is presented. It is designed to study radiation processes in the troposphere. The system is based on standard Kipp&Zonen actinometric instruments for measuring solar, thermal, and ultraviolet radiation fluxes as well as on specially developed radiation models with high-precision methods for solving radiative transfer equations (Monte Carlo, k-distribution, and line-by-line calculations). The combination of actinometric measurements and detailed simulation of radiative transfer in the atmosphere allows examining the radiation balance components throughout the troposphere using in situ measurements at the aircraft location. Some results of studying radiation fluxes obtained during the flights over the Arctic region of the Russian Federation are presented. The data of measurements carried out using the presented system are useful for validating radiation codes utilized in general atmospheric circulation models and for processing satellite remote sensing data.     

一次典型层积云的飞机观测结果及与卫星资料的对比分析

飞机探测可直接获取云的微观结构特征量,但只是一些线段;卫星遥感资料可大范围监测云环境,但不是直接获得云参量,需要反演。因而开展云的飞机观测结果与卫星资料的对比分析是必要的。对1999月6月4日华北平原上一次层积云过程两个架次的飞机微物理探测资料进行了详细分析,并将飞机盘旋上升和下降取得的5次云参数垂直探测结果作为辐射传输模式SBDART2.4的输入,采取正演的方式与GMS5/VISSR、NOAA15/AVHRR反射通道的资料进行了对比分析。飞机探测显示层积云云厚约1000 m,云粒子浓度最大值425 cm-3,含水量最大值0.2 g/m3。第1架次云粒子浓度、含水量、有效半径的平均值为225±75 cm-3、0.08±0.03 g/m3、7.2±1.6μm,第2架次云粒子浓度、含水量、有效半径的平均值为196±73 cm-3、0.04±0.02 g/m3、4.9±1.4μm。按500 m垂直分层后,云粒子有效半径平均值为6.1±1.7μm,主体云层(1000—1500 m)柱含水量平均值为29.5±17.5 g/m2。敏感性试验表明当有云存在时,云的光学厚度是影响可见光通道反照率的主要因子,利用飞机探测云参数...     

用红外和水汽两个通道的卫星测值指定云迹风的高度

提出了一种改进的用红外和水汽两个通道的测值指定云迹风高度的算法。利用红外水汽散点图和云迹风本身自动地将有低云的目标区、有半透明卷云的目标区、有密蔽高云的目标区分开。在有低云的目标区和有密蔽高云的目标区用红外一个通道指定云高。在有半透明卷云的目标区用红外和水汽两个通道指定云高。在用两个通道的测值指定云高时，假定卷云高度以上不存在水汽，以红外和水汽两个通道亮温相同这个方程与两个通道辐射测值线性相关的方程联立解出云的高度     

Characterization of cloud microphysical properties in different cloud types over East Asia based on CloudSat/CALIPSO satellite products

利用CloudSat/CALIPSO卫星资料,本文揭示了东亚三个代表性区域的云微物理属性,为评估和改进模式云微物理过程提供重要的观测基础.研究的云微物理量包括云水/冰质量,数浓度和有效半径.研究表明:暖云中云水质量和数浓度随高度增加而减小,有效半径处于8-14μm范围.对于冰云,云冰质量和有效半径随高度增加而减小,而数浓度在垂直方向上变化不大.此外,云微物理属性在不同云型之间存在显著差异:积云的云水质量和数浓度最大,而卷云的云水质量和数浓度最小.从三个区域的对比结果来看,相比于华东和西北太平洋地区,青藏高原地区暖云的云水质量和数浓度较小,而冰云的则较大.     

Capability of Fengyun-3D Satellite in Earth System Observation

From the viewpoint of earth system science, this paper discusses the observation capability of the second-generation of Chinese polar-orbiting, sun-synchronous operational meteorological satellite observation systems, Fengyun-3(FY-3), based on the function and performance test results from the FY-3 D satellite observation system in orbit. The FY-3 series of satellites have numerous remote sensing instruments and a wide range of imaging and sounding electromagnetic spectrometers onboard. These instruments can obtain reflectivity data for land surface, soil, vegetation,water body, snow cover, ocean color, and sea ice on earth's surface over a wide spectral range, as well as information on the absorption and scattering radiative transfer of molecules and particles(clouds and aerosols) in earth's atmosphere. All of these data can be used to retrieve physical and chemical information about the land, ocean, and atmosphere of the earth system. Comprehensive observation of the earth system by the FY-3 meteorological satellites is preliminarily realized.     

Stratiform Cloud—Inversion Characterization During the Arctic Melt Season

Data collected during July and August from the Arctic Ocean Experiment 2001 illustrated a common occurrence of specific-humidity (q) inversions, where moisture increases with height, coinciding with temperature inversions in the central Arctic boundary layer and lower troposphere. Low-level stratiform clouds and their relationship to temperature inversions are examined using radiosonde data and data from a suite of remote sensing instrumentation. Two low-level cloud regimes are identified: the canonical case of stratiform clouds, where the cloud tops are capped by the temperature inversion base (CCI—Clouds Capped by Inversion) and clouds where the cloud tops were found well inside the inversion (CII—Clouds Inside Inversion). The latter case was found to occur more than twice as frequently than the former. The characteristic of the temperature inversion is shown to have an influence on the cloud regime that was supported. Statistical analyses of the cloud regimes using remote sensing instruments suggest that CCI cases tend to be dominated by single-phase liquid cloud droplets; radiative cooling at the cloud top limits the vertical extent of such clouds to the inversion base height. The CII cases, on the other hand, display characteristics that can be divided into two situations—(1) clouds that only slightly penetrate the temperature inversion and exhibit a microphysical signal similar to CCI cases, or (2) clouds that extend higher into the inversion and show evidence of a mixed-phase cloud structure. An important interplay between the mixed-phase structure and an increased potential for turbulent mixing across the inversion base appears to support the lifetime of CII cases existing within the inversion layer.     

我国云降水物理飞机观测研究进展

飞机观测是云中粒子相态、分布和转化特征的重要探测技术。我国云降水物理飞机观测开始于20世纪60年代,经过60多年的发展,在飞机平台、机载测量技术、云微物理结构和降水形成机制认识等方面均取得了长足进步。发现积层混合云中对流泡区具有更高的过冷水含量,凇附增长起重要作用,符合“播撒-供给”降水形成机制,而在层云区,当云厚度较小时,过冷水含量很少,冰雪晶的凝华、聚并增长起主导作用,并不符合“播撒-供给”降水形成机制,而当云厚度较大时,过冷水含量较为丰富,凝华、聚并和凇附增长起主导作用,基本符合“播撒-供给”降水形成机制;我国北方冬季降雪过程的形成机制主要是凝华-聚并机制,只有在水汽非常充足、云较厚的情况下,凇附增长过程才具有重要作用。近年虽然在人工影响天气播撒效应、数值模式云物理过程验证、卫星及雷达遥感数据检验、对流云结构观测等方面也取得了一些进展,但仍较薄弱,亟待加强。     

Satellite remote sensing of the optical depth and mean crystal size of thin cirrus and contrails

Summary Crystal size and optical depth of optically thin cirrus clouds and contrails over the North Sea and Adriatic Sea on the 18^th of October 1989 are retrieved by comparison of NOAA AVHRR/2 brightness temperatures of channel 4 (9.97 µm–11.56 µm) and channel 5 (11.075 µm–12.76 µm) with one dimensional radiative transfer calculations. Measured brightness temperatures in all three infrared channels and their differences show higher values for contrails than for cirrus. The radiative properties of young contrails are consistent only, if smaller crystal size than those given for natural cirrus are adopted for the calculations. However, there is a continuous transition in radiative parameters between clouds classified as natural cirrus or contrails. For the test areas ice clouds are classified with respect to optical depth and mean crystal size. Finally infrared fluxes and heating rates in the spectral range 4 µm–40 µm are calculated for an atmosphere with a 500 m thick contrail or cirrus uncinus. At given ice content a far stronger atmospheric warming is found for a contrail with relatively small ice crystals: up to 80 K/day at cloud base for an ice content of 0.05 gm^–3 compared to 10 K/day for a cirrus uncinus with large crystals.With 11 Figures     

天山西部地区冰雹云的卫星光谱特征及监测应用

针对冰雹灾害多发的新疆天山西部地区,利用2007年和2008年5一10月14次MODIS卫星过境资料,选取共计45个云系样本数,进行冰雹云、强对流云团和薄卷云的光谱特征提取和雹暴指数计算与分析。结果表明,冰雹云的热红外亮度温度（CH31、CH32、CH35）均〈240K,中红外波段反射率（CH20）相对较低〈30％,可见光和短红外波段反射率（CH1和CH6）均〉80％,雹暴指数≥0．35,得到了有利于冰雹云的卫星遥感客观判识指标。     

Meteorological research applications of MM-wave radar

Summary MM-wave radar has now been developed well beyond that of simply providing qualitative information about the presence or location of clouds. Uncertainty about cloud properties leading to gross errors in climate model results has provided the impetus to develop mm-wave radars into reliable, quantitative tools for studying clouds. Besides depicting the small-scale (a few tens of meters) features of tenuous cirrus and low level stratus clouds, the 3 mm and 8 mm wavelength radars described here can examine the physical structure, dynamics and small-scale turbulence of clouds when used alone. Polarization capability of these radars is now generating new information about the deformity of cloud particles needed for calculations of radiation budgets of clouds. When used with other sensors such as lidar or radiometers, additional cloud microphysical information can be retrieved. We discuss here two different ways to calculate ice mass content profiles from radar/lidar data and from radar/IR radiometer data. Mm-wave radar is most suited for these calculations because of complications introduced by 1) Bragg (refractivity) scatter, 2) the lower resolution, and 3) ground clutter effects at longer wavelengths. Combining radar and microwave radiometer data is shown to provide liquid water profiles in warm marine stratus clouds. The small size and weight of mm-wave radars make them particularly suitable for use on aircraft and satellite platforms and we show recent results from an airborne system to make that point. The technology has now advanced to the point where unattended, vertically-pointing, Doppler mm-wave radars will soon be commonly used in research applications.With 6 Figures     

Cirrus Cloud Macrophysical and Optical Properties over North China from CALIOP Measurements

Two years of mid-latitude cirrus cloud macrophysical and optical properties over North China are described from Earth-orbiting Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization(CALIOP) satellite measurements. Global cloud climatological studies based on active remote sensing data sets benefit from more accurate resolution of vertical structure and more reliable detection of optically thin layers.The mean values for cirrus cases over North China are 0.19±0.18 for infrared emittance,0.41±0.68 for visible optical depth, 0.26±0.12 for integrated depolarization ratio,and 0.72±0.22 for integrated color ratio.When studied using reasonable assumptions for the relationship between extinction and ice crystal backscatter coefficients,our results show that most of the cirrus clouds profiled using the 0.532μm channel data stream correspond with an optical depth of less than 1.0.The dependence of cirrus cloud properties on cirrus cloud mid-cloud temperature and geometry thickness are generally similar to the results derived from the ground-based lidar, which are mainly impacted by the adiabatic process on the ice cloud content.However,the differences in macrophysical parameter variability indicate the limits of spaceborne-lidar and dissimilarities in regional climate variability and the nature and source of cloud nuclei in different geographical regions.     

Characteristics of cirrus clouds and its radiative properties based on lidar observation over Chung-Li, Taiwan

In this paper, characterization of cirrus clouds are made by using data from ground based polarization lidar and radiosonde measurements over Chung-Li (24.58°N, 121.10°E), Taiwan for a period of 1999–2006. During this period, the occurrence of cirrus clouds is about 37% of the total measurement nights over the lidar site. Analysis of the measurement gives the statistical characteristics about the macrophysical properties such as occurrence height, ambient temperature, and its geometrical thickness while the microphysical properties are interpreted in terms of extinction coefficient, optical depth, effective lidar ratio and depolarization ratio. The effective lidar ratio has been retrieved by using the simulation technique of backscattered lidar signals. The effect of multiple scattering has been taken into the account by a model calculation. Summer (Jun–Aug) shows the maximum appearances of cirrus due to its formation mechanism. It is shown that tropopause cirrus clouds may occur with a probability of about 24%. These clouds are usually optically thin and having laminar in structure with some cases resembling the characteristics similar to that of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). The radiative properties of the cirrus clouds are also discussed in detail by the empirical equations with results show a positive feedback on any climate change.     

Clouds with turbulence; the role of entrainment

Cloud physics has grown up with concentrated efforts focused on compartmentalized topics in the subject, where researchers have studied specific problems with little regard to other areas. The developing understanding of turbulent entrainment and the understanding that turbulence is best described in the atmosphere by circulating self-contained entities, which are often buoyant and carry fluid from one level to another, has led to a unifying picture of clouds wherein all clouds and convective processes can be seen as one phenomenon in which various conditions decide the final form.The microphysical processes are described and the controlling effects of entity type entrainment mixing are shown to provide an explanation for many of the observations. The inadequacy of most computer calculations in providing viable models is pointed out. The need for self-consistent conceptual structures as a basis for adequate models is stressed. Improved instruments for remote sensing and aircraft measurements, along with the present conceptual developments and computational capabilities, suggest that adequate models of clouds may be soon developed.     

地面热红外发射率的天顶角变化效应

文中着重研究了自然地表面的红外辐射的方向特征 ,实地测量了发射率随观测天顶角的变化 ,分别对卫星资料反演地面温度和地面辐射测量作出红外发射率的观测天顶角修正 ,两者比较的结果表明 ,发射观测天顶角修正在精确地面温度的反演计算中不可忽视 ,尤其在大角度观测情况下 ,对某些地物发射率方向特征的修正比发射率本身的修正更重要。     

Latest Progress of the Chinese Meteorological Satellite Program and Core Data Processing Technologies

In this paper,the latest progress,major achievements and future plans of Chinese meteorological satellites and the core data processing techniques are discussed.First,the latest three FengYun(FY)meteorological satellites(FY-2H,FY-3D,and FY-4A)and their primary objectives are introduced Second,the core image navigation techniques and accuracies of the FY meteorological satellites are elaborated,including the latest geostationary(FY-2/4)and polar-orbit(FY-3)satellites.Third,the radiometric calibration techniques and accuracies of reflective solar bands,thermal infrared bands,and passive microwave bands for FY meteorological satellites are discussed.It also illustrates the latest progress of real-time calibration with the onboard calibration system and validation with different methods,including the vicarious China radiance calibration site calibration,pseudo invariant calibration site calibration,deep convective clouds calibration,and lunar calibration.Fourth,recent progress of meteorological satellite data assimilation applications and quantitative science produce are summarized at length.The main progress is in meteorological satellite data assimilation by using microwave and hyper-spectral infrared sensors in global and regional numerical weather prediction models.Lastly,the latest progress in radiative transfer,absorption and scattering calculations for satellite remote sensing is summarized,and some important research using a new radiative transfer model are illustrated.     

An overview of the ACE‐2 CLOUDYCOLUMN closure experiment

CLOUDYCOLUMN is one of the 6 ACE‐2 projects which took place in June‐July 1997, between Portugal and the Canary Islands. It was specifically dedicated to the study of changes of cloud radiative properties resulting from changes in the properties of those aerosols which act as cloud condensation nuclei. This process is also refered to as the aerosol indirect effect on climate. CLOUDYCOLUMN is focused on the contribution of stratocumulus clouds to that process. In addition to the basic aerosol measurements performed at the ground stations of the ACE‐2 project, 5 instrumented aircraft carried out in situ characterization of aerosol physical, chemical and nucleation properties and cloud dynamical and microphysical properties. Cloud radiative properties were also measured remotely with radiometers and a lidar. 11 case studies have been documented, from pure marine to significantly polluted air masses. The simultaneity of the measurements with the multi‐aircraft approach provides a unique data set for closure experiments on the aerosol indirect effect. In particular CLOUDYCOLUMN provided the 1st experimental evidence of the existence of the indirect effect in boundary layer clouds forming in polluted continental outbreacks. This paper describes the objectives of the project, the instrumental setup and the sampling strategy. Preliminary results published in additional papers are briefly summarized.     

METOP星载干涉式超高光谱分辨率红外大气探测仪(IASI)及其产品

为了深入了解国际卫星红外大气探测仪器的新特点,以欧洲METOP卫星装载的超高光谱红外大气探测仪(IASI:Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer)为例,介绍卫星红外探测仪研发背景、仪器特征和数据产品处理,并与第1个高光谱大气红外探测仪(AIRS:Atmosphenic Inftared Sounder)作了比较分析.采用干涉分光技术的IASI为地球大气遥感提供了丰富的研究资料,可用于反演大气、海洋、云和大气成分,对我国风云卫星的高光谱红外大气垂直探测仪器的研发具有重要参考价值.     

Lidar remote sounding of cirrus clouds and comparison of simulated fluxes with surface and METEOSAT observations

Three cirrus cloud cases have been remotely sounded near Paris by a ground-based backscatter lidar and broadband radiometers. Some cirrus properties (optical depth, emissivity, height) are derived from these measurements and used to compare radiative transfer calculations to surface and METEOSAT observations of broadband irradiances.For a useful comparison, the three cirrus cases were selected to have different morphologies and optical properties: June 29, 1993—thin cirrus cloud (thickness 1.5 km, optical depth 0.22); September 6, 1993—thick cirrus cloud (thickness 5 km, optical depth 2.7); and November 16, 1993—inhomogeneous and geometrically thick cirrus cloud (thickness 3.5–6.5 km) but optically thin (optical depth 0.82).At surface, the differences between measurements and model range from 1.5 to 4 Wm⁻² for longwave fluxes, and from 20 to 70 Wm⁻² for shortwave fluxes.At the top of the atmosphere, the differences between METEOSAT measurements and model are in fair agreement for longwave fluxes (up to 50 Wm⁻²). However, unexpected high differences are found for shortwave fluxes (up to 144 Wm⁻²) due to cirrus clouds heterogeneities and uncertainties in their microphysical properties and especially the occurrence of high reflectivity due to horizontally oriented ice crystals at the cloud top, which are not taken into account by the Model presently.     

Impact of primary ice nucleation parameterizations on the formation and maintenance of cirrus

Different ice nucleation algorithms are implemented in a cloud microphysical scheme and numerical simulations of clouds are performed using a three-dimensional mesoscale model. The predicted ice crystal fields are found to be sensitive to the different modes of calculation of the number of deposition/ condensation freezing nuclei and contact freezing nuclei. Also a time and supercooling dependence of this sensitivity is established.The general features of the cirrus clouds observed by the research aircraft Falcon during the 1989 (International Cirrus Experiment) mission ICE212 are compared to those of the cirrus clouds generated by the model. The cloud top height, the cloud ice content and the ice number concentrations seem to be reproduced well.