Search Results
You are looking at 1 - 10 of 18 items for
- Author or Editor: Manfred Wendisch x
- Refine by Access: All Content x
Abstract
Tethered balloon–borne measurements with a resolution in the order of 10 cm in a cloudy boundary layer are presented. Two examples sampled under different conditions concerning the clouds' stage of life are discussed. The hypothesis tested here is that basic ideas of classical turbulence theory in boundary layer clouds are valid even to the decimeter scale. Power spectral densities S( f ) of air temperature, liquid water content, and wind velocity components show an inertial subrange behavior down to ≈20 cm. The mean energy dissipation rates 
Abstract
Tethered balloon–borne measurements with a resolution in the order of 10 cm in a cloudy boundary layer are presented. Two examples sampled under different conditions concerning the clouds' stage of life are discussed. The hypothesis tested here is that basic ideas of classical turbulence theory in boundary layer clouds are valid even to the decimeter scale. Power spectral densities S( f ) of air temperature, liquid water content, and wind velocity components show an inertial subrange behavior down to ≈20 cm. The mean energy dissipation rates
Abstract
A modified version of the Fast-FSSP (the so-called M-Fast-FSSP) is introduced. It allows minimization of the instrumental broadening of measured cloud drop size distributions caused by laser beam inhomogeneities. This is achieved by applying a new technique based on a postexperiment stepwise reduction of the probe's sampling volume. For monodisperse glass bead samples it is shown that the width of the measured size distribution is considerably reduced when applying this technique, especially for large glass bead diameters. The instrumental broadening may exceed a factor of about 4 for a mean glass bead diameter of 30 μm. The M-Fast-FSSP was applied in two cloud measurement campaigns. For two specific cloud cases, the profile of the width of the measured drop size distribution changes significantly when applying the method.
Abstract
A modified version of the Fast-FSSP (the so-called M-Fast-FSSP) is introduced. It allows minimization of the instrumental broadening of measured cloud drop size distributions caused by laser beam inhomogeneities. This is achieved by applying a new technique based on a postexperiment stepwise reduction of the probe's sampling volume. For monodisperse glass bead samples it is shown that the width of the measured size distribution is considerably reduced when applying this technique, especially for large glass bead diameters. The instrumental broadening may exceed a factor of about 4 for a mean glass bead diameter of 30 μm. The M-Fast-FSSP was applied in two cloud measurement campaigns. For two specific cloud cases, the profile of the width of the measured drop size distribution changes significantly when applying the method.
Abstract
An airborne albedometer including a low-cost, precise, and fast sensor head horizontal stabilization system was developed to measure spectral down- and upward irradiances between 400- and 1000-nm wavelength. It is installed on a small research aircraft (type Partenavia P68-B), but it can easily be mounted on other aircraft as well. The stabilization unit keeps the two radiation sensor heads (up- and downward looking) of the albedometer in a horizontal position during the flight with an accuracy of better than ±0.2° over a range of pitch and roll angles of ±6°. The system works properly for angular velocities up to 3° s-1 with a response time of the horizontal adjustment of 43 ms. Thus it can be applied even under turbulent atmospheric conditions. The limitations of the stabilization have been determined by laboratory and in-flight performance tests. As a result it is found that the new horizontal stabilization system ensures that misalignment-related uncertainties of the measured irradiances are less than 1% for solar zenith angles up to 70°. This does not include uncertainties due to deviations from the ideal cosine response of the optical inlet system and measurement errors resulting from absolute calibration problems. An example of downward spectral irradiances measured under cloudless conditions above and within a distinct boundary layer with enhanced aerosol particle concentrations shows the potential of the new instrument for improved radiative budget measurements in the atmosphere.
Abstract
An airborne albedometer including a low-cost, precise, and fast sensor head horizontal stabilization system was developed to measure spectral down- and upward irradiances between 400- and 1000-nm wavelength. It is installed on a small research aircraft (type Partenavia P68-B), but it can easily be mounted on other aircraft as well. The stabilization unit keeps the two radiation sensor heads (up- and downward looking) of the albedometer in a horizontal position during the flight with an accuracy of better than ±0.2° over a range of pitch and roll angles of ±6°. The system works properly for angular velocities up to 3° s-1 with a response time of the horizontal adjustment of 43 ms. Thus it can be applied even under turbulent atmospheric conditions. The limitations of the stabilization have been determined by laboratory and in-flight performance tests. As a result it is found that the new horizontal stabilization system ensures that misalignment-related uncertainties of the measured irradiances are less than 1% for solar zenith angles up to 70°. This does not include uncertainties due to deviations from the ideal cosine response of the optical inlet system and measurement errors resulting from absolute calibration problems. An example of downward spectral irradiances measured under cloudless conditions above and within a distinct boundary layer with enhanced aerosol particle concentrations shows the potential of the new instrument for improved radiative budget measurements in the atmosphere.
Abstract
A new spectroradiometer for spectral measurements of ultraviolet (UV) atmospheric radiation (290–400 nm) using a charge coupled device (CCD) as a detector is introduced. The instrument development is motivated by the need for measurements with (a) high accuracy in the UV-B spectral range (290–315 nm) for photochemistry applications and (b) high temporal resolution in quickly changing atmospheric conditions such as partial cloud cover. The new CCD instrument is mainly intended for airborne use. It allows fast data collection (<300 ms time resolution for each spectrum) with improved sensitivity in the UV spectral range. The instrumental setup and its characterization in terms of stray light, dark current, noise, and detection limits are described and compared to a spectroradiometer with a photodiode array (PDA) detector. The new CCD spectroradiometer has a one order of magnitude greater sensitivity than the PDA-based spectroradiometer. However, the stray light of the CCD instrument is wavelength dependent, which requires a more complicated data evaluation procedure than the PDA instrument. Comparison with other UV spectroradiometers (a PDA spectroradiometer and two ground-based double monochromators) shows the advantages of the CCD system for UV-B measurements of actinic flux densities and photolysis frequencies of ozone and nitrogen dioxide, and the improved performance compared to PDA spectroradiometers.
Abstract
A new spectroradiometer for spectral measurements of ultraviolet (UV) atmospheric radiation (290–400 nm) using a charge coupled device (CCD) as a detector is introduced. The instrument development is motivated by the need for measurements with (a) high accuracy in the UV-B spectral range (290–315 nm) for photochemistry applications and (b) high temporal resolution in quickly changing atmospheric conditions such as partial cloud cover. The new CCD instrument is mainly intended for airborne use. It allows fast data collection (<300 ms time resolution for each spectrum) with improved sensitivity in the UV spectral range. The instrumental setup and its characterization in terms of stray light, dark current, noise, and detection limits are described and compared to a spectroradiometer with a photodiode array (PDA) detector. The new CCD spectroradiometer has a one order of magnitude greater sensitivity than the PDA-based spectroradiometer. However, the stray light of the CCD instrument is wavelength dependent, which requires a more complicated data evaluation procedure than the PDA instrument. Comparison with other UV spectroradiometers (a PDA spectroradiometer and two ground-based double monochromators) shows the advantages of the CCD system for UV-B measurements of actinic flux densities and photolysis frequencies of ozone and nitrogen dioxide, and the improved performance compared to PDA spectroradiometers.
Abstract
Laboratory experiments were conducted in the Mainz vertical wind tunnel to study the effects of pollutants dissolved or suspended in cloud droplets on the droplet size measurements of a Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probe (FSSP). The FSSP is a widely used instrument to derive microphysical properties of atmospheric clouds. Individual droplets of different well-defined sizes were freely falling at their terminal velocities in the wind tunnel while the intensity of radiation emitted by the He–Ne laser of the FSSP and scattered by the droplets was measured. For this purpose, the FSSP was adapted and mounted to the wind tunnel. The intensity of radiation scattered by the droplets in the FSSP measurement is principally used to derive the droplet size. The droplets contained soluble ammonium sulfate or suspended absorbent graphite particles as pollutants in concentrations that were higher than usually found in atmospheric cloud droplets. The results of the measurements and corresponding simulations indicate that for high pollutant concentrations, the scattered laser radiation detected by the FSSP depends significantly on the refractive index of the droplet (i.e., on the concentration of soluble or insoluble pollutants). However, for the lower pollutant concentrations usually observed in atmospheric cloud droplets, the need for correcting the droplet sizes measured with the FSSP for the effects of the pollutions can be avoided.
Abstract
Laboratory experiments were conducted in the Mainz vertical wind tunnel to study the effects of pollutants dissolved or suspended in cloud droplets on the droplet size measurements of a Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probe (FSSP). The FSSP is a widely used instrument to derive microphysical properties of atmospheric clouds. Individual droplets of different well-defined sizes were freely falling at their terminal velocities in the wind tunnel while the intensity of radiation emitted by the He–Ne laser of the FSSP and scattered by the droplets was measured. For this purpose, the FSSP was adapted and mounted to the wind tunnel. The intensity of radiation scattered by the droplets in the FSSP measurement is principally used to derive the droplet size. The droplets contained soluble ammonium sulfate or suspended absorbent graphite particles as pollutants in concentrations that were higher than usually found in atmospheric cloud droplets. The results of the measurements and corresponding simulations indicate that for high pollutant concentrations, the scattered laser radiation detected by the FSSP depends significantly on the refractive index of the droplet (i.e., on the concentration of soluble or insoluble pollutants). However, for the lower pollutant concentrations usually observed in atmospheric cloud droplets, the need for correcting the droplet sizes measured with the FSSP for the effects of the pollutions can be avoided.
Abstract
A novel approach to compare airborne observations of solar spectral irradiances measured above clouds with along-track radiative transfer simulations (RTS) is presented. The irradiance measurements were obtained with the Spectral Modular Airborne Radiation Measurement System (SMART) installed on the High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO). The RTS were conducted using the operational ecRad radiation scheme of the Integrated Forecast System (IFS), operated by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), and a stand-alone radiative transfer solver, the library for Radiative transfer (libRadtran). Profiles of observed and simulated radar reflectivity were provided by the HALO Microwave Package (HAMP) and the Passive and Active Microwave Transfer Model (PAMTRA), respectively. The comparison aims to investigate the capability of the two models to reproduce the observed radiation field. By analyzing spectral irradiances above clouds, different ice cloud optical parameterizations in the models were evaluated. Simulated and observed radar reflectivity fields allowed the vertical representation of the clouds modeled by the IFS to be evaluated, and enabled errors in the IFS analysis data (IFS AD) and the observations to be separated. The investigation of a North Atlantic low pressure system showed that the RTS, in combination with the IFS AD, generally reproduced the observed radiation field. For heterogeneously distributed liquid water clouds, an underestimation of upward irradiance by up to 27% was found. Simulations of ice-topped clouds, using a specific ice optics parameterization, indicated a systematic underestimation of broadband cloud-top albedo, suggesting major deficiencies in the ice optics parameterization between 1242 and 1941 nm wavelength.
Abstract
A novel approach to compare airborne observations of solar spectral irradiances measured above clouds with along-track radiative transfer simulations (RTS) is presented. The irradiance measurements were obtained with the Spectral Modular Airborne Radiation Measurement System (SMART) installed on the High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO). The RTS were conducted using the operational ecRad radiation scheme of the Integrated Forecast System (IFS), operated by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), and a stand-alone radiative transfer solver, the library for Radiative transfer (libRadtran). Profiles of observed and simulated radar reflectivity were provided by the HALO Microwave Package (HAMP) and the Passive and Active Microwave Transfer Model (PAMTRA), respectively. The comparison aims to investigate the capability of the two models to reproduce the observed radiation field. By analyzing spectral irradiances above clouds, different ice cloud optical parameterizations in the models were evaluated. Simulated and observed radar reflectivity fields allowed the vertical representation of the clouds modeled by the IFS to be evaluated, and enabled errors in the IFS analysis data (IFS AD) and the observations to be separated. The investigation of a North Atlantic low pressure system showed that the RTS, in combination with the IFS AD, generally reproduced the observed radiation field. For heterogeneously distributed liquid water clouds, an underestimation of upward irradiance by up to 27% was found. Simulations of ice-topped clouds, using a specific ice optics parameterization, indicated a systematic underestimation of broadband cloud-top albedo, suggesting major deficiencies in the ice optics parameterization between 1242 and 1941 nm wavelength.
Abstract
Boundary layer cloud transformations at high latitudes play a key role for the Arctic climate and are partially controlled by large-scale dynamics such as subsidence. While measuring large- and mesoscale divergence on spatial scales on the order of 100 km has proven notoriously difficult, recent airborne campaigns in the subtropics have successfully applied measurement techniques using multiple dropsonde releases in circular flight patterns. In this paper it is shown that this method can also be effectively applied at high latitudes, in spite of the considerable differences in atmospheric dynamics compared to the subtropics. To show the applicability, data collected during the airborne HALO-(AC)3 field campaign near Svalbard in Spring 2022 were analysed, where several flight patterns involving multiple dropsonde launches were realized by two aircraft. This study presents a first overview of the results. We find that the method indeed yields reliable estimates of mesoscale gradients in the Arctic, producing robust vertical profiles of horizontal divergence and consequently, subsidence. Sensitivity to aspects of the method is investigated, including dependence on sampling area and the divergence calculation.
Abstract
Boundary layer cloud transformations at high latitudes play a key role for the Arctic climate and are partially controlled by large-scale dynamics such as subsidence. While measuring large- and mesoscale divergence on spatial scales on the order of 100 km has proven notoriously difficult, recent airborne campaigns in the subtropics have successfully applied measurement techniques using multiple dropsonde releases in circular flight patterns. In this paper it is shown that this method can also be effectively applied at high latitudes, in spite of the considerable differences in atmospheric dynamics compared to the subtropics. To show the applicability, data collected during the airborne HALO-(AC)3 field campaign near Svalbard in Spring 2022 were analysed, where several flight patterns involving multiple dropsonde launches were realized by two aircraft. This study presents a first overview of the results. We find that the method indeed yields reliable estimates of mesoscale gradients in the Arctic, producing robust vertical profiles of horizontal divergence and consequently, subsidence. Sensitivity to aspects of the method is investigated, including dependence on sampling area and the divergence calculation.
Helicopter-based measurements provide an opportunity for probing the finescale dynamics and microphysics of clouds simultaneously in space and time. Due to the low true air speed compared with research aircraft, a helicopter allows for measurements with much higher spatial resolution. To circumvent the influence of the helicopter downwash the autonomous measurement payload Airborne Cloud Turbulence Observation System (ACTOS) is carried as an external cargo 140 m below the helicopter. ACTOS allows for collocated measurements of the dynamical and cloud microphysical parameters with a spatial resolution of better than 10 cm.
The interaction between turbulence and cloud microphysical processes is demonstrated using the following two cloud cases from recent helicopter measurements: i) a cumulus cloud with a low degree of turbulence and without strong vertical dynamics, and, in contrast, ii) an actively growing cloud with increased turbulence and stronger updrafts. The turbulence and microphysical measurements suggest that entrainment at the tops of these two clouds occurs by inhomogeneous and homogeneous mixing, respectively.
Helicopter-based measurements provide an opportunity for probing the finescale dynamics and microphysics of clouds simultaneously in space and time. Due to the low true air speed compared with research aircraft, a helicopter allows for measurements with much higher spatial resolution. To circumvent the influence of the helicopter downwash the autonomous measurement payload Airborne Cloud Turbulence Observation System (ACTOS) is carried as an external cargo 140 m below the helicopter. ACTOS allows for collocated measurements of the dynamical and cloud microphysical parameters with a spatial resolution of better than 10 cm.
The interaction between turbulence and cloud microphysical processes is demonstrated using the following two cloud cases from recent helicopter measurements: i) a cumulus cloud with a low degree of turbulence and without strong vertical dynamics, and, in contrast, ii) an actively growing cloud with increased turbulence and stronger updrafts. The turbulence and microphysical measurements suggest that entrainment at the tops of these two clouds occurs by inhomogeneous and homogeneous mixing, respectively.
