An economical optical cloud/fog detector

A new, relatively low cost instrument has been developed to detect the presence of fog or cloud for fog/cloud sampling applications. The instrument uses attenuation of an 880 nm light emitting diode signal to detect cloud/fog drops in the optical path between a sending and receiving arm. Laboratory and field testing under a variety of conditions and fog types were carried out to determine the ability of the optical fog detector (OFD) to accurately detect cloud/fog presence as well as to provide some measure of liquid water content. Results indicated that the OFD provided a reliable estimate of fog presence as well as a reasonable estimate of liquid water content (LWC) under several different conditions. The OFD does appear to have an interference from rain, resulting in an overestimation of LWC during rainfall. This may occasionally give a false positive indication of fog presence.     

Cloud radiative forcing of subtropical low level clouds in global models

Simulations of subtropical marine low clouds and their radiative properties by nine coupled ocean-atmosphere climate models participating in the fourth assesment report (AR4) of the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) are analyzed. Satellite observations of cloudiness and radiative fluxes at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) are utilized for comparison. The analysis is confined to the marine subtropics in an attempt to isolate low cloudiness from tropical convective systems. All analyzed models have a negative bias in the low cloud fraction (model mean bias of −15%). On the other hand, the models show an excess of cloud radiative cooling in the region (model mean excess of 13 W m⁻²). The latter bias is shown to mainly originate from too much shortwave reflection by the models clouds rather than biases in the clear-sky fluxes. These results confirm earlier studies, thus no major progress in simulating the marine subtropical clouds is noted. As a consequence of the combination of these two biases, this study suggests that all investigated models are likely to overestimate the radiative response to changes in low level subtropical cloudiness.     

A one-dimensional Explicit Time-dependent cloud Model (ETM): Description and validation with a three-dimensional cloud resolving model

An algorithm for a one-dimensional Explicit Time-dependent cloud Model (ETM) that takes into account non-hydrostatic pressure, entrainment, cloud microphysics, lateral and vertical eddy mixing processes is developed and tested against a state-of-the-art cloud resolving three dimensional mesoscale model—the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS). The numerical schemes and sub-grid scale processes are rather similar in both ETM and ARPS, although the dimensionality is different.Results show that the ETM is able to simulate the complete lifecycle for a cloud cell, featuring comparable zones of maximum vertical velocity, and overshooting layers on the cloud top. Heat and moisture fluxes within the cloud column of the ETM occur at the same level as ARPS, giving confidence towards adequate formulations in ETM. However, mass flux fields are not in good agreement; there is significant difference in intensity and the altitude where maxima occur. Sensitivity of the ARPS cloud to the amplitude and depth of the initial thermal bubble was examined; the resulting cloud showed sensitivity to both parameters. The maximum vertical velocity decreases with greater amplitude and occurs earlier. This was used as a tuning parameter to ensure similarity in the lifecycle of ETM and ARPS clouds.     

台风“云娜”在近海强度变化及结构特征的数值研究Ⅰ:云微物理参数化对云结构及降水特征的影响

首先对AREM模式模拟的台风基本结构和云结构进行验证,检验了模拟结果的可靠性.在此基础上,设计了5组试验来研究云微物理参数化方案对台风"云娜"云结构及降水特征的影响.试验设计主要突出冰相云微物理过程、云微物理特征引发的冷却效应以及霰下落速度的重要性.结果表明:云微物理参数化过程对云的发展和降水特征的影响更为显著.各试验的水凝物分布和强度不同,降水类型和强度存在较大差异,由此引起的云中热力结构也有较大区别;在所有试验方案中,24 h降水率最大差异为52.5 mm/h.云微物理过程对云和降水特征的具体影响表现在:(1)如果不考虑雨水蒸发冷却效应,此时台风内核上升运动强度最强(达到-19 Pa/s),雨水和霰粒子增长最明显,相对于对照试验增量分别为1.8和2.5 g/kg.(2)霰和雪的融化对于螺旋雨带中雨滴的增长十分重要,但他们可能不是云墙中雨水形成的主导因子.(3)不同方案的降水模拟特征也存在较大差别,采用暖云参数化后,降水区域最小,但其中对流降水比例最大(63.19%);霰落速减半后,降水区域最大,其中非对流降水比例也最大(51.15%).     

两种导风方法在台风路径分析中的 应用比较研究

基于云导风使用的最大相关法（已经广泛应用）和TCFM法（傅立叶相位分析法和最大相关法相结合）两方法的原理,开发了利用FY-2C静止气象卫星30min间隔卫星云图资料获得云迹风的可视化导风实验系统。利用该系统处理2005年夏季麦莎、卡努、龙王等3个台风期间的卫星云图,对得到的云迹风进行台风路径反演分析。结果表明,TCFM导风方法得到的结果优于最大相关法。     

基于ISCCP观测的云量全球分布及其在NCEP再分析场中的指示

国际卫星云气候计划(ISCCP)已经积累了20多年的持续云观测资料,提供了迄今为止最具权威的全球尺度云量信息,为全面认识全球尺度云气候特征提供了有利条件.利用长期稳定的ISCCP D2云量资料,文中系统地分析了全球尺度总云量以及高、中、低云云量的空间分布特征.结果表明,全球总云量均值为66.5(单位:%),其中洋面71.6.陆面55.9.全球云量分布极不均衡,且海陆差异显著,洋面局部云量最高可达90,而包括南极大陆在内的所有陆面区域多为云量低值中心.高云和低云全球分布形式存在明显差异,其中陆面以高云为主,洋面低云相对较多.低云集中分布于太平洋东南部和东北部的近海岸地区以及南半球洋面,热带辐合带、南太平洋辐合带等大尺度强对流活动区内高云数量占优势.特别,在气候平均态上分离低云和高云区,并结合对NCEP再分析资料所提供环流背景场的分析,研究发现两类云所对应的垂直和水平风场具有明显的差异.高云区从低空到对流层顶为一致的强下降运动,低云区的中高层被上升气流所控制但近地面一般存在弱的上升运动.反映在水平辐散场上,两类云对应的辐散度在垂直方向上变化趋势相反,其中低云对应的典型背景场为低层辐散高空辐合.进一步考虑水汽因素,600与850 hPa水汽通量散度差对低云(负差异)和高云(正差异)的云量空间分布有较好的指示意义.     

“09．11”山西罕见大暴雪天气过程分析

2009年11月9日-12日,山西出现了有气象记录以来最强的一次大暴雪天气过程,全省大部分地区降雪量在10mm～66mm之间,其中有86个县市出现历史同期最大值,39个县超过历史极值．本文利用高空、地面和卫星云图资料,对此次过程进行了综合分析,结果表明：高空强盛的西南气流和低层东北气流以及地面回流为暴雪过程提供了有利的流场配置,500hPa同位相槽和700hPa切变线是主要影响系统,低空急流的持续及水汽的辐合为这次暴雪提供了充足的水汽,卫星云图上云顶亮温最低区与强降雪落区有着很好的对应关系。     

基于局部阈值插值的地基云自动检测方法

地基云自动化观测是当前气象业务发展的迫切需求.目前的地基云检测算法仍主要是以阈值为基础,针对固定阈值和全局阈值算法在云检测精度方面存在的不足,利用晴朗天空下天空呈蓝色、云呈白色的属件,提出了一种基于局部阈值插值的地基云自动检测方法.该方法在对云图进行重采样后,对云图蓝、红波段进行归一化差值处理,再将处理后的结果图像按空间像素位置自动分成互不重叠、大小相等的均匀子块,对每一子区域采用一定的规则并结合改进的最大类间方差自适应阈值算法计算局部阈值,然后对每一子区域形成的阈值矩阵采用双线性插值算法进行插值处理,形成与原始云图大小相等的阈值曲面,利用此阈值曲面与云图蓝、红波段归一化差值处理结果进行比较,即可完成地基云的自动检测.与固定阈值和全局阈值算法相比,局部阈值插值算法对一些细碎的云和与背景反差不大的云获得了更好的检测效果.定量的评估结果表明,固定阈值方法在正确率和精确度上都要远远低于全局阈值和局部阈值方法,而文中提出的局部阈值算法在正确率和精确度上相比全局阈值算法又有较大提高.     

利用扫描式红外亮温仪对天空云量的试验观测

利用中国科学院大气物理研究所中层大气与全球环境探测实验室自主开发研制的全自动扫描式天空红外亮温仪,于2007年4-8月在北京市气象局南郊观象台进行了试验观测.利用获得的天空红外亮温数据和南郊观象台(54511站)实时地面气象数据,进行了天空云量的计算.将整点前30 min内观测的云量的平均值作为与观象台观测对应的整点观测云量,分不同情况与观象台目视观测结果进行了对比分析.结果表明:(1)对于中低云,两种观测的云量比较一致,但如果在此期间云消散或增加很快,则差别较大.其主要原因是观测的时间和方式不同所造成的.(2)对于以卷云为主的天空情况,特别是高层薄卷云的情况,两种观测的云量差别较大.原因是受到目前试验所使用的红外传感器低温测量范围的限制(-50℃),以及判定云的阈值算法目前还只对于中低云比较适用,对于卷云的判断能力比较薄弱.(3)对于天空情况比较复杂,以及能见度不好的情况(气象站目视云量记录为10-),两种观测的云量差别也很大.其差别既受到仪器性能的影响,也与观测员视力与经验有关.仪器受到最低测量温度的限制,反演算法也有其不确定性,而观测员在低能见度时的观测局限性亦是一个重要原因.利用SIRIS-1进行云量和云底高度观测的优点是时间分辨率高,且全天时自动化,但对于卷云的判断还较薄弱.     

Impacts of aerosol chemical composition on microphysics and precipitation in deep convection

Aerosols affect precipitation by modifying cloud properties such as cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC). Aerosol effects on CDNC depend on aerosol properties such as number concentration, size spectrum, and chemical composition. This study focuses on the effects of aerosol chemical composition on CDNC and, thereby, precipitation in a mesoscale cloud ensemble (MCE) driven by deep convective clouds. The MCE was observed during the 1997 department of energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) summer experiment. Double-moment microphysics with explicit nucleation parameterization, able to take into account those three properties of aerosols, is used to investigate the effects of aerosol chemical composition on CDNC and precipitation. The effects of aerosol chemical compositions are investigated for both soluble and insoluble substances in aerosol particles. The effects of soluble substances are examined by varying mass fractions of two representative soluble components of aerosols in the continental air mass: sulfate and organics. The increase in organics with decreasing sulfate lowers critical supersaturation (S_c) and leads to higher CDNC. Higher CDNC results in smaller autoconversion of cloud liquid to rain. This provides more abundant cloud liquid as a source of evaporative cooling, leading to more intense downdrafts, low-level convergence, and updrafts. The resultant stronger updrafts produce more condensation and thus precipitation, as compared to the case of 100% sulfate aerosols. The conventional assumption of sulfate aerosol as a surrogate for the whole aerosol mass can be inapplicable for the case with the strong sources of organics. The less precipitation is simulated when an insoluble substance replaces organics as compared to when it replaces sulfate. When the effects of organics on the surface tension of droplet and solution term in the Köhler curve are deactivated by the insoluble substance, S_c is raised more than when the effects of sulfate on the solution term are deactivated by the insoluble substance. This leads to lower CDNC and, thus, larger autoconversion of cloud liquid to rain, providing less abundant cloud liquid as a source of evaporative cooling. The resultant less evaporative cooling produces less intense downdrafts, weaker low-level convergence, updrafts, condensation and, thereby, less precipitation in the case where organics is replaced by the insoluble substance than in the case where sulfate is replaced by the insoluble substance. The variation of precipitation caused by the change in the mass fraction between the soluble and insoluble substances is larger than that caused by the change in the mass fraction between the soluble substances.