Joint analysis of convective structure from the APR-2 precipitation radar and the DAWN Doppler wind lidar during the 2017 Convective Processes Experiment (CPEX)
<p>The mechanisms linking convection and cloud dynamical processes are major factors in much of the uncertainty in both weather and climate prediction. Further constraining the uncertainty in convective cloud processes linking 3-D air motion and cloud structure through models and observations...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
| Online Access: | https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/13/4521/2020/amt-13-4521-2020.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>The mechanisms linking convection and cloud dynamical
processes are major factors in much of the uncertainty in both weather and
climate prediction. Further constraining the uncertainty in convective cloud
processes linking 3-D air motion and cloud structure through models and
observations is vital for improvements in weather forecasting and
understanding limits on atmospheric predictability. To date, there have been
relatively few airborne observations specifically targeted for linking the
3-D air motion surrounding developing clouds to the subsequent development
(or nondevelopment) of convective precipitation. During the May–June 2017
Convective Processes Experiment (CPEX), NASA DC-8-based airborne
observations were collected from the JPL Ku- and Ka-band Airborne Precipitation
Radar (APR-2) and the 2 <span class="inline-formula">µ</span>m Doppler Aerosol Wind (DAWN) lidar during
approximately 100 h of flight. For CPEX, the APR-2 provided the vertical air
motion and structure of the cloud systems in nearby precipitating regions
where DAWN is unable to sense. Conversely, DAWN sampled vertical wind
profiles in aerosol-rich regions surrounding the convection but is unable
to sense the wind field structure within most clouds. In this paper,
the complementary nature of these data are presented from the 10–11 June
flight dates, including the APR-2 precipitation structure and Doppler wind
fields as well as adjacent wind profiles from the DAWN data.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 1867-1381 1867-8548 |