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NASA NTRS2016

Comparison of Mesospheric Winds From a High-Altitude Meteorological Analysis System and Meteor Radar Observations During the Boreal Winters of 2009-2010 and 2012-2013

We present a study of horizontal winds in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) during the boreal winters of 2009-2010 and 2012-2013 produced with a new high-altitude numerical weather prediction (NWP) system. This system is based on a modified version of the Navy Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM) with an extended vertical domain up to approximately 116 km altitude coupled with a hybrid four-dimensional variational (4DVAR) data assimilation system that assimilates both standard operational meteorological observations in the troposphere and satellite-based observations of temperature, ozone and water vapor in the stratosphere and mesosphere. NAVGEM-based MLT analyzed winds are validated using independent meteor radar wind observations from nine different sites ranging from 69 deg N-67 deg S latitude. Time-averaged NAVGEM zonal and meridional wind profiles between 75 and 95 km altitude show good qualitative and quantitative agreement with corresponding meteor radar wind profiles. Wavelet analysis finds that the 3-hourly NAVGEM and 1-hourly radar winds both exhibit semi-diurnal, diurnal, and quasi-diurnal variations whose vertical profiles of amplitude and phase are also in good agreement. Wavelet analysis also reveals common time-frequency behavior in both NAVGEM and radar winds throughout the Northern extra tropics around the times of major stratospheric sudden warmings (SSWs) in January 2010 and January 2013, with a reduction in semi-diurnal amplitudes beginning around the time of a mesospheric wind reversal at 60 deg N that precedes the SSW, followed by an amplification of semi-diurnal amplitudes that peaks 10-14 days following the onset of the mesospheric wind reversal. The initial results presented in this study demonstrate that the wind analyses produced by the high altitude NAVGEM system accurately capture key features in the observed MLT winds during these two boreal winter periods.

McCormack, J.↗

NASA NTRS1970

Radar observations of land breeze fronts at Wallops Island, Virginia

Land breeze fronts observed by X and S band radars at Wallops Island

Meyer, J. H.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Radar Observations of Near-Earth Asteroids 2000 UG11 and 2000 UK11

Two small near-Earth asteroids, 2000 UG11 and 2000 UK11 were observed using the Arecibo and Goldstone radars a week after their discovery. 2000 UK11 is a rapidly rotating (3 min) approximately 30 m solid body. 2000 UG11 is two bodies separated by at least 300 m Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract..

Nolan, M. C.↗

NASA NTRS1985

The 50-MHz meteor radar observation at Syowa Station, Antarctica

The 50-MHz Doppler radar installed at Syowa Station (69 deg 00'S, 39 deg 35'E), Antarctica, in 1982 can detect continuously a meteor echo if an operator assigns the meteor mode operation to the radar. The radar has two narrow antenna beams (4 deg in the horizontal plane), one toward geomagnetic south and the other toward approximately geographic south, with a crossing angle of about 33 deg. The minicomputer annexed to the radar controls the transmission and reception of a 50-MHz wave. If the receiver detects a meteor echo, the flag signal is sent to the computer. Then the computer begins to determine the echo range with a time resolution of 1 micro s and to sample every 200 microns/s for 1 s the Doppler signal and echo intensity at the particular range (R). The line-of-sight velocity (V sub D) of the echo trail is calculated from the output from the Doppler signal detection circuit having an offset frequency by using the so-called zero-crossing method. The echo amplitude decay time calculated by a least-mean square method is used to obtain the ambipolar diffusion coefficient (D) and then to calculate the echo height (H). About 120 day observations were made during 1982-1983. Some early results are presented. magnetic tapes together with V sub D, D, H and R for later analysis in Japan. About 120 day observation were made during 1982-1983. Some early results are presented.

Tanaka, T.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Synthetic aperture radar observation of ocean roughness from rolls in an unstable marine boundary layer

Simultaneous synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and cloud photographic observations of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida were made from a high-altitude aircraft when there was an unstable marine boundary layer. The synthetic aperture radar images show unusual kilometer-sized features on the ocean surface which are related to clouds. The ocean near shore was cloud-free and had no radar features, while from 30 to 330 km offshore there were clouds and prominent kilometer-sized features in the SAR image. These radar features are most prominent when the radar was looking upwind, are less prominent when the radar was looking downwind, and disappear entirely when the radar was looking crosswind. Since ocean radar echo strengths are believed to be controlled primarily by ocean waves satisfying the Bragg relation, these radar features most likely resulted from local enhancements of short gravity waves with 17- to 34-cm wavelengths, which in turn are surface expressions of roll convections in a kilometer-thick unstable marine boundary layer.

Thompson, T. W.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Combining Satellite Microwave Radiometer and Radar Observations to Estimate Atmospheric Latent Heating Profiles

In this study, satellite passive microwave sensor observations from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) are utilized to make estimates of latent + eddy sensible heating rates (Q1-QR) in regions of precipitation. The TMI heating algorithm (TRAIN) is calibrated, or "trained" using relatively accurate estimates of heating based upon spaceborne Precipitation Radar (PR) observations collocated with the TMI observations over a one-month period. The heating estimation technique is based upon a previously described Bayesian methodology, but with improvements in supporting cloud-resolving model simulations, an adjustment of precipitation echo tops to compensate for model biases, and a separate scaling of convective and stratiform heating components that leads to an approximate balance between estimated vertically-integrated condensation and surface precipitation. Estimates of Q1-QR from TMI compare favorably with the PR training estimates and show only modest sensitivity to the cloud-resolving model simulations of heating used to construct the training data. Moreover, the net condensation in the corresponding annual mean satellite latent heating profile is within a few percent of the annual mean surface precipitation rate over the tropical and subtropical oceans where the algorithm is applied. Comparisons of Q1 produced by combining TMI Q1-QR with independently derived estimates of QR show reasonable agreement with rawinsonde-based analyses of Q1 from two field campaigns, although the satellite estimates exhibit heating profile structure with sharper and more intense heating peaks than the rawinsonde estimates. 2

Grecu, Mircea↗

NASA NTRS1993

Low-power millimeter-wave radar observations of the atmosphere

Historically, cloud structures, dynamics, and precipitation processes have been observed and measured with sensors from two different spatial resolutions. Laser-based sensors have volume resolutions on the order of 10(exp -4) to 10(exp -2) cubic meters for a 1-s sample. Radar systems operating at wavelengths between 1 and 10 cm have resolutions on the order of 10(exp 4) to 10(exp 7) cubic meters. The resolutions of micro-wave systems depend primarily on the system RF bandwidth and antenna bandwidth. Both resolution regimes were useful in the study of cloud structures and processes - the former for determining resolution on the individual cloud particle scale and the latter for studying the coarse characteristics of cloud dynamics and structure. There are, however, cloud processes and structures that occur on scales that lie between these two regimes: the process of entrainment, where outside air is brought within the cloud boundaries; the mixing of in-cloud particles with different histories; cloud particle coalescence; and ice formation. The use of mm-wave (30- to 300-GHz) radars offers an opportunity to observe cloud processes at these scales and determine their influence on precipitation development, cloud albedos, cloud lifetimes, chemical cycling of tract substances, aircraft icing, and other meteorological phenomena. To determine the usefulness of a 35-GHz radar for observing these precipitation and cloud processes, a research program was initiated. The objectives of this program are to develop a 35-GHz radar, to measure scattering from precipitation and clouds, and to develop a model to compute scattering from clouds using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique.

Ronnau, James F.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Kyoto Meteor Radar Observation in November, 1981 and May, 1982

The Kyoto meteor radar a pulsed Doppler radar and operates at 31.57 MHz ith peak power of 10 kW. An interferometer is adopted for arrival angle measurement. Height resolution is approximately 1 to 3 km depending on both azimuth and elevation angles. Data is analyzed according to an algorithm approved by GROVES. All data in height range 84 to 104 km are separated into five layers, whose altitude width is 4 km. In each layer, least square fitting is performed for ten parameters, which are amplitudes of northward/eastward mean wind and sin/cos component of diurnal/semidiurnal tide. Reliable range for each parameter is also calculated.

Tsuda, T.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Radar observations of basaltic lava flows, Craters of the Moon, Idaho

Radar images of Craters of the Moon, Idaho were used to study the backscatter characteristics of basaltic lava flows of predominantly pahoehoe textures and to determine the ability to detct fissure vents. Four images were obtained: X-band HH, X-band HV, L-band HH, and L-band HV. Hummocky pahoehoe flows were found to have strong backscatter in all four of these images. Aa lava flows showed the greatest variation in backscatter intensities, due to an increase in multiple scattering at the L-band scale. Eruptive fissures are detectable in the radar images by virtue of associated parallel spatter ramparts which have diagnostic, strong backscatter in the X-band images that are in contrast to the weak backscatter of the surrounding shelly pahoehoe lava. The importance of look direction in the use of radar images to characterize terrains is emphasized.

Greeley, Ronald↗

NASA NTRS1989

Radar observations of asteroid 1986 JK

The asteroid 1986 JK was observed with a 3.5 cm-wavelength radar in May and June, 1986, at less than 0.029 AU; its radar echo power circular polarization ratio indicates single backscattering from smooth surface elements. A working model constructed for the asteroid in light of these radar data postulates a 1-2 km object whose shape has little elongation and some polar flattening. Orbital and physical characteristics are rather cometlike. The radar astrometric data obtained are noted to be extremely powerful for orbit-improvement, so that a search ephemeris whose uncertainty is an order-of-magnitude smaller than that based on relevant optical data alone can be prepared by combining optical and radar data.

Ostro, S. J.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Icarus Revisted: Three Decades of Radar Observations of Asteroids

Three decades after the close encounter of 1566 Icarus, which marked the beginning of asteroid radar astronomy, we had a chance to observe the asteroid afresh by using a more developed radar system, and here we present the results of the study.

Icarus asteroid radar astronomy radar cross sectio↗

NASA NTRS2014

Assimilation of Dual-Polarimetric Radar Observations with WRF GSI

Dual-polarimetric (dual-pol) radar typically transmits both horizontally and vertically polarized radio wave pulses. From the two different reflected power returns, more accurate estimate of liquid and solid cloud and precipitation can be provided. The upgrade of the traditional NWS WSR-88D radar to include dual-pol capabilities will soon be completed for the entire NEXRAD network. Therefore, the use of dual-pol radar network will have a broad impact in both research and operational communities. The assimilation of dual-pol radar data is especially challenging as few guidelines have been provided by previous research. It is our goal to examine how to best use dual-pol radar data to improve forecast of severe storm and forecast initialization. In recent years, the Development Testbed Center (DTC) has released the community Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) DA system for the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The community GSI system runs in independently environment, yet works functionally equivalent to operational centers. With collaboration with the NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center, this study explores regional assimilation of the dual-pol radar variables from the WSR-88D radars for real case storms. Our presentation will highlight our recent effort on incorporating the horizontal reflectivity (ZH), differential reflectivity (ZDR), specific differential phase (KDP), and radial velocity (VR) data for initializing convective storms, with a significant focus being on an improved representation of hydrometeor fields. In addition, discussion will be provided on the development of enhanced assimilation procedures in the GSI system with respect to dual-pol variables. Beyond the dual-pol variable assimilation procedure developing within a GSI framework, highresolution (≤1 km) WRF model simulations and storm scale data assimilation experiments will be examined, emphasizing both model initialization and short-term forecast of precipitation fields and processes. Further details of the methodology of data assimilation, the impact of different dual-pol variables, the influence on precipitation forecast will be presented at the conference.

Li, Xuanli↗

NASA NTRS2014

Assimilation of Dual-Polarimetric Radar Observations with WRF GSI

Li, Xuanli↗

NASA NTRS2021

An Evaluation of Size-Resolved Cloud Microphysics Scheme Numerics for use with Radar Observations Part II: Condensation and Evaporation

Accurate numerical modeling of clouds and precipitation is essential for weather forecasting and climate change research. While size-resolved (bin) cloud microphysics models predict particle size distributions without imposing shapes, results are subject to artificial size distribution broadening owing to numerical diffusion associated with various processes. Whereas Part 1 addressed collision-coalescence, here we investigate numerical diffusion that occurs in solving condensation and evaporation. In a parcel model framework, all of the numerical schemes examined converge to one solution of condensation and evaporation as the mass grid is refined, and the advection-based schemes are recommended over the reassigning schemes. Including Eulerian vertical advection in a column limits the convergence to some extent, but that limitation occurs at a sufficiently fine mass grid, and the number of iterations in solving vertical advection should be minimized to reduce numerical diffusion. Insubstantial numerical diffusion in solving condensation can be amplified if collision-coalescence is also active, which in turn can be substantially diminished if turbulence effects on collision are incorporated. Large-eddy simulations of a drizzling stratocumulus field reveal that changes in moments of Doppler spectra obtained using different mass grids are consistent with those obtained from the simplified framework, and that spectral moments obtained using a mass grid designed to effectively reduce numerical diffusion are generally closer to observations. Notable differences between the simulations and observations still exist, and our results suggest a need to consider whether factors other than numerical diffusion in the fundamental process schemes employed can cause such differences.

Cloud microphysics↗

NASA NTRS1981

Spaceborne radar observation of the earth surface

Seasat SAR images are being analyzed to determine the potential of spaceborne radars for earth resources and ocean surface observation. Examples are presented for a variety of applications in structural mapping, lithological classification, soil moisture detection, polar ice motion monitoring and ocean features observation. These examples are briefly discussed with emphasis on the future research needed to further the capability of radar sensors, by themselves or in combination with other sensors. A brief discussion is then given on the spaceborne sensors which are required and planned to meet these needs.

Elachi, C.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Polarimetric and Multi-Doppler Radar Observations of Electrified and Unelectrified Wildfire Smoke Plumes

Pyrocumulus clouds above three Colorado wildfires (Hewlett Gulch, High Park, and Waldo Canyon; all occurred during summer 2012) electrified and produced small intracloud discharges whenever the smoke plumes grew to high altitudes (over 10 km above mean sea level, or MSL). This occurred during periods of rapid wildfire growth, as indicated by the shortwave infrared channel on a geostationary satellite, as well as by incident reports. In the Hewlett Gulch case, the fire growth led to increased updrafts within the plume, as inferred by multiple‐ Doppler radar syntheses, which led to the vertical development and subsequent electrification ‐ a life cycle as short as 30 minutes. The lightning, detected by a threedimensional lightning mapping network, was favored in high‐altitude regions (~10 km MSL) containing modest reflectivities (25 dBZ and lower), ~0 dB differential reflectivity, and reduced correlation coefficient (~0.6‐0.7). This indicated the likely presence of ice particles (crystals and aggregates, possibly rimed) mixed with ash. Though neither multiple‐Doppler nor polarimetric observations were available during the electrification of the High Park and Waldo Canyon plumes, their NEXRAD observations showed reflectivity structures consistent with Hewlett Gulch. In addition, polarimetric and multiple‐Doppler scanning of unelectrified High Park plumes indicated only irregularly shaped ash, and not ice, was present (i.e., reflectivities < 25 dBZ, differential reflectivity > 5 dB, correlation < 0.4), and there was no broaching of the 10 km altitude. Based on these results, the electrification likely was caused by ice‐based processes that did not involve significant amounts of graupel. The results demonstrate the scientific value of multiple‐Doppler and polarimetric radar observations of wildfire smoke plumes ‐ including the ability to distinguish between regions of pure hydrometeors, regions of pure ash, and mixtures of both ‐ and also suggest a possible new application for lightning data in monitoring wildfires.

Lang, Timothy J.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Surface contour radar observations of the directional wave spectrum during Fasinex

The surface control radar (SCR), a 36-GHz computer-controlled airborne radar which generates a false-color coded elevation map of the sea surface below the aircraft in real time, is described. The SCR turned out to be ideal for documenting the wave spectra during Fasinex (the Frontal Air-Sea Interaction Experiment) due to its high spatial resolution and rapid mapping capability over extensive areas. Synoptic weather maps for February 15-18, 1986 are presented.

Walsh, E. J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Experimental measurement and theoretical modeling of microwave scattering and the structure of the sea surface influencing radar observations from space

The electromagnetic bias is an error present in radar altimetry of the ocean due to the non-uniform reflection from wave troughs and crests. A study of the electromagnetic bias became necessary to permit error reduction in mean sea level measurements of satellite radar altimeters. Satellite radar altimeters have been used to find the upper and lower bounds for the electromagnetic bias. This report will present a theory using physical optics scattering and an empirical model of the short wave modulation to predict the electromagnetic bias. The predicted electromagnetic bias will be compared to measurements at C and Ku bands.

Arnold, David↗