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At least 55 records · Page 3

TRMM Observations of Polarization Difference in 85 GHz: Information About Hydrometeors and Rain Rate

Observations made by the Precipitation Radar (PR) and the Microwave Imager (TMI) radiometer on board the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite help us to show the significance of the 85 GHz polarization difference, PD85, measured by TMI. Rain type, convective or stratiform, deduced from the PR allows us to infer that PD85 is generally positive in stratiform rain clouds, while PD85 can be markedly negative in deep convective rain clouds. Furthermore, PD85 increases in a gross manner as stratiform rain rate increases. On the contrary, in a crude fashion PD85 decreases as convective rain rate increases. From the observations of TMI and PR, we find that PD85 is a weak indicator of rain rate. Utilizing information from existing polarimetric radar studies, we infer that negative values of PD85 are likely associated with vertically-oriented small oblate or wet hail that are found in deep convective updrafts.

Prabhakara, C.↗

Retrieval of Hydrometeor Drop Size Distributions from TRMM Field Campaign Profiler Doppler Velocity Spectra Observations

Consistent with the original proposal and work plan, this project focused on estimating the raindrop size distributions (DSDs) retrieved from vertically pointing Doppler radar profilers and analyzing the relationship of the retrieved DSDs with the dynamics of the precipitation processes. The first phase of this project focused on developing the model to retrieve the DSD from the observed Doppler velocity spectra. The second phase used this model to perform DSD retrievals from the profiler observations made during the TRMM Ground Validation Field Campaigns of TEFLUN-B, TRMM-LBA, and KWAJEX. The third phase of this project established collaborations with scientists involved with each field campaign in order to validate the profiler DSD estimates and to enable the profiler retrievals to be used in their research. Through these collaborations, the retrieved DSDs were placed into context with the dynamical processes of the observed precipitating cloud systems.

Williams, Christopher R.↗

Empirical Hydrometeor Type Identification from GMI Brightness Temperature Measurements

Brightness temperatures (TB) from GMI and related sensors contain information about the types and amounts of precipitation particles in a column. Approaches like GPROF or machine learning are good for providing precipitation estimates and other quantified information, but it can be difficult to understand why / how a given set of TBs traces to a given retrieval solution. Outlier TBs that are not well-represented in a training sample can lead to dubious solutions. Our goal is to use the scattering signatures at multiple frequencies to determine whether hail is present, or otherwise graupel, or otherwise snow, or otherwise liquid rain without a substantial precipitation ice component. (A hierarchical approach is employed, so a prediction of hail can include the presence of all other categories, but a prediction of snow implies a lack of graupel or hail, and a prediction of liquid rain implies a lack of any detectable precipitation ice.)

Daniel J. Cecil↗

Hydrometeor Identification from GMI Radiometer, Trained Using Polarimetric Radar

Brightness temperatures (TB) from GMI and related sensors contain information about the types and amounts of precipitation particles in a column. Approaches like GPROF or machine learning are good for providing precipitation estimates and other quantified information, but it can be difficult to understand why / how a given set of TBs traces to a given retrieval solution. Outlier TBs that are not well-represented in a training sample can lead to dubious solutions. Our goal is to use the scattering signatures at multiple frequencies to determine whether hail is present, or otherwise graupel, or otherwise snow, or otherwise liquid rain without a substantial precipitation ice component. (A hierarchical approach is employed, so a prediction of hail can include the presence of all other categories, but a prediction of snow implies a lack of graupel or hail, and a prediction of liquid rain implies a lack of any detectable precipitation ice.)

Daniel J. Cecil↗