Deep Convective Cloud Top Altitudes at High Temporal and Spatial Resolution
Abstract We describe and validate a method of calculating convective cloud top altitudes and potential temperatures up to 50° latitude at high spatial (0.25°) and temporal (3 hr) resolution. The approach uses the statistics of the CloudSat cloud radar deep convective cloud classification product cou...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2022-11-01
|
| Series: | Earth and Space Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EA002475 |
| _version_ | 1811306603630034944 |
|---|---|
| author | L. Pfister R. Ueyama E. J. Jensen M. R. Schoeberl |
| author_facet | L. Pfister R. Ueyama E. J. Jensen M. R. Schoeberl |
| author_sort | L. Pfister |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract We describe and validate a method of calculating convective cloud top altitudes and potential temperatures up to 50° latitude at high spatial (0.25°) and temporal (3 hr) resolution. The approach uses the statistics of the CloudSat cloud radar deep convective cloud classification product coupled with nighttime CALIOP lidar measurements to effectively “calibrate” the high frequency, high resolution global rainfall and brightness temperature data that is used to derive convective cloud top altitudes. Thus, our product agrees well with the statistics of the CloudSat/CALIOP convective cloud tops, especially in the tropics and over oceanic regions. Agreement is reasonable, but not as good, for land‐based convection. The estimated uncertainty in cloud top altitudes in our product is 0.5–1.0 km over land areas, with smaller uncertainties over the oceans. The diurnal cycle of the new convection data set is in good agreement with precipitation radar convective climatology. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:47:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0de74a22685245d5b573d0943cb66540 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2333-5084 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:47:23Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Earth and Space Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-0de74a22685245d5b573d0943cb665402022-12-22T02:53:36ZengAmerican Geophysical Union (AGU)Earth and Space Science2333-50842022-11-01911n/an/a10.1029/2022EA002475Deep Convective Cloud Top Altitudes at High Temporal and Spatial ResolutionL. Pfister0R. Ueyama1E. J. Jensen2M. R. Schoeberl3Earth Sciences Division NASA Ames Research Center Mountain View CA USAEarth Sciences Division NASA Ames Research Center Mountain View CA USACooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences Boulder CO USAScience and Technology Corporation Columbia MD USAAbstract We describe and validate a method of calculating convective cloud top altitudes and potential temperatures up to 50° latitude at high spatial (0.25°) and temporal (3 hr) resolution. The approach uses the statistics of the CloudSat cloud radar deep convective cloud classification product coupled with nighttime CALIOP lidar measurements to effectively “calibrate” the high frequency, high resolution global rainfall and brightness temperature data that is used to derive convective cloud top altitudes. Thus, our product agrees well with the statistics of the CloudSat/CALIOP convective cloud tops, especially in the tropics and over oceanic regions. Agreement is reasonable, but not as good, for land‐based convection. The estimated uncertainty in cloud top altitudes in our product is 0.5–1.0 km over land areas, with smaller uncertainties over the oceans. The diurnal cycle of the new convection data set is in good agreement with precipitation radar convective climatology.https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EA002475cloud topsconvectionupper troposphere lower stratospheretropical tropopause layer |
| spellingShingle | L. Pfister R. Ueyama E. J. Jensen M. R. Schoeberl Deep Convective Cloud Top Altitudes at High Temporal and Spatial Resolution Earth and Space Science cloud tops convection upper troposphere lower stratosphere tropical tropopause layer |
| title | Deep Convective Cloud Top Altitudes at High Temporal and Spatial Resolution |
| title_full | Deep Convective Cloud Top Altitudes at High Temporal and Spatial Resolution |
| title_fullStr | Deep Convective Cloud Top Altitudes at High Temporal and Spatial Resolution |
| title_full_unstemmed | Deep Convective Cloud Top Altitudes at High Temporal and Spatial Resolution |
| title_short | Deep Convective Cloud Top Altitudes at High Temporal and Spatial Resolution |
| title_sort | deep convective cloud top altitudes at high temporal and spatial resolution |
| topic | cloud tops convection upper troposphere lower stratosphere tropical tropopause layer |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EA002475 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lpfister deepconvectivecloudtopaltitudesathightemporalandspatialresolution AT rueyama deepconvectivecloudtopaltitudesathightemporalandspatialresolution AT ejjensen deepconvectivecloudtopaltitudesathightemporalandspatialresolution AT mrschoeberl deepconvectivecloudtopaltitudesathightemporalandspatialresolution |