Characteristics of Oceanic Warm Cloud Layers within Multilevel Cloud Systems Derived by Satellite Measurements
Low-level warm clouds are a major component in multilayered cloud systems and they are generally hidden from the top-down view of satellites with passive measurements. This study conducts an investigation on oceanic warm clouds embedded in multilayered structures by using spaceborne radar data with...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-08-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/10/8/465 |
| _version_ | 1818541736528445440 |
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| author | Yuhao Ding Qi Liu Ping Lao |
| author_facet | Yuhao Ding Qi Liu Ping Lao |
| author_sort | Yuhao Ding |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Low-level warm clouds are a major component in multilayered cloud systems and they are generally hidden from the top-down view of satellites with passive measurements. This study conducts an investigation on oceanic warm clouds embedded in multilayered structures by using spaceborne radar data with fine vertical resolution. The occurrences of warm cloud overlapping and the geometric features of several kinds of warm cloud layers are examined. It is found that there are three main types of cloud systems that involve warm cloud layers, including warm single layer clouds, cold-warm double layer clouds, and warm-warm double layer clouds. The two types of double layer clouds account for 23% and in the double layer occurrences warm-warm double layer subsets contribute about 13%. The global distribution patterns of these three types differ from each other. Single-layer warm clouds and the lower warm clouds in the cold-warm double layer system they have nearly identical geometric parameters, while the upper and lower layer warm clouds in the warm-warm double layer system are distinct from the previous two forms of warm cloud layers. In contrast to the independence of the two cloud layers in cold-warm double layer system, the two kinds of warm cloud layers in the warm-warm double layer system may be coupled. The distance between the two layers in the warm-warm double layer system is weakly dependent on cloud thickness. Given the upper and lower cloud layer with moderate thickness of around 1 km, the cloudless gap reaches its maximum when exceeding 600 m. The cloudless gap decreases in thickness as the two cloud layers become even thinner or thicker. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T22:13:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c89151cd6d6c4191b7a776cf16892dc6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T22:13:06Z |
| publishDate | 2019-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-c89151cd6d6c4191b7a776cf16892dc62022-12-22T00:48:43ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332019-08-0110846510.3390/atmos10080465atmos10080465Characteristics of Oceanic Warm Cloud Layers within Multilevel Cloud Systems Derived by Satellite MeasurementsYuhao Ding0Qi Liu1Ping Lao2School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, ChinaLow-level warm clouds are a major component in multilayered cloud systems and they are generally hidden from the top-down view of satellites with passive measurements. This study conducts an investigation on oceanic warm clouds embedded in multilayered structures by using spaceborne radar data with fine vertical resolution. The occurrences of warm cloud overlapping and the geometric features of several kinds of warm cloud layers are examined. It is found that there are three main types of cloud systems that involve warm cloud layers, including warm single layer clouds, cold-warm double layer clouds, and warm-warm double layer clouds. The two types of double layer clouds account for 23% and in the double layer occurrences warm-warm double layer subsets contribute about 13%. The global distribution patterns of these three types differ from each other. Single-layer warm clouds and the lower warm clouds in the cold-warm double layer system they have nearly identical geometric parameters, while the upper and lower layer warm clouds in the warm-warm double layer system are distinct from the previous two forms of warm cloud layers. In contrast to the independence of the two cloud layers in cold-warm double layer system, the two kinds of warm cloud layers in the warm-warm double layer system may be coupled. The distance between the two layers in the warm-warm double layer system is weakly dependent on cloud thickness. Given the upper and lower cloud layer with moderate thickness of around 1 km, the cloudless gap reaches its maximum when exceeding 600 m. The cloudless gap decreases in thickness as the two cloud layers become even thinner or thicker.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/10/8/465overlappingmultilayered cloudswarm cloudswarm-warm double layer cloudsgeometric features |
| spellingShingle | Yuhao Ding Qi Liu Ping Lao Characteristics of Oceanic Warm Cloud Layers within Multilevel Cloud Systems Derived by Satellite Measurements Atmosphere overlapping multilayered clouds warm clouds warm-warm double layer clouds geometric features |
| title | Characteristics of Oceanic Warm Cloud Layers within Multilevel Cloud Systems Derived by Satellite Measurements |
| title_full | Characteristics of Oceanic Warm Cloud Layers within Multilevel Cloud Systems Derived by Satellite Measurements |
| title_fullStr | Characteristics of Oceanic Warm Cloud Layers within Multilevel Cloud Systems Derived by Satellite Measurements |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characteristics of Oceanic Warm Cloud Layers within Multilevel Cloud Systems Derived by Satellite Measurements |
| title_short | Characteristics of Oceanic Warm Cloud Layers within Multilevel Cloud Systems Derived by Satellite Measurements |
| title_sort | characteristics of oceanic warm cloud layers within multilevel cloud systems derived by satellite measurements |
| topic | overlapping multilayered clouds warm clouds warm-warm double layer clouds geometric features |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/10/8/465 |
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