Water vapor motion signal extraction from FY-2E longwave infrared window images for cloud-free regions: The temporal difference technique

The aim of this study is to calculate the low-level atmospheric motion vectors （AMVs） in clear areas with FY-2E IR2 window （11.59-12.79 μm） channel imagery,where the traditional cloud motion wind technique fails.A new tracer selection procedure,which we call the temporal difference technique,is demonstrated in this paper.This technique makes it possible to infer low-level wind by tracking features in the moisture pattern that appear as brightness temperature （TB） differences between consecutive sequences of 30-min-interval FY-2E IR2 images over cloud-free regions.The TB difference corresponding to a 10％ change in water vapor density is computed with the Moderate Resolution Atmospheric Transmission （MODTRAN4） radiative transfer model.The total contribution from each of the 10 layers is analyzed under four typical atmospheric conditions：tropical,midlatitude summer,U.S.standard,and midlatitude winter.The peak level of the water vapor weighting function for the four typical atmospheres is assigned as a specific height to the TB ＂wind＂.This technique is valid over cloudfree ocean areas.The proposed algorithm exhibits encouraging statistical results in terms of vector difference （VD）,speed bias （BIAS）,mean vector difference （MVD）,standard deviation （SD）,and root-mean-square error （RMSE）,when compared with the wind field of NCEP reanalysis data and rawinsonde observations.     

Comparison of Kalpana-1 atmospheric motion vectors with other observations

The operational derivation of atmospheric motion vectors (AMVs) using infrared (10.5–12.5 μm) and water vapor (6.3–7.1 μm) channels of successive geostationary satellite images started in the 1980s. Subsequently, AMVs have become an important component for operational numerical weather prediction throughout the globe for the last decade or so. In India, at the Space Applications Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation, the operational derivation of AMVs (infrared winds and water vapor winds) from the Indian geostationary satellite Kalpana-1 has been initiated a few years back. Recently, an L-band radar lower atmosphere wind profiler (LAWP) has been installed at the National Atmospheric Research Laboratory, Gadanki located at (13.58°N, 79.28°E) for continuous high-resolution wind measurements in the lower atmosphere. In this study, a comparison of Kalpana-1 AMVs with wind measurements from LAWP and radiosonde has been carried out for a period of one and a half years. The performances of Kalpana-1 AMVs are also assessed by a separate comparison of Meteosat-7 AMVs, derived at the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, with wind measurements from LAWP and radiosonde. Both sets of comparison show that AMVs from Kalpana-1 and Meteosat-7 are comparable over the Indian Ocean region.     

Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation Interactions in a Closed-cell and Non-homogenous MBL Stratocumulus Cloud

A closed-cell marine stratocumulus case during the Aerosol and Cloud Experiments in the Eastern North Atlantic (ACE-ENA) aircraft field campaign is selected to examine the heterogeneities of cloud and drizzle microphysical properties and the aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions. The spatial and vertical variabilities of cloud and drizzle microphysics are found in two different sets of flight legs: Leg-1 and Leg-2, which are parallel and perpendicular to the cloud propagation, respectively. The cloud along Leg-2 was close to adiabatic, where cloud-droplet effective radius and liquid water content linearly increase from cloud base to cloud top with less drizzle. The cloud along Leg-1 was sub-adiabatic with lower cloud-droplet number concentration and larger cloud-droplet effective, but higher drizzle droplet number concentration, larger drizzle droplet median diameter and drizzle liquid water content. The heavier drizzle frequency and intensity on Leg-1 were enhanced by the collision-coalescence processes within cloud due to strong turbulence. The sub-cloud precipitation rate on Leg-1 was significantly higher than that along Leg-2. As a result, the sub-cloud accumulation mode aerosols and CCN on Leg-1 were depleted, but the coarse model aerosols increased. This further leads to a counter-intuitive phenomenon that the CCN is less than cloud-droplet number concentration for Leg-1. The average CCN loss rates are ?3.89 \begin{document}$\mathrm{c}{\mathrm{m}}^{-3}\;{\mathrm{h}}^{-1}$\end{document} and ?0.77 \begin{document}$\mathrm{c}{\mathrm{m}}^{-3}\;{\mathrm{h}}^{-1}$\end{document} on Leg-1 and Leg-2, respectively. The cloud and drizzle heterogeneities inside the same stratocumulus can significantly alter the sub-cloud aerosols and CCN budget. Hence it should be treated with caution in the aircraft assessment of aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions.     

高纬度强对流与对流层上层水汽变化关系的数值模拟研究

应用WRF中尺度模式模拟了发生在黑龙江省西南部的一次区域性暴雨过程,通过云微物理参数化方案的敏感性试验,分析了对流云体中水汽垂直输送特征.结果表明:强对流活动使对流层上层局地水汽平均增加10倍以上,对流活动对于水汽的垂直输送以及对高层水汽含量的改变具有非常显著的作用.云微物理参数化方案,对于整个对流层水汽通量密度变化趋势有较好的表现.在不同方案中,0.5 ～9 km水汽通量密度及24 h总水汽垂直输送量,随高度变化差异较大.这是由平均垂直速度对不同方案敏感性造成的,不同的参数化方案,水汽通量最大值间最多相差可达27.9％.在不同的方案中,对流层上层加湿作用持续时间和对流层上层平均水汽混合比的最大值较敏感:对流活动可造成模拟区域对流层上层增湿持续16 ～20 h不等;对流层上层平均水汽混合比的最大值差异明显,最大可达15.8％.进行24 h平均后,上述物理量对方案的敏感性可减小到8.3％.所以,云微物理方案的不确定性对于暴雨过程的时间尺度是不可忽视的.     

A Study on Height Reassignment for the AMV Products of the FY-2C Satellite

A method for using height reassignment to improve the quality of satellite-derived atmospheric motion vectors (AMVs) is presented. The rationale underlying height reassignment is explored, and the technical details are studied by applying three height reassignment schemes that use NCEP reanalysis winds. The quality of the AMVs is generally improved following reassignment, although the magnitude of the improvement differs according to the scheme applied. Scheme 3 provides the best quality and stability, followed by Scheme 1 and Scheme 2. The negative biases in the zonal components of the AMVs decrease from [-5,-4] m s-1to <-1 m s-1following reassignment. The meridional components also improve. The AMVs derived from the infrared and water vapor channels improve by 58.7% and 25%, respectively. The feasibility of using Scheme 3 in the operational derivation of AMVs is studied by incorporating the forecast wind field predicted by a T511 medium-range numerical weather prediction (NWP) system. Incorporating the 120-h forecast reduces the negative biases in zonal winds and positive biases in meridional winds retrieved from the water vapor channel, improving the overall quality of the AMVs by 26.7%. Extending the validity period of the forecast field linearly reduces the improvement in retrieved AMVs, but the magnitude of this reduction is small. Incorporating the 120-h forecast field still results in a 13% improvement, although it may eliminate a larger number of AMVs of good quality.     

Characteristics of Fengyun-4A Satellite Atmospheric Motion Vectors and Their Impacts on Data Assimilation

The high observation efficiency, scanning speed and observation frequency of the Fengyun-4A(FY-4A) satellite indicates the progress of Chinese geostationary meteorological satellites. The characteristics of FY-4A atmospheric motion vectors(AMVs) derived from the high-level water vapor(WV-High) channel, mid-level water vapor(WV-Mid) channel,and infrared(IR) channel of FY-4A are analyzed, and their corresponding observation errors estimated. Then, the impacts of single-channel and multi-channel FY...     

Impact of assimilation of INSAT-3D retrieved atmospheric motion vectors on short-range forecast of summer monsoon 2014 over the South Asian region

The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and its three-dimensional variational data assimilation system are used in this study to assimilate the INSAT-3D, a recently launched Indian geostationary meteorological satellite derived from atmospheric motion vectors (AMVs) over the South Asian region during peak Indian summer monsoon month (i.e., July 2014). A total of four experiments were performed daily with and without assimilation of INSAT-3D-derived AMVs and the other AMVs available through Global Telecommunication System (GTS) for the entire month of July 2014. Before assimilating these newly derived INSAT-3D AMVs in the numerical model, a preliminary evaluation of these AMVs is performed with National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) final model analyses. The preliminary validation results show that root-mean-square vector difference (RMSVD) for INSAT-3D AMVs is ～3.95, 6.66, and 5.65 ms^?1 at low, mid, and high levels, respectively, and slightly more RMSVDs are noticed in GTS AMVs (～4.0, 8.01, and 6.43 ms^?1 at low, mid, and high levels, respectively). The assimilation of AMVs has improved the WRF model of produced wind speed, temperature, and moisture analyses as well as subsequent model forecasts over the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, Australia, and South Africa. Slightly more improvements are noticed in the experiment where only the INSAT-3D AMVs are assimilated compared to the experiment where only GTS AMVs are assimilated. The results also show improvement in rainfall predictions over the Indian region after AMV assimilation. Overall, the assimilation of INSAT-3D AMVs improved the WRF model short-range predictions over the South Asian region as compared to control experiments.     

On the vertical extent of atmospheric feedbacks

This study addresses the question: what vertical regions contribute the most to water vapor, surface temperature, lapse rate and cloud fraction feedback strengths in a general circulation model? Multi-level offline radiation perturbation calculations are used to diagnose the feedback contribution from each model level. As a first step, to locate regions of maximum radiative sensitivity to climate changes, the top of atmosphere radiative impact for each feedback is explored for each process by means of idealized parameter perturbations on top of a control (1?×?CO₂) model climate. As a second step, the actual feedbacks themselves are calculated using the changes modelled from a 2?×?CO₂ experiment. The impact of clouds on water vapor and lapse rate feedbacks is also isolated using `clear sky' calculations. Considering the idealized changes, it is found that the radiative sensitivity to water vapor changes is a maximum in the tropical lower troposphere. The sensitivity to temperature changes has both upper and lower tropospheric maxima. The sensitivity to idealized cloud changes is positive (warming) for upper level cloud increases but negative (cooling) for lower level increases, due to competing long and shortwave effects. Considering the actual feedbacks, it is found that water vapor feedback is a maximum in the tropical upper troposphere, due to the large relative increases in specific humidity which occur there. The actual lapse rate feedback changes sign with latitude and is a maximum (negative) again in the tropical upper troposphere. Cloud feedbacks reflect the general decrease in low- to mid-level low-latitude cloud, with an increase in the very highest cloud. This produces a net positive (negative) shortwave (longwave) cloud feedback. The role of clouds in the strength of the water vapor and lapse rate feedbacks is also discussed.     

Strengthening of the Walker circulation under globalwarming in an aqua-planet general circulation model simulation

Most climate models project a weakening of the Walker circulation under global warming scenarios. It is argued, based on a global averaged moisture budget, that this weakening can be attributed to a slower rate of rainfall increase compared to that of moisture increase, which leads to a decrease in ascending motion. Through an idealized aqua-planet simulation in which a zonal wavenumber-1 SST distribution is prescribed along the equator, we find that the Walker circulation is strengthened under a uniform 2-K SST warming, even though the global mean rainfall–moisture relationship remains the same. Further diagnosis shows that the ascending branch of the Walker cell is enhanced in the upper troposphere but weakened in the lower troposphere. As a result, a "double-cell" circulation change pattern with a clockwise(anti-clockwise) circulation anomaly in the upper(lower) troposphere forms, and the upper tropospheric circulation change dominates. The mechanism for the formation of the "double cell" circulation pattern is attributed to a larger(smaller) rate of increase of diabatic heating than static stability in the upper(lower) troposphere. The result indicates that the future change of the Walker circulation cannot simply be interpreted based on a global mean moisture budget argument.     

2010年6月中旬浙闽赣地区暴雨特征和冰云热力效应的数值模拟分析

以2010年6月19日发生在浙闽赣地区的一次强降水过程为例,利用中尺度WRF模式进行模拟,用模拟资料对该地区降水收支特征和冰云热力作用进行分析。依据局地水汽/热量变化项、水汽/热量辐合辐散项和云凝物辐合辐散项这3个因子可将降水分为8类,其中局地水汽变干和大气变暖、水汽辐合和热量辐散以及云凝物辐合时,降水强度(雨强)最强,而局地水汽变湿和大气变冷、水汽辐合和热量辐散以及云凝物辐合时,降水覆盖率最大。冰云热力效应包括辐射和潜热两部分。基准试验与敏感性试验对比分析表明冰云辐射减弱降水,而冰云潜热增强降水。热量收支对比分析发现冰云辐射造成辐射冷却的减弱在对流层中低层随高度增加,减弱大气不稳定和降水;而冰云潜热造成潜热增强在对流层中高层随高度减小,增强大气不稳定和降水。     

Water Cycle and Microphysical Processes Associated with a Mesoscale Convective Vortex System in the Dabie Mountain Area

The water vapor budget and the cloud microphysical processes associated with a heavy rainfall system in the Dabie Mountain area in June 2008 were analyzed using mesoscale reanalysis data(grid resolution 0.03 × 0.03,22 vertical layers,1-h intervals),generated by amalgamating the local analysis and prediction system(LAPS).The contribution of each term in the water vapor budget formula to precipitation was evaluated.The characteristics of water vapor budget and water substances in various phase states were evaluated and their differences in heavy and weak rainfall areas were compared.The precipitation calculated from the total water vapor budget accounted for 77% of actual precipitation;surface evaporation is another important source of water vapor.Water vapor within the domain of interest mainly came from the lower level along the southern boundary and the lower-middle level along the western boundary.This altitude difference for water vapor flux was caused by different weather systems.The decrease of local water vapor in the middle-lower layer in the troposphere during the system development stage also contributed to precipitation.The strength and the layer thickness of water vapor convergence and the content of various water substances in the heavy rainfall areas were obviously larger than in the weak rainfall areas.The peak values of lower-level water vapor convergence,local water vapor income,and the concentration of cloud ice all preceded the heaviest surface rainfall by a few hours.     

Aerosol, clouds and rainfall: inter-annual and regional variations over India

Inter-annual and regional variations in aerosol and cloud characteristics, water vapor and rainfall over six homogeneous rainfall zones in India during the core monsoon month of July from 2000 to 2010, and their correlations are analyzed. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) and aerosol absorbing index (AAI) in July 2002, a drought year are higher over India when compared to normal monsoon years. The drier conditions that existed due to deficient rainfall in July 2002 could be responsible for raising more dust and smoke resulting in higher AODs over India. In addition, over India precipitation is not uniform and large-scale interruptions occur during the monsoon season. During these interruptions aerosols can build up over a region and contribute to an increase in AODs. This finding is supported by the occurrence of higher anomalies in AOD, AAI and rainfall over India in July 2002. Aerosol characteristics and rainfall exhibit large regional variations. Cloud effective radius (CER), cloud optical thickness and columnar water vapor over India are the lowest in July 2002. CER decreases as AOD and AAI increase, providing an observational evidence for the indirect effect of aerosols. Eighty percent of CER in northwest India, and 30% of CER over All India in July 2002 are <14 μm, the precipitation threshold critical cloud effective radius. Northeast India shows contrasting features of correlation among aerosols, clouds and rainfall when compared to other regions. These results will be important while examining the inter-annual variation in aerosols, cloud characteristics, rainfall and their trends.     

青藏高原一次强对流过程对水汽垂直输送的数值模拟

本文采用中尺度天气研究预测模式(WRF)模拟了青藏高原那曲地区的一次强对流过程,分析了强对流对水汽的垂直输送量及对模式不同云微物理参数化方案的敏感性.通过与实测资料的比较,发现此次模拟在对流发生时间、地点、降水时间等方面均与实际接近.敏感性试验表明:当对流发生时,对流区域向上的水汽通量随海拔高度呈先增大后减小的趋势,该...     

Climate feedback efficiency and synergy

Earth’s climate sensitivity to radiative forcing induced by a doubling of the atmospheric CO₂ is determined by feedback mechanisms, including changes in atmospheric water vapor, clouds and surface albedo, that act to either amplify or dampen the response. The climate system is frequently interpreted in terms of a simple energy balance model, in which it is assumed that individual feedback mechanisms are additive and act independently. Here we test these assumptions by systematically controlling, or locking, the radiative feedbacks in a state-of-the-art climate model. The method is shown to yield a near-perfect decomposition of change into partial temperature contributions pertaining to forcing and each of the feedbacks. In the studied model water vapor feedback stands for about half the temperature change, CO₂-forcing about one third, while cloud and surface albedo feedback contributions are relatively small. We find a close correspondence between forcing, feedback and partial surface temperature response for the water vapor and surface albedo feedbacks, while the cloud feedback is inefficient in inducing surface temperature change. Analysis suggests that cloud-induced warming in the upper tropical troposphere, consistent with rising convective cloud anvils in a warming climate enhances the negative lapse-rate feedback, thereby offsetting some of the warming that would otherwise be attributable to this positive cloud feedback. By subsequently combining feedback mechanisms we find a positive synergy acting between the water vapor feedback and the cloud feedback; that is, the combined cloud and water vapor feedback is greater than the sum of its parts. Negative synergies surround the surface albedo feedback, as associated cloud and water vapor changes dampen the anticipated climate change induced by retreating snow and ice. Our results highlight the importance of treating the coupling between clouds, water vapor and temperature in a deepening troposphere.     

末次冰期冰盛期中国地区水循环因子变化的模拟研究

ISCCP卫星资料(1983—2006年)的结果显示:青藏高原地区是高云的高值中心;而以四川为中心直到同纬度的中国东南沿海地区是中云的高值区,同时,青藏高原地区是中云的低值中心。利用全球气候模式CCM3嵌套区域模式MM5模拟了现代和末次冰期冰盛期的气候。MM5模拟的结果与ISCCP的卫星资料对比表明:模拟结果再现了中国地区高云和中云分布的主要特征。这暗示云分布的气候特征可能主要由相对湿度决定。同时,通过MM5的结果与NCEP资料的对比也说明,模式可以较好地模拟水汽和温度的垂直分布。在此基础上,研究了末次冰期冰盛期水循环因子的变化。模拟结果显示:末次冰期冰盛期夏季对流层的温度降低,在对流层中上层存在温度降低的中心;而在冬季在南方的对流层中层存在降温中心,在北方的对流层中上层温度升高。大气中水汽含量与温度变化有很好的正相关,除了冬季北方对流层中上层水汽增加外,水汽含量一般降低,而且在近地层降低的最多,随高度增高水汽变化逐渐变小。但是,水汽的相对变化在对流层上层存在降低的高值中心。相对湿度存在变化,最大的变化超过15%,而且有增加,也有减少。在区域尺度相对湿度不是保守的。相对湿度变化与中云和低云的变化一致。在末次冰期冰盛期,中国地区高云量减少,除中国西南地区外,中云和低云量减少,低云量减少的最多。降水的变化与中云和低云的变化相对应,云量增加降水增加,云量减少降水也减少。从相对湿度和有效降水可以看到在西南地区末次冰期冰盛期变得潮湿,在夏季西北地区也变得潮湿。     

Responses of Vertical Structures in Convective and Stratiform Regions to Large-Scale Forcing during the Landfall of Severe Tropical Storm Bilis （2006）

The responses of vertical structures,in convective and stratiform regions,to the large-scale forcing during the landfall of tropical storm Bilis(2006) are investigated using the data from a two-dimensional cloud-resolving model simulation.An imposed large-scale forcing with upward motion in the mid and upper troposphere and downward motion in the lower troposphere on 15 July suppresses convective clouds,which leads to ～100% coverage of raining stratiform clouds over the entire model domain.The imposed forci...     

Development of a continuous flow thermal gradient diffusion chamber for ice nucleation studies

A supercooled continuous flow, thermal gradient diffusion chamber has been developed to study the ice nucleating properties of natural or artificial aerosols. The chamber has concentric cylinder geometry with the cylinder axis alignment and airflow vertically downward. Sample airflow is 1 l min⁻¹ and occupies the central 10% of the annular lamina; it is separated from the ice-covered walls by filtered sheath air. The wall temperatures are independently controlled over the range from about −4°C to −25°C, so that the vapor concentration at the location of the sample lamina can be set to a well defined value between ice saturation and a few percent water supersaturation. There is a range of temperature and supersaturation values across the sample region; for lamina center conditions of −15°C and +1% with respect to water, the range is −14.6 to −15.4°C and +0.53 to +1.31%. Errors in temperature control produce variations estimated as ±0.1°C and ±0.23%. Typical sample residence time is about 10 s. Ice crystals which form on active nuclei are detected optically at the outlet end of the chamber. To enhance the size difference between ice crystals and cloud droplets, the downstream 25% of the warm ice wall is covered with a thermally insulating vapor barrier which reduces the vapor concentration to ice saturation at the cold wall temperature, so cloud droplets evaporate.A mathematical model was developed to describe the temperature and vapor fields and to calculate the growth, evaporation, and sedimentation of water and ice particles. At 1% water supersaturation, the model predicts that ice particles will grow to about 5 μm diameter, and cloud droplets will achieve about 1 μm before they reach the evaporation section of the chamber. A different model was developed to describe the steady state airflow profile and location of the sample lamina.Experimental tests of the chamber were performed to characterize the airflow, to assess the ability of the technique to detect silver iodide ice nucleating aerosols and to distinguish ice crystals from water droplets.     

MEASUREMENT OF WATER VAPOR AND CLOUD LIQUID WATER CONTENT BY A DUAL-CHANNEL GROUND-BASED MICROWAVE RADIOMETER

The design principle and structural features of a new type dual-channel ground-based microwave radiometerfor measurement of water vapor and liquid water in troposphere are discussed. A method independent ofradiosonde data is used for system absolute calibrations. A statistical method for retrieving the total watervapor and cloud liquid water content and a nonlinear iterative algorithm for retrieving the water vapor profilesin the troposphere are discussed. Comparison is conducted between the measurement of the integrated amountsof the water vapor and the tropospheric vapor profiles by the radiometer and the radiosonde data.     

利用云导风矢量的台风中心自动定位

文中提出了一种利用云导风矢量图进行台风中心自动定位的方法。云导风矢量通过对具有一定时间间隔的两幅相关卫星云图进行模板匹配而得出。模板匹配就是根据已知模式的图像在一幅陌生图像中寻找对应于该模式的子图像的过程。根据气象知识 ,台风云系运动的特点是中心平移量大而自旋很弱 ,且台风中心与台风云系整体的移动方向一致 ,因此求出云导风矢量图中与台风整体移动矢量大小和方向一致的矢量集合的最密集区 ,经过数学形态学处理后便得到台风中心     

A diagnostic study of the asymmetric distribution of rainfall during the landfall of typhoon Haitang (2005)

The precipitation during landfall of typhoon Haitang (2005) showed asymmetric structures (left side/right side of the track). Analysis of Weather Research and Forecasting model simulation data showed that rainfall on the right side was more than 15 times stronger than on the left side. The causes were analyzed by focusing on comparing the water vapor flux, stability and upward motion between the two sides. The major results were as follows: (2) Relative humidity on both sides was over 80%, whereas the convergence of water vapor flux in the lower troposphere was about 10 times larger on the right side than on the left side. (5) Both sides featured conditional symmetric instability [MPV (moist potential vorticity) <0], but the right side was more unstable than the left side. (6) Strong (weak) upward motion occurred throughout the troposphere on the right (left) side. The Q vector diagnosis suggested that large-scale and mesoscale forcing accounted for the difference in vertical velocity. Orographic lift and surface friction forced the development of the asymmetric precipitation pattern. On the right side, strong upward motion from the forcing of different scale weather systems and topography caused a substantial release of unstable energy and the transportation of water vapor from the lower to the upper troposphere, which produced torrential rainfall. However, the above conditions on the left side were all much weaker, which led to weaker rainfall. This may have been the cause of the asymmetric distribution of rainfall during the landfall of typhoon Haitang.