08/24/2009
A New Method for Simultaneous Estimation of Cloud and Rainfall Parameters
Summary
Scientists in DOE’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program developed a novel method that allows simultaneous and independent measurements of the amounts of ice and liquid in clouds as well as the water content of large rain drops. The results, based on radar measurements from the ARM Climate Research Facilities (ACRF), will provide a robust data set for understanding rain formation processes in clouds. This data can also be used to evaluate and improve cloud formulations used in climate models. The accuracy of climate model predictions depends on how well models replicate the partition between cloud water and rain, a process that controls heating and cooling of the atmosphere.
References
Matrosov, S.Y. (2009), A method to estimate vertically integrated amounts of cloud ice and liquid and mean rain rate in stratiform precipitation from radar and auxiliary data. J. Appl. Meteor. Clim., 48, 1398-1410.