Single scattering from frozen hydrometeors at microwave frequencies

Scattering of electromagnetic waves from homogeneous or coated spheres can be computed in a mathematically exact way using the Mie theory. Therefore, for many approaches in remote sensing, frozen hydrometeors are parameterized as ice spheres. However, many frozen hydrometeors have non-spherical overall shapes and lack a spherically symmetric internal structure. They exist in a huge variety of shapes and exhibit different mixtures of ice, water and air. Therefore it is desirable to accurately compute scattering from non-spherical particles in order to clearly understand the effect the shape of a hydrometeor has on its scattering pattern.In this study, single scattering parameters like scattering cross section, absorption cross section, and asymmetry factor were calculated for frozen hydrometeors using the Discrete Dipole Approximation (DDA). The particles were modeled as hexagonal plates, columns, needles and dendrites by applying known dimensional relationships. The calculations were carried out over a wide range of centimeter and millimeter-wavelengths (1 GHz to 300 GHz), since millimeter-wave radiometers are highly sensitive to scattering by frozen hydrometeors in the atmosphere.The study results show that for size parameters < 1 (a ratio between wavelength and particle size) the scattering cross section of randomly orientated ice crystals is close to that of an equal volume ice sphere. Absorption cross section and asymmetry factor of non-spherical particles however are up to twice as high as that of equal volume ice spheres. Further the influence of the assumed model for the refractive index of ice at microwave wavelengths on the scattering parameters is investigated.     

对非球形冰晶94 GHz云雷达后向散射和衰减的研究

针对94 GHz毫米波云雷达的数据处理,基于离散偶极子近似法(DDA)计算了几种非球形冰晶的后向散射及衰减效率,探讨了不同冰云模型下冰云的雷达反射率因子(Z_e)和衰减系数(k)及冰水含量(IWC,记作W)的关系。结果表明:(1)形状对冰晶的散射及衰减效率与粒子大小有关。(2)在实际的冰云中,将六角形冰晶和椭圆冰晶看做同体积的球形粒子将低估其衰减和后向散射。将聚合物冰晶看做等体积球形,将高估其后向散射及衰减,子弹花冰晶的后向散射与同体积的球形相比有减小也有增大,但是衰减比同体积球形的小。(3)冰云模型对Z_e-k、Z_e-W关系具有较大影响,假设滴谱相同的条件下,得到了具体冰云模型下对应Z_e-k、Z_e-W关系的系数。这些探讨为我国W波段云雷达的数据处理提供了参考。     

Impact of the Bergeron–Findeisen process on the release of aerosol particles during the evolution of cloud ice

The paper focuses on the redistribution of aerosol particles (APs) during the artificial nucleation and subsequent growth of ice crystals in a supercooled cloud. A significant number of the supercooled cloud droplets during icing periods (seeding agents: C₃H₈, CO₂) did not freeze as was presumed prior to the experiment but instead evaporated. The net mass flux of water vapour from the evaporating droplets to the nucleating ice crystals (Bergeron–Findeisen mechanism) led to the release of residual particles that simultaneously appeared in the interstitial phase. The strong decrease of the droplet residuals confirms the nucleation of ice particles on seeding germs without natural aerosol particles serving as ice nuclei. As the number of residual particles during the seedings did not drop to zero, other processes such as heterogeneous ice nucleation, spontaneous freezing, entrainment of supercooled droplets and diffusion to the created particle-free ice germs must have contributed to the experimental findings. During the icing periods, residual mass concentrations in the condensed phase dropped by a factor of 1.1–6.7, as compared to the unperturbed supercooled cloud. As the Bergeron–Findeisen process also occurs without artificial seeding in the atmosphere, this study demonstrated that the hydrometeors in mixed-phase clouds might be much cleaner than anticipated for the simple freezing process of supercooled droplets in tropospheric mid latitude clouds.     

An experimental study of aerosol scavenging by hexagonal plate ice crystals

The scavenging efficiency, E, of small hexagonal plate ice crystals for aerosol particles has been measured in a series of laboratory cloud experiments. The ice crystal diameters, D μm ranged from 35 to 150 μm with aerosol particles in the range 4 to 6 μm. An ice crystal replication technique made possible the individual examination of more than 43m500 individual crystals from which the relation: log₁₀ E = 1.554 − 1.047 log₁₀D was established with values of E in the range 0.2–0.9 corresponding to the range of crystal sizes investigated. For some crystal collectors, values of E extended above unity and this was attributed to wake capture, oscillations and the extended sweep out path of the ice crystals associated with their spiral fall pattern.     

Momentum and scalar transfer coefficients over aerodynamically smooth antarctic surfaces

Vertical profiles of wind speed, temperature and humidity were used to estimate the roughness lengths for momentum (z ₀), heat (z _H ) and moisture (z _Q) over smooth ice and snow surfaces. The profile-measurements were performed in the vicinity of a blue ice field in Queen Maud Land, East Antarctica. The values ofz ₀ over ice (3·10^–6 m) seem to be the smallest ever obtained over permanent, natural surfaces. The settling of snow on the ice and the loss of momentum at saltating snow particles serve as momentum dissipating processes during snow-drift events, expressed as a strong dependence ofz ₀ on u_#.The scalar roughness lengths and surface temperature can be evaluated from the temperature and humidity profile measurements if the ratioz _H /z _Q is specified. This new method circumvents the difficult measurement of surface temperature. The scalar roughness lengths seem to be approximately equal toz0 for a large range of low roughness Reynolds numbers, despite the frequent occurrence of drifting snow. Possible reasons for this agreement with theory of non-saltating flow are discussed.     

Estimation of the Exchange Coefficient of Heat During Low Wind Convective Conditions

For the first time, the exchange coefficient of heat C_H has been estimated from eddy correlation of velocity and virtual temperature fluctuations using sonic anemometer measurements made at low wind speeds over the monsoon land atJodhpur (26°18' N, 73°04' E), a semi arid station. It shows strong dependence on wind speed, increasing rapidly with decreasing wind speed, and scales according to a power law C_H = 0.025U₁₀ ^-0.7 (where U₁₀ is the mean wind speed at 10-m height). A similar but more rapid increase in the drag coefficient C_Dhas already been reported in an earlier study. Low winds (<4 m s^-1) are associated with both near neutral and strong unstable situations. It is noted that C_H increases with increasing instability. The present observations best describe a low wind convective regime as revealed in the scaling behaviour of drag, sensible heat flux and the non-dimensional temperature gradient. Neutral drag and heat cofficients,corrected using Monin–Obukhov (M–O) theory, show a more uniform behaviour at low wind speeds in convective conditions, when compared with the observed coefficients discussed in a coming paper.At low wind convective conditions, M-O theory is unable to capture the observed linear dependence of drag on wind speed, unlike during forced convections. The non-dimensional shear inferred from the present data shows noticeable deviations from Businger's formulation, a forced convection similarity. Heat flux is insensitive to drag associated with weak winds superposed on true free convection. With heat flux as the primary variable, definition of new velocity scales leads to a new drag parameterization scheme at low wind speeds during convective conditionsdiscussed in a coming paper.     

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF ACIDIFICATION PROCESSES IN COLD CUMULUS CLOUDS

In this paper, a 1-D time dependent cold cumulus chemistry model is presented. In the coldcumulus model, 4 categories of hydrometeors: cloud drops, raindrops, cloud ice crystals, graupelparticles, and 18 microphysical interactions are considered, In the chemical model, the source andsink terms for pollutants include: the complicated interactions between pollutants (gases andaerosol particles) and the hydrometeors (especially ice crystals and graupel particles), the ex-changes of chemical compounds between two hydrometeors accompanying microphysical processesand the aqueous oxidations of S (IV) to S (VI). The two models are combined to study the acidifi-cation processes in cold cumulus clouds.     

New RAMS cloud microphysics parameterization part I: the single-moment scheme

A new cloud microphysical parameterization is described. Features of this new scheme include: the use of generalized gamma distributions as the basis function for all hydrometeor species; the use of a heat budget equation for hydrometeor classes, allowing heat storage and mixed phase hydrometeors; partitioning hydrometeors into seven classes (including separate graupel and hail categories); the use of stochastic collection rather than continuous accretion approximations and extension of the ice nucleation scheme to include homogeneous nucleation of ice from haze particles and cloud droplets.The versatility and credibility of the new scheme is explored, using sensitivity experiments for a simple two-dimensional convective cloud simulation.     

Geometric and aerodynamic roughness of sea ice

The aerodynamic drag of Arctic sea ice is calculated using surface data, measured by an airborne laser altimeter and a digital camera in the marginal ice zone of Fram Strait. The influence of the surface morphology on the momentum transfer under neutral thermal stratification in the atmospheric boundary layer is derived with the aid of model concepts, based on the partitioning of the surface drag into a form drag and a skin drag. The drag partitioning concept pays attention to the probability density functions of the geometric surface parameters. We found for the marginal ice zone that the form drag, caused by floe edges, can amount to 140% of the skin drag, while the effect of pressure ridges never exceeded 40%. Due to the narrow spacing of obstacles, the skin drag is significantly reduced by shadowing effects on the leeward side of floe edges. For practical purposes, the fractional sea-ice coverage can be used to parameterize the drag coefficientC _dn, related to the 10 m-wind. C _dnincreases from 1.2 · 10^-3 over open water to 2.8 · 10^-3 for 55% ice coverage and decreases to 1.5 · 10^-3 for 100% ice coverage.Aircraft turbulence measurements are used to compare the model values of C _dnwith measureents. The correlation between measured and modelled drag coefficients results in r ² = 0.91, where r is the correlation coefficient.     

Numerical simulation of three-dimensional unsteady viscous flow past fixed hexagonal ice crystals in the air — preliminary results

The flow fields of hexagonal ice plates and broad-branch ice crystals fallingin the air with Reynolds numbers from 20 to 140 were investigated by numerical simulations. The three-dimensional incompressible, unsteady Navier-Stokes equations for flow past fixed targets were solved by a second-order QUICK numerical scheme. Several velocity fields are displayed. It is shown that unsteady flow can be modeled by adding an artificial disturbance at a certain point. Computations showed that thin oblate spheroids are good approximations to hexagonal plates of the same size in the drag calculation whereas the broad-branch crystals are significantly different. Empirical formulas for drag coefficients were developed for cloud physical calculations.     

On the unified theory of atmospheric particle systems part ii: self–affine particles

As the second attempt at unifying treatment of atmospheric particle systems, this paper further examines shape characterization of atmospheric particles. First, to support the theoretical framework developed in Part I, methods for studying non-spherical particles are reviewed. It is argued that these different methods can be unified under fractal geometry through the generalized power laws given in Part I. Empirical power-laws for hydrometeors scat-tered in literature since 1935 are summarized and reevaluated in terms of fractals. Second, generalization from self-similar to self-affine particles is discussed. Self-affinity of atmospheric particles is exemplified by examining the exponents in the power laws between the length along a- and c-axis of ice crystals. It is argued that unlike Euclidean and self-similar particles, self-affine particles do not have a simple dimensional relation between original particles and their projections; the relation for projection of self-similar particles and Mandelbrot’ thumb rules for intersection respectively set the lower and upper bound. Using published data, self-affine particles are shown to exist in the at-mosphere. The existence of self-affine particles in turn calls for instruments that can simultaneously measure mass, area and maximum diameter (or their equivalents).     

广东一次飑线过程中一个雷暴单体成熟阶段的电荷结构演变特征的数值模拟

为了进一步印证以往观测反推得到的广东地区雷暴云多偶极性电荷结构的结论,利用加入了起放电参数化方案的WRF模式,模拟了广东在2017年5月8日发生的一次飑线过程,并对这次飑线过程中一个雷暴单体成熟期的电荷结构演变特征进行分析,通过分析动力、云水含量、各水成物粒子混合比及携带电荷情况,讨论了电荷结构的形成及演变机制。结果表明,成熟阶段的单体,电荷结构从三极性逐渐演变为偶极性。这是因为在成熟初期,霰粒子在有效液态水含量适中且温度较高的地方与冰晶/雪花粒子发生了非感应碰撞,因此底部霰粒子携带正电,雷暴云底部形成次正电荷区,电荷结构为三极性。而在成熟后期,由于丰富的云水含量,使冰粒子的凇附过程增强,霰不断增加,冰晶和雪花不断被消耗,温度较暖区域与霰共存的冰晶和雪花急剧减少,使得该区域大小冰粒子的非感应碰撞起电急剧减少,此处霰粒子不能再通过非感应碰撞获得正电荷,底部次正电荷区随之消失,雷暴云的电荷结构转变为偶极性。此结果和以往观测反推得到的结论不同,这表明,对南方雷暴电荷结构还需继续深入认识。     

Impact of cloud microphysical processes on hurricane intensity, part 2: Sensitivity experiments

Summary Seven different microphysical sensitivity experiments were designed with an objective to evaluate their respective impacts in modulating hurricane intensity forecasts using mesoscale model MM5. Microphysical processes such as melting of graupel, snow and cloud ice hydrometeors, suppression of evaporation of falling rain, the intercept parameter and fall speed of snow and graupel hydrometeors are modified in the existing NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) microphysical parameterization scheme. We studied the impacts of cloud microphysical processes by means of track, intensity, precipitation, propagation speed, kinematic and thermodynamic vertical structural characteristics of hurricane inner core. These results suggest that the set of experiments where (a) melting of snow, graupel and cloud ice were suppressed (b) melting of snow and graupel were suppressed and (c) where the evaporation of rain water was suppressed all produced most intense storms. The major findings of this study are the interconversion processes such as melting and evaporation among hydrometeors and associated feedback mechanism are significantly modulate the intensity of the hurricane. In particular an experiment where the melting of graupel, snow and cloud ice hydrometeors was eliminated from the model parameterization scheme produced the most explosively intensified storm. In the experiment where rain water evaporation was eliminated from the model, it produced a stronger storm as compared to the control run but it was not as strong as the storms produced from absence of melting processes. The impact on intensity due to variations made in intercept parameters of the hydrometeors (i.e., snow and graupel) were not that evident compared to other experiments. The weakest storm was noted in the experiment where the fall speeds of the snow hydrometeors were increased two fold. This study has isolated some of the factors that contributed to a stronger hurricane and concludes with a motivation that the findings from this study will help in further improvement in the design of sophisticated explicit microphysical parameterization for the mesoscale non-hydrostatic model for realistic hurricane intensity forecasts.     

地形重力波拖曳参数化对热带气旋强度和路径预报影响的研究

本文在GRAPES_TMM（Global/Regional Assimilation and Prediction System for Tropical Mesoscale Model）——中国南海台风模式版（面向南海和东南亚）中发展和引进了KA95（Kim and Arakawa,1995）地形重力波拖曳参数化方案（GWDO）,并对2012年主要的9个登陆台风进行了试验对比研究,考察了不同标准Richardson数（Ri_c）的GWDO试验对台风路径和强度预报的影响。结果表明,在引入地形重力波拖曳参数化过程后,模式对台风登陆时路径和强度的预报能力均要有提高,对台风预报时长越长,GWDO的影响也更为显著。对双台风“SAOLA”和“DAMREY”试验结果表明,GWDO对台风外围距台风中心150 km的对流层中下层风速减弱较为明显,减弱了GRAPES区域模式对台风强度预报偏强的现象,对台风强度长时间预报改善更为明显。不同标准Ri_c对重力波拖曳力的计算较为敏感,当Ri_c取1.0时,动能迅速的在低层被频散,能量无法有效地上传;Ri_c取0.25时,大部分的能量在中高层被频散。总的来说,Ri_c取0.75时对台风路径和强度预报改进更为显著,其结果可为业务预报提供指导意义。     

Mean turbulent properties of the stable boundary layer observed during the “coast” experiment

An acoustic Doppler sounder has been used to document the behaviour of the stable atmospheric boundary layer during the “Coast” experiment, in April-May, 1983, on a homogeneous terrain near the Dutch coast. It has been shown that kaimal's model of the spectrum of velocity in the stable surface layer can be applied and that surface-layer parameterization can be used in the whole stable surface layer. Velocity spectra have been computed between .0005 c.p.s. and .1 c.p.s. and for the stability range for z/L between 0 and 10. It is to be noted that the information has been obtained using only sodar data.     

On mountain wave drag over complex terrain

Summary Mountain wave drag is calculated for rotating, stratified, nonhydrostatic Boussinesq flow over a mountain ridge using linear theory for a variety of mountain profiles representing complex/irregular terrain. The inclusion of a sinusoidal corrugation to the familiar witch-of-Agnesi profile creates a stegosaurus profile. The associated drag is greatly enhanced for mesoscale mountains when the corrugation wave-number matches that for the dominant inertia-gravity wave contribution to the cross-mountain surface pressure gradient. Similarly, increasing the jaggedness (by decreasing the exponentb) increases the drag for mesoscale mountains whose topographic spectral intensity,M(k), has the form of a power law:M(k)=mk ^–b wherek is the zonal wavenumber.Spectral analysis of one-kilometer resolution topographic data for the Appalachian Mountains suggests that a power law profile withb=1.7 accurately represents the topographic spectral intensity and that it yields good estimates of the drag.The application of these results to the parameterization of mountain wave drag in general circulation models is discussed.With 7 Figures     

Condensed water in tropical cyclone “Oliver”, 8 February 1993

On February 8, 1993, the NASA DC-8 aircraft profiled from 10,000 to 37,000 feet (3.1–11.3 km) pressure altitude in a stratified section of tropical cyclone “Oliver” over the Coral Sea northeast of Australia. Size, shape and phase of cloud and precipitation particles were measured with a 2-D Greyscale probe. Cloud/ precipitation particles changed from liquid to ice as soon as the freezing level was reached near 17,000 feet (5.2 km) pressure altitude. The cloud was completely glaciated at −5°C. There was no correlation between ice particle habit and ambient temperature. In the liquid phase, the precipitation-cloud drop concentration was 4.0 × 10³ m⁻³, the geometric mean diameter D_g=0.5−0.7 mm, and the liquid water content 0.7−1.9 g m⁻³. The largest particles anywhere in the cloud, dominated by fused dendrites at concentrations similar to that of raindrops (2.5 × 10³ m⁻³) but a higher condensed water content (5.4 g m⁻³ estimated) were found in the mixed phase; condensed water is removed very effectively from the mixed layer due to high settling velocities of the large mixed particles. The highest number concentration (4.9 × 10⁴ m⁻³), smallest size (D_g=0.3−0.4 mm), largest surface area (up to 2.6 × 10² cm² m⁻³ at 0.4−1.0 g m⁻³ of condensate) existed in the ice phase at the coldest temperature (−40°C) at 35,000 feet (10.7 km). Each cloud contained aerosol (haze particles) in addition to cloud particles. The aerosol total surface area exceeded that of the cirrus particles at the coldest temperature. Thus, aerosols must play a significant role in the upscattering of solar radiation. Light extinction (6.2 km⁻¹) and backscatter (0.8 sr⁻¹ km⁻¹) was highest in the coldest portion of the cirrus cloud at the highest altitude.     

Neutrally Stratified Turbulent Ekman Boundary Layer: Universal Similarity for a Transitional Rough Surface

The geostrophic Ekman boundary layer for large Rossby number (Ro) has been investigated by exploring the role played by the mesolayer (intermediate layer) lying between the traditional inner and outer layers. It is shown that the velocity and Reynolds shear stress components in the inner layer (including the overlap region) are universal relations, explicitly independent of surface roughness. This universality of predictions has been supported by observations from experiment, field and direct numerical simulation (DNS) data for fully smooth, transitionally rough and fully rough surfaces. The maxima of Reynolds shear stresses have been shown to be located in the mesolayer of the Ekman boundary layer, whose scale corresponds to the inverse square root of the friction Rossby number. The composite wall-wake universal relations for geostrophic velocity profiles have been proposed, and the two wake functions of the outer layer have been estimated by an eddy viscosity closure model. The geostrophic drag and cross-isobaric angle predictions yield universal relations, which are also supported by extensive field, laboratory and DNS data. The proposed predictions for the geostrophic drag and the cross-isobaric angle compare well with data for Rossby number Ro ≥ 10⁵. The data show low Rossby number effects for Ro < 10⁵ and higher-order effects due to the mesolayer compare well with the data for Ro ≥ 10³.     

Measurements of spray at an air-water interface

The spray content in the surface boundary layer above an air—water interface was determined by a series of measurements at various feteches and wind speeds in a laboratory facility. The droplet flux density N(z) can be described in terms of the scaling flux density N_* and von Karman constant K throguh the equation, N(z)/N_* = −(1/K) ln(z/z_0d) where z is height above the mean water level and z_0d is the droplet boundary layer thickness. N_* is given by a unique relationship in terms of the roughness Reynolds number u_*σ/ν where σ is the root-mean-square surface displacement. Spray inception occurred for u_* 0.3. The dominant mode of spray generation in the present and most other laboratory tests, as well as in available field data, appears to be bubble bursting.