Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Life Cycle of Precipitating Cloud Systems from Synergistic Satellite Observations: Evolution of Macrophysical Properties and Precipitation Statistics from Geostationary Cloud Tracking and GPM Active and Passive Microwave Measurements

Clément Guilloteau aDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California

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https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8142-7740
and
Efi Foufoula-Georgiou aDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
bDepartment of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California

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Online Publication:
21 May 2024
Print Publication:
01 May 2024
Collections:
Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM): Science and Applications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-23-0185.1
Page(s):
789–805
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Abstract

Observations of clouds and precipitation in the microwave domain from the active dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR) and the passive Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI) onboard the GPM Core Observatory satellite are used in synergy with cloud tracking information derived from infrared imagery from the GOES-13 and Meteosat-7 geostationary satellites for analysis of the life cycle of precipitating cloud systems, in terms of temporal evolution of their macrophysical characteristics, in several oceanic and continental regions of the tropics. The life cycle of each one of the several hundred thousand cloud systems tracked during the 2-yr (2015–16) analysis period is divided into five equal-duration stages between initiation and dissipation. The average cloud size, precipitation intensity, precipitation top height, and convective and stratiform precipitating fractions are documented at each stage of the life cycle for different cloud categories (based upon lifetime duration). The average life cycle dynamics is found remarkably homogeneous across the different regions and is consistent with previous studies: systems peak in size around midlife; precipitation intensity and convective fraction tend to decrease continuously from the initiation stage to the dissipation. Over the three continental regions, Amazonia (AMZ), central Africa (CAF), and Sahel (SAH), at the early stages of clouds’ life cycle, precipitation estimates from the passive GMI instrument are systematically found to be 15%–40% lower than active radar estimates. By highlighting stage-dependent biases in state-of-the-art passive microwave precipitation estimates over land, we demonstrate the potential usefulness of cloud tracking information for improving retrievals and suggest new directions for the synergistic use of geostationary and low-Earth-orbiting satellite observations.

© 2024 American Meteorological Society. This published article is licensed under the terms of the default AMS reuse license. For information regarding reuse of this content and general copyright information, consult the AMS Copyright Policy (www.ametsoc.org/PUBSReuseLicenses).

Corresponding author: Clément Guilloteau, cguillot@uci.edu

Abstract

Observations of clouds and precipitation in the microwave domain from the active dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR) and the passive Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI) onboard the GPM Core Observatory satellite are used in synergy with cloud tracking information derived from infrared imagery from the GOES-13 and Meteosat-7 geostationary satellites for analysis of the life cycle of precipitating cloud systems, in terms of temporal evolution of their macrophysical characteristics, in several oceanic and continental regions of the tropics. The life cycle of each one of the several hundred thousand cloud systems tracked during the 2-yr (2015–16) analysis period is divided into five equal-duration stages between initiation and dissipation. The average cloud size, precipitation intensity, precipitation top height, and convective and stratiform precipitating fractions are documented at each stage of the life cycle for different cloud categories (based upon lifetime duration). The average life cycle dynamics is found remarkably homogeneous across the different regions and is consistent with previous studies: systems peak in size around midlife; precipitation intensity and convective fraction tend to decrease continuously from the initiation stage to the dissipation. Over the three continental regions, Amazonia (AMZ), central Africa (CAF), and Sahel (SAH), at the early stages of clouds’ life cycle, precipitation estimates from the passive GMI instrument are systematically found to be 15%–40% lower than active radar estimates. By highlighting stage-dependent biases in state-of-the-art passive microwave precipitation estimates over land, we demonstrate the potential usefulness of cloud tracking information for improving retrievals and suggest new directions for the synergistic use of geostationary and low-Earth-orbiting satellite observations.

© 2024 American Meteorological Society. This published article is licensed under the terms of the default AMS reuse license. For information regarding reuse of this content and general copyright information, consult the AMS Copyright Policy (www.ametsoc.org/PUBSReuseLicenses).

Corresponding author: Clément Guilloteau, cguillot@uci.edu
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