the vertical distribution of hydrometeors within isccp weather states derived from calipso-cloudsat...
DESCRIPTION
do similar TOA radiative signatures describe unique hydrometeor characteristics? The simple answer (Mace and Wrenn, 2013): Yes& No High Clouds Often (not always), the difference between cirrus and cirrostratus is due to reflective boundary layer clouds underneath thin cirrus.TRANSCRIPT
The vertical distribution of hydrometeors within ISCCP weather states derived from CALIPSO-CloudSat data
Jay Mace, Sally Benson, Forrest Wrenn
Do “weather states” or other regimes derived from ISCCP describe unique populations of hydrometeor types (defined geometrically)?
ISCCP and similar products (MODIS) uniquely constrain the TOA radiative signatures of clouds.
But, do similar TOA radiative signatures describe unique hydrometeor characteristics (or even unique radiative heating signatures)?
do similar TOA radiative signatures describe unique hydrometeor characteristics?
• Data used: RL Geoprof, ECMWF Aux
• Procedure: Create cloud properties (Mace, 2010), Run ICARUS to simulate ISCCP, Create cloud layer statistics within ISCCP Types
• Period and Region: 2007-2008, 40x40 degree regions
do similar TOA radiative signatures describe unique hydrometeor characteristics?
The simple answer (Mace and Wrenn, 2013): Yes & No
High Clouds
Often (not always), the difference between cirrus and cirrostratus is due to reflective boundary layer clouds underneath thin cirrus.
do similar TOA radiative signatures describe unique hydrometeor characteristics?
Middle Level Clouds
Middle level clouds are almost exclusively combinations of cirrus and boundary layer clouds
do similar TOA radiative signatures describe unique hydrometeor characteristics?
Low Level Clouds
East West
ISCCP Low clouds do indeed look like low level clouds
Do “weather states” or other regimes derived from ISCCP describe unique populations of hydrometeor types (defined geometrically)?
From Tselioudis et al., 2013
Wx State 1
0 3 6 9 12 km 0 3 6 9 12 km
Wx State 1
0 3 6 9 12 km 0 3 6 9 12 km
Wx State 1
0 3 6 9 12 km 0 3 6 9 12 km
Wx state 2
0 3 6 9 12 km 0 3 6 9 12 km
Wx state 2
0 3 6 9 12 km 0 3 6 9 12 km
Summary:
To the extent that TOA radiative signatures define unique hydrometeor states, then ISCCP types – either regime based or simple Ptop-τ – define unique hydrometeor states.
We find that TOA radiative characteristics are often decoupled from the heating profile and surface forcing.
Provocative Question: Given this decoupling which we see in the data, do we know to what degree ISCCP and MODIS uniquely constrain cloudy in-atmosphere heating and surface radiative forcing? Are they sufficient?
Type: Deep Convection
West East