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- Author or Editor: N. L. Abshire x
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Abstract
Significant Doppler lidar returns have been observed from snow and rain. This demonstrates the feasibility of measuring velocity and range of hydrometeors with 10.6-μm wavelength CO2 laser lidar.
Abstract
Significant Doppler lidar returns have been observed from snow and rain. This demonstrates the feasibility of measuring velocity and range of hydrometeors with 10.6-μm wavelength CO2 laser lidar.
Abstract
Lidar observations of a winter ice cloud in the zenith gave a very high reflection but a very small depolarization. When the lidar was tilted more than 0.5° away from the zenith, the reflection amplitude fell to 3% of it's zenith value, but the depolarization increased. The above properties proved unambiguously that reflection was occurring from the specular surfaces of horizontal crystals. These properties were used to estimate some cloud microphysical properties. At a selected time, the estimates gave a mean “diameter” of 74 μm for the horizontal faces, a crystal number density of 0.78 ℓ −1, and a maximum departure of the crystal axis from the horizontal of 0.5°. The fraction of the total crystal cross section which was specularly reflecting was estimated as unity.
Abstract
Lidar observations of a winter ice cloud in the zenith gave a very high reflection but a very small depolarization. When the lidar was tilted more than 0.5° away from the zenith, the reflection amplitude fell to 3% of it's zenith value, but the depolarization increased. The above properties proved unambiguously that reflection was occurring from the specular surfaces of horizontal crystals. These properties were used to estimate some cloud microphysical properties. At a selected time, the estimates gave a mean “diameter” of 74 μm for the horizontal faces, a crystal number density of 0.78 ℓ −1, and a maximum departure of the crystal axis from the horizontal of 0.5°. The fraction of the total crystal cross section which was specularly reflecting was estimated as unity.
Abstract
Radiometric data from the SMS-2 and GOES-1 geostationary satellites together with ground-based lidar scans have been combined to determine the visible albedo, infrared emittance and visible optical depth of cirrus clouds. The combined observations were made on an area of cirrus of about 10 km by 10 km square at Boulder, Colorado during two days.
A method of analysis was developed to separate out the cloud albedo from surface albedo effects, to allow for possible anisotropy in the bi-directional reflectance of solar radiation from the clouds, and to compare the data with results of theoretical calculations.
Relations between the visible albedo and the infrared emittance, which were derived from satellite data, and the visible optical depth, which was derived from lidar measurements, were compared with theoretical relations derived from two models of cloud particle scattering. The first model assumes that the cloud is composed of water (or ice) spheres and the second that it is composed of long ice cylinders. It was found that the observational data agree best with the latter model, although there are still some discrepancies.
The infrared emittances varied between 0.2 and 0.95, the corresponding albedos between 0.10 and 0.32 and the visible optical depths between 0.5 and 3.5.
Abstract
Radiometric data from the SMS-2 and GOES-1 geostationary satellites together with ground-based lidar scans have been combined to determine the visible albedo, infrared emittance and visible optical depth of cirrus clouds. The combined observations were made on an area of cirrus of about 10 km by 10 km square at Boulder, Colorado during two days.
A method of analysis was developed to separate out the cloud albedo from surface albedo effects, to allow for possible anisotropy in the bi-directional reflectance of solar radiation from the clouds, and to compare the data with results of theoretical calculations.
Relations between the visible albedo and the infrared emittance, which were derived from satellite data, and the visible optical depth, which was derived from lidar measurements, were compared with theoretical relations derived from two models of cloud particle scattering. The first model assumes that the cloud is composed of water (or ice) spheres and the second that it is composed of long ice cylinders. It was found that the observational data agree best with the latter model, although there are still some discrepancies.
The infrared emittances varied between 0.2 and 0.95, the corresponding albedos between 0.10 and 0.32 and the visible optical depths between 0.5 and 3.5.
Abstract
The observed depolarization of polarized lidar signals scattered from virga and a source cloud may be interpreted to show that the source cloud is largely glaciated, and the virga is composed of ice crystals not randomly oriented. The orientation of the ice crystals in the virga, generally possible only in a nonturbulent atmosphere, is demonstrated by depolarization ratios greater than 1. The cloud processes suggested by this observation are in agreement with other independent observations.
Abstract
The observed depolarization of polarized lidar signals scattered from virga and a source cloud may be interpreted to show that the source cloud is largely glaciated, and the virga is composed of ice crystals not randomly oriented. The orientation of the ice crystals in the virga, generally possible only in a nonturbulent atmosphere, is demonstrated by depolarization ratios greater than 1. The cloud processes suggested by this observation are in agreement with other independent observations.
Abstract
A network of 31 radar wind profilers is being installed in the central United States by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The radars are expected to measure the vertical profile of horizontal and vertical wind starting at 500 m above the surface (AGL) and extending to about 16 km AGL. These 404.37-MHz radars can also be adapted to measure virtual temperature profiles in the lower troposphere by the radio acoustic sounding system (RASS) technique. RASS experiments were conducted using the prototype radar of the NOAA network, and results showed that virtual temperature profiles can be measured starting at 500 m AGL (the lowest height observed with this radar) and extending to 3.5–5.2 km AGL.
Abstract
A network of 31 radar wind profilers is being installed in the central United States by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The radars are expected to measure the vertical profile of horizontal and vertical wind starting at 500 m above the surface (AGL) and extending to about 16 km AGL. These 404.37-MHz radars can also be adapted to measure virtual temperature profiles in the lower troposphere by the radio acoustic sounding system (RASS) technique. RASS experiments were conducted using the prototype radar of the NOAA network, and results showed that virtual temperature profiles can be measured starting at 500 m AGL (the lowest height observed with this radar) and extending to 3.5–5.2 km AGL.
Abstract
Three in-situ and five remote sensing techniques for measuring the height of the daytime convective boundary layer were compared. There was, as a rule, good agreement between the different systems when the capping inversion was steep and well defined, and some variability when the stratification was not so sharply defined. Two indirect methods for estimating boundary-layer heights from the length scales of convective motions in the layer are also discussed.
Abstract
Three in-situ and five remote sensing techniques for measuring the height of the daytime convective boundary layer were compared. There was, as a rule, good agreement between the different systems when the capping inversion was steep and well defined, and some variability when the stratification was not so sharply defined. Two indirect methods for estimating boundary-layer heights from the length scales of convective motions in the layer are also discussed.
Abstract
The first wind profiler for a demonstration network of wind profilers recently passed the milestone of 300 h of continuous operation. The horizontal wind component measurements taken during that period are compared with the WPL Platteville wind profiler and the NWS Denver rawinsonde. The differences between the network and WPL wind profilers have standard deviations of 2.30 m s−1 and 2.16 m s−1 for the u- and v-components, respectively. However, the WPL wind profiler ignores vertical velocity, whereas the network radar measures it and removes its effects from the u- and v-component measurements. The differences between the network wind profiler and the NWS rawinsonde (separated spatially by about 50 km) have standard deviations of 3.65 m s−1 and 3.06 m s−1 for the u- and v-components, respectively. These results are similar to those found in earlier comparison studies. Finally, the new network wind profiler demonstrates excellent sensitivity, consistently reporting measurements at all heights msl from 2 to nearly 18 km with very few outages.
Abstract
The first wind profiler for a demonstration network of wind profilers recently passed the milestone of 300 h of continuous operation. The horizontal wind component measurements taken during that period are compared with the WPL Platteville wind profiler and the NWS Denver rawinsonde. The differences between the network and WPL wind profilers have standard deviations of 2.30 m s−1 and 2.16 m s−1 for the u- and v-components, respectively. However, the WPL wind profiler ignores vertical velocity, whereas the network radar measures it and removes its effects from the u- and v-component measurements. The differences between the network wind profiler and the NWS rawinsonde (separated spatially by about 50 km) have standard deviations of 3.65 m s−1 and 3.06 m s−1 for the u- and v-components, respectively. These results are similar to those found in earlier comparison studies. Finally, the new network wind profiler demonstrates excellent sensitivity, consistently reporting measurements at all heights msl from 2 to nearly 18 km with very few outages.
