Comparison Between Computer Simulation of Transport and Diffusion of Cloud Seeding Material Within Stratiform Cloud and the NOAA-14 Satellite Cloud Track

A precipitation enhancement operation using an aircraft was conducted from 1415 to 1549 LST 14 March 2000 in Shaanxi Province. The NOAA-14 satellite data received at 1535 LST soon after the cloud seeding shows that a vivid cloud track appears on the satellite image. The length, average width and maximum width of the cloud track are 301 kin, 8.3 and 11 kin, respectively. Using a three-dimensional numerical model of transport and diffusion of seeding material within stratiform clouds, the spatial concentration distribution characteristics of seeding material at different times, especially at the satellite receiving time,are simulated. The model results at the satellite receiving time axe compared with the features of the cloud track. The transported position of the cloud seeding material coincides with the position of the track. The width, shape and extent of diffusion of the cloud seeding material are similar to that of the cloud track.The spatial variation of width is consistent with that of the track. The simulated length of each segment of the seeding line accords with the length of every segment of the track. Each segment of the cloud track corresponds to the transport and diffusion of each segment of the seeding line. These results suggest that the cloud track is the direct physical reflection of cloud seeding at the cloud top. The comparison demonstrates that the numerical model of transport and diffusion can simulate the main characteristics of transport and diffusion of seeding material, and the simulated results are sound and trustworthy. The area, volume, width, depth, and lateral diffusive rate corresponding to concentrations 1, 4, and 10 L^-1 are simulated in order to understand the variations of influencing range.     

Computer Identification of Multispectral Satellite Cloud Imagery

A dynamic clustering method based on multispectral satellite imagery to identify the different features is described. The channel combinations selected are for the different purposes in classification. Several cases are presented using the polar-orbiting satellite imageries.     

Effect of Merging of the Convective Cloud Clusters on Occurrence of Heavy Rainfall

Sun et al., (1983) have given some favourable environmental conditions and have shown that there are four common features in convective rainstorms. In this paper, an important process of evolution of cloud systems was revealed when heavy rainfall occurred based on the diagnostic analysis of heavy rainfall cases. When the different cloud systems merge into a large one, the mesoscale heavy rainfall occurs and enhances. In other words, the process of evolution of cloud systems emphasized in this paper is the process of interaction between two cloud systems when the heavy rainfall occurs. The favourable environmental condition is also investigated.     

Comparison of Satellite and Ship Observations for Total Cloud Amount

The data series of monthly clouldiness over global ocean from COADS was compared with that of from satellite Nimbus-7 during April 1979 to March 1985. The correspondence between them is good. Both the two methods of observation can provide useful information of the distribution of cloudiness and the two data sets can be mutually complementary.     

Some Physical Aspects of Summer Monsoon Clouds-Comparison of Cloud Model Results with Observations

The physical characteristics of the summer monsoon clouds were investigated. The results of a simple cloud model were compared with the aircraft cloud physical observations collected during the summer monsoon seasons of 1973, 1974, 1976 and 1981 in the Deccan Plateau region.The model predicted profiles of cloud liquid water content (LWC) are in agreement with the observed profiles. There is reasonable agreement between the model predicted cloud vertical thickness and observed rainfall.The observed cloud-drop spectra were found to be narrow and the concentration of drops with diameter > 20um is either low or absent on many occasions. In such clouds the rain-formation cannot take place under natural atmospheric conditions due to the absence of collision-coalescence process. A comparison of the model predicted and observed rainfall suggested that the precipitation efficiency in cumulus clouds of small vertical thickness could be as low as 20 per cent.The clouds forming in the Deccan Plateau region during t     

Verification and Correction of Cloud Base and Top Height Retrievals from Ka–band Cloud Radar in Boseong,Korea

In this study,cloud base height(CBH) and cloud top height(CTH) observed by the Ka-band(33.44 GHz) cloud radar at the Boseong National Center for Intensive Observation of Severe Weather during fall 2013(September-November) were verified and corrected.For comparative verification,CBH and CTH were obtained using a ceilometer(CL51) and the Communication,Ocean and Meteorological Satellite(COMS).During rainfall,the CBH and CTH observed by the cloud radar were lower than observed by the ceilometer and COMS because of signal attenuation due to raindrops,and this difference increased with rainfall intensity.During dry periods,however,the CBH and CTH observed by the cloud radar,ceilometer,and COMS were similar.Thin and low-density clouds were observed more effectively by the cloud radar compared with the ceilometer and COMS.In cases of rainfall or missing cloud radar data,the ceilometer and COMS data were proven effective in correcting or compensating the cloud radar data.These corrected cloud data were used to classify cloud types,which revealed that low clouds occurred most frequently.     

Meteorological Satellite TIROS-N TOVS Remote Sensing of Atmospheric Property and Cloud

In this paper, a new retrieval method, i.e., the Statistical-Physical Retrieval Method (STPRM) has been developed. It is a combination of both statistical and physical method. On this basis, a retrieval system of temperature-humidity profiles and cloud parameters has been developed. By use of the developed TOVS STPRM the distribution of atmospheric temperature, humidity and geopotential height on isobaric surface can be obtained. In comparison with the statistical method and physical method, the TOVS STPRM system not only has the advantage of convenience in use, quickness in data processing and accuracy in retrieval result, but also can display cloud evolution on screen.     

Study on Microwave Remote Sensing of Atmosphere,Cloud and Rain

In this paper, recent research of microwave remote sensing of atmosphere, cloud and rain in China is presented. It includes the following aspects:(1) Progress in the development of multifrequency radiometer and its characteristics and parameters;(2) Application of microwave remote sensing in prediction of atmospheric boundary layer. The atmospheric temperature profiles are derived with 5 mm (54.5 GHz) radiometer angle-scanning observations. Due to the fact that microwave radiometer could monitor the atmospheric temperature profile continuously and make the initialization of numerical model any time, it is helpful for improving the accuracy in prediction of the evolution of atmospheric boundary layer;(3) Theory and application of microwave radiometers in monitoring atmospheric temperature, humidity and water content in cloud. The field experiment of International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) at Shionomisaki and Amami Oshima of Japan for studies of cloud and weather has been described;(4) S     

Aircraft Measurements of Cloud–Aerosol Interaction over East Inner Mongolia

To investigate the potential effects of aerosols on the microphysical properties of warm clouds, airborne observational data collected from 2009 to 2011 in Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, China, were statistically analyzed in this study. The results demonstrated that the vertical distribution of the aerosol number concentration(N_a) was similar to that of the clean rural continent. The average aerosol effective diameter(D_e) was maintained at approximately 0.4 μm at all levels. The data obtained during cloud penetrations showed that there was a progressive increase in the cloud droplet concentration(N_c) and liquid water content(LWC) from outside to inside the clouds, while the Nawas negatively related to the Ncand LWC at the same height. The fluctuation of the N_a, Ncand LWC during cloud penetration was more obvious under polluted conditions(Type 1) than under clean conditions(Type 2). Moreover, the wet scavenging of cloud droplets had a significant impact on the accumulation mode of aerosols, especially on particles with diameters less than 0.4 μm. The minimum wet scavenging coefficient within the cloud was close to 0.02 under Type 1 conditions, while it increased to 0.1 under Type 2 conditions,which proved that the cloud wet scavenging effect under Type 1 conditions was stronger than that under Type 2 conditions.Additionally, cloud droplet spectra under Type 1 conditions were narrower, and their horizontal distributions were more homogeneous than those under Type 2 conditions.     

The Cloud Processes of a Simulated Moderate Snowfall Event in North China

The understanding of the cloud processes of snowfall is essential to the artificial enhancement of snow and the numerical simulation of snowfall. The mesoscale model MM5 is used to simulate a moderate snowfall event in North China that occurred during 20–21 December 2002. Thirteen experiments are performed to test the sensitivity of the simulation to the cloud physics with different cumulus parameterization schemes and different options for the Goddard cloud microphysics parameterization schemes. It is shown that the cumulus parameterization scheme has little to do with the simulation result. The results also show that there are only four classes of water substances, namely the cloud water, cloud ice, snow, and vapor, in the simulation of the moderate snowfall event. The analysis of the cloud microphysics budgets in the explicit experiment shows that the condensation of supersaturated vapor, the depositional growth of cloud ice, the initiation of cloud ice, the accretion of cloud ice by snow, the accretion of cloud water by snow, the deposition growth of snow, and the Bergeron process of cloud ice are the dominant cloud microphysical processes in the simulation. The accretion of cloud water by snow and the deposition growth of the snow are equally important in the development of the snow.     

Automatic Classification and Compression of GMS Cloud Imagery in Heavy Rainfall Monitoring Application

The Bayes Decision method (BD) has been implemented on GMS Stretched VISSR (S.VISSR) images. Several objects are identified. These are earth’s surface, stratiform, convective and cirrus clouds. Overlaid 6-hour surface rainfall observations show that the rain area on the ground matches with precipitable cloud area identified by BD method. Finally the data of classified image are compressed to about one-eighth amount by use of Line-Run-Cod-ing technique. It is helpful for data archive and remote transmission.     

Microphysical Effects of Cloud Seeding in Supercooled Stratiform Clouds Observed from NOAA Satellite

Based on the satellite retrieval methodology, the spectral characteristics and cloud microphysical properties were analyzed that included brightness temperatures of Channels 4 and 5, and their brightness temperature difference (BTD), the particle effective radius of seeded cloud track caused by an operational cloud seeding and the microphysical effects of cloud seeding were revealed by the comparisons of their differences inside and outside the seeded track. The cloud track was actually a cloud channel reaching 1.5-km deep and 14-km wide lasting for more than 80 min. The effective radius of ambient clouds was 10-15μm, while that within the cloud track ranged from 15 to 26μm. The ambient clouds were composed of supercooled droplets, and the composition of the cloud within the seeding track was ice. With respect to the rather stable reflectance of two ambient sides around the track, the visible spectral reflectance in the cloud track varied at least 10%, and reached a maximum of 35%, the reflectance of 3.7μm in the seeded track relatively decreased at least 10%. As cloud seeding advanced, the width and depth were gradually increased. Simultaneously the cloud top temperature within the track became progressively warmer with respect to the ambient clouds, and the maximum temperature differences reached 4.2 and 3.9℃at the first seeding position for Channels 4 and 5. In addition, the BTD in the track also increased steadily to a maximum of 1.4℃, compared with 0.2-0.4℃of the ambient clouds. The evidence that the seeded cloud became thinner comes from the visible image showing a channel, the warming of the cloud tops, and the increase of BTD in the seeded track. The seeded cloud became thinner mainly because the cloud top descended and it lost water to precipitation throughout its depth. For this cloud seeding case, the glaciation became apparent at cloud tops about 22 min after seeding. The formation of a cloud track in the supercooled stratiform clouds was mainly because that the seeded cloud volume glaciated into ice hydrometeors that precipitated and so lowered cloud top height. A thin line of new water clouds formed in the middle of the seeded track between 38 and 63 min after seeding, probably as a result of rising motion induced by the released latent heat of freezing. These clouds disappeared in the earlier segments of the seeded track, which suggested that the maturation of the seeding track was associated with its narrowing and eventual dissipation due to expansion of the tops of the ambient clouds from the sides inward.     

Classification of Hailstone Trajectories in a Hail Cloud over a Semi-Arid Region in China

The growth trajectory of hailstones in clouds determines the ground intensity and spatial distribution of hailfall. A systematic study of hail trajectories can help improve the current scientific understanding of the mechanisms by which hail forms in semi-arid regions of China and, in doing so, improve the quality of hail forecasts and warnings and help to prevent and mitigate disasters. In this study, the WRFv3.7.1 model was employed to provide the background field to drive the hailstone trajec...     

Cloud–aerosol coupled index in estimating the break phase of Indian summer monsoon

The Indian summer monsoon (ISM) is largely influenced by intra-seasonal variability like break and active phases of monsoon. In the present study, different cloud and aerosol parameters are considered and analyzed to formulate a cloud–aerosol coupled index (CACI) that can aid in forecasting the break phase of ISM. The method of principal component analysis is implemented to identify the significant cloud and aerosol parameters during break and active phases of ISM. The threshold ranges of each parameter are evaluated by using the normal probability density function. The result reveals that for break phase, the significant parameters are cloud water path (CWP), cloud optical depth, aerosol index, zonal wind (ZW), and meridional wind (MW) at 850 hPa pressure level whereas for active phase, the parameters found to be important are aerosol optical depth, CWP, ZW, and MW at 850 hPa pressure level. The significantly correlated (p?相似文献   

The Vertical Transport of Air Pollutants by Convective Clouds．Part Ⅲ：Transport Features of Different Cloud Systems

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Cloud Seeding Technique System for Precipitation Enhancement

TheprojectCloudSeedingTechniqueSystemforPrecipitationEnhancementwassupportedbytheStatePlanningCommitteeofChinaduringtheperiodofthe9thFive-YeaPlan.Aserialofresearches,includinglaboratorial,theoreticalandfieldexperiments,hasbeencarriedoutfrom1997to1999.Themainresultsareasfollows:1) Thetestresultsofartificialicenucleiina3literanda2in3cloudchambersarecompared,thecorrectedcoefficientsfor3-Lmixedcloudchamberhavebeenobtained.Theicenucleatingeffectivenessof37-mmantiaircraftgunshellscontainingAg…     

Comparative Analysis on MCC and Cloud Clusters of General Rainstorm during ＇0811＇ Rainstorm Process

利用T6391°×1°分析场、FY-2红外云图、红外辐射亮温（TBB）、闪电定位和气柱水汽总量等资料,对2010年8月11日发生在山西南部暴雨过程（即“0811”暴雨过程）中的中尺度对流复合体（MCC）和其北部的一般暴雨云团进行了对比分析,结果表明,（1）山西北部暴雨带主要由6个J8中尺度对流云团生成、发展及合并造成;山西南部区域性暴雨则由MCC的生成、发展、东移所引发。（2）山西北部的暴雨云团在850hPa暖切变线南部生成和发展,并在地面切变线附近合并;山西南部的MCC由3个β中尺度对流云团发生、发展及合并形成,该对流云团在700hPa次天气尺度切变线上触发生成;MCC发展、成熟阶段,α中尺度云团沿925hPa暖切变线东移;减弱阶段,随西太平洋副热带高压的南退而南压。（3）在西太平洋副热带高压西进北抬的背景下,同一次暴雨过程中,MCC发生在5880gpm边缘弱的斜压环境中,高层则出现在高压北侧的反气旋环流中;一般暴雨云团发生在5840gpm边缘较强的斜压环境中,高层则出现在急流人口区的右侧。（4）MCC作为大型的中尺度对流系统,不但对低层高温高湿能量的需求比一般暴雨云团更多,而且在垂直方向上,要求湿层、高能舌及暖温结构更深厚。（5）山西南部MCC影响区和5880gpm线边缘为负地闪覆盖区,正地闪主要出现在其北部一般暴雨云团影响区和5840gpm线附近。与MCC相比,一般暴雨云团影响下,局地闪电开始及闪电峰值的出现较降水的开始及降水峰值的出现有更多的提前量。（6）山西北部暴雨云团出现在气柱水汽总量梯度的大值区及水汽锋上;山西南部MCC则出现在水汽锋南侧气柱水汽总量的大值区。气柱水汽总量对“0811”暴雨过程有36h的提前量,对暴雨的落区有很好的指示意义。     

Recent Progress in Cloud Physics Research in China

A review of China cloud physics research during 2003-2006 is made in this paper. The studies on cloud field experiments and observation, cloud physics and precipitation, including its theoretical applications in hail suppression and artificial rain enhancement, cloud physics and lightning, and clouds and climate change are included. Due primarily to the demand from weather modification activities, the issue of cloud physics and weather modification has been addressed in China with many field experiments and model studies. While cloud physics and weather modification is still an important research field, the interaction between aerosol, cloud and radiation processes, which is the key issue of current climate change research, has become a new research direction in China over the past four years.     

Impact of Cloud Microphysical Processes on the Simulation of Typhoon Rananim near Shore.Part Ⅱ:Typhoon Intensity and Track

The impact of cloud microphysical processes on the simulated intensity and track of Typhoon Rananim is discussed and analyzed in the second part of this study.The results indicate that when the cooling effect due to evaporation of rain water is excluded,the simulated 36-h maximum surface wind speed of Typhoon Rananim is about 7 m s-1 greater than that from all other experiments; however,the typhoon landfall location has the biggest bias of about 150 km against the control experiment.The simulated strong outer rainbands and the vertical shear of the environmental flow are unfavorable for the deepening and maintenance of the typhoon and result in its intensity loss near the landfall.It is the cloud microphysical processes that strengthen and create the outer spiral rainbands,which then increase the local convergence away from the typhoon center and prevent more moisture and energy transport to the inner core of the typhoon.The developed outer rainbands are supposed to bring dry and cold air mass from the middle troposphere to the planetary boundary layer (PBL).The other branch of the cold airflow comes from the evaporation of rain water itself in the PBL while the droplets are falling.Thus,the cut-off of the warm and moist air to the inner core and the invasion of cold and dry air to the eyewall region are expected to bring about the intensity reduction of the modeled typhoon.Therefore,the deepening and maintenance of Typhoon Rananim during its landing are better simulated through the reduction of these two kinds of model errors.     

Numerical Simulation of Microphysics in Meso-β-Scale Convective Cloud System Associated with a Mesoscale Convective Complex

Numerical simulation of meso-β-scale convective cloud systems associated with a PRE-STORM MCC case has been carried out using a 2-D version of the CSU Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) nonhydrostatic model with parameterized microphysics. It is found that the predicted meso-γ-scale convective phenomena are basically unsteady under the situation of strong shear at low-levels, white the meso-β-scale convective system is maintained up to 3 hours or more. The meso-β-scale cloud system exhibits characteristics of a multi-celled convective storm in which the meso-γ-scale convective cells have lifetime of about 30 min. Pressure perturbation depicts a meso-low after a half hour in the low levels. As the cloud system evolves, the meso-low inten-sifies and extends to the upshear side and covers the entire domain in the mid-lower levels with the peak values of 5-8 hPa. Temperature perturbation depicts a warm region in the middle levels through the entire simulation period. The meso-γ-scale warm cores with peak values of 4-8oC are associated with strong convective cells. The cloud top evapo-ration causes a stronger cold layer around the cloud top levels.Simulation of microphysics exhibits that graupel is primarily concentrated in the strong convective cells forming the main source of convective rainfall after one hour of simulation time. Aggregates are mainly located in the stratiform region and decaying convective cells which produce the stratiform rainfall. Riming of the ice crystals is the predominant precipitation formation mechanism in the convection region, whereas aggregation of ice crystals is the predominant one in the stratiform region, which is consistent with observations. Sensitivity experiments of ice-phase microphysical processes show that the microphysical structures of the convective cloud system can be simulated better with the diagnosed aggregation collection efficiencies.