Comparison analysis of cloud boundary detection by means of millimeter wavelength cloud radar and lidar

ZONG Rong; GUO Wei; ZHONG Lingzhi

doi:10.7510/jgjs.issn.1001-3806.2016.02.005

Volume 40 Issue 2

Dec. 2015

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Comparison analysis of cloud boundary detection by means of millimeter wavelength cloud radar and lidar

1.
Shenzhen National Climate Observatory, Shenzhen 518040, China;
2.
Meteorological Observation Center, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing 100081, China;
3.
State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Science, Beijing 100081, China

Received Date: 2014-12-25
Accepted Date: 2015-01-09

Abstract

To detect cloud boundaries accurately, millimeter wavelength cloud radar (MMCR) and micropulse lidar (MPL) were combined and used to detect stratocumulus, altostratus, altocumulus and cirrocumulus. Differences of cloud boundaries detected by two radars were analyzed comparatively. The results show that the cloud base height detected by MPL is usually higher than MMCR. The difference is large for altostratus but is small for other cases. The differences are mainly due to the different scattering mechanisms of cloud particle for light beam and microwave electromagnetic wave, and the different identification methods of cloud boundaries by MPL and MMCR. For small particles at the top of cloud and small ice crystals in the cloud, the detection ability of MPL is more powerful than MMCR. But for deep cloud, MPL can't detect the real top of cloud because of attenuation effect. Under the same situation, MMCR can completely penetrate the clouds.
- remote sensing,
- millimeter wavelength cloud radar,
- micro pulse lidar,
- cloud boundary

References

[1]	SLINGO A. Sensitivity of the earth's radiation budget to changes in low clouds[J]. Nature,1990,343(6253):49-51.
[2]	RANDALL D A, HARSHVARDHAN, DAZLICH D A, et al. Interactions among radiation, convection, and large-scale dynamics in a general circulation model[J]. Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, 1989, 46(13):1943-1970.
[3]	WANG H Q, ZHAO G Q. Cloud and radiation Ⅰ:cloud climatology and radiative effects of clouds[J]. Scientia Atmospheric Sinica, 1994, 18(s1):910-932(in Chinese).
[4]	ZHAO Z L, MAO J T, WEI Q, et al. A study of vertical structure of spring stratiform clouds in northwest china[J]. Meteorological Monthly, 2010, 36(5):71-77(in Chinese).
[5]	SLINGO A,SLINGO J M. Response of the national center for atmospheric research community climate model to improvements in the representation of clouds[J]. Journal of Geophysical Research:Atmospheres, 1991, 96(D8):15341-15357.
[6]	KOGAN Z N, KOGAN Y L. The effect of cloud geometrical thickness variability on optical depth[C]//Proceedings of the 8th ARM Science Team Meeting. Washington DC,USA:Department of Energy, 1998:377-380.
[7]	HAN D, ELLINGSON R G. An experimental technique for testing the validity of cumulus cloud parameterizations for longwave radiation calculations[J]. Journal of Applied Meteorology, 2000, 39(7):1147-1159.
[8]	UTTAL T, CLOTHIAUX E E, ACKERMAN T P, et al. Cloud boundary statistics during FIRE Ⅱ[J]. Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, 1994,52(23):4276-4284.
[9]	INTRIERI J M, SHUPE M D, UTTAL T, et al. An annual cycle of Arctic cloud characteristics observed by radar and lidar at SHEBA[J]. Journal of Geophysical Research:Oceans, 2002, 107(C10):SHE5.
[10]	COMSTOCK J M, ACKERMAN T P, MACE G G. Ground-based lidar and radar remote sensing of tropical cirrus clouds at Nauru Island Cloud statistics and radiative impacts[J]. Journal of Geophysical Research:Atmospheres, 2000,107(D23):AAC16.
[11]	KOLLIAS P, CLOTHIAUX E E, MILLER M A, et al. Millimeter-wavelength radar:New frontier in atmospheric cloud and precipitation research[J]. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 2007, 88(10):1608-1624.
[12]	KROPFLI R A, KELLY R D. Meteorological research applications of MM-wave radar[J]. Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics, 1996, 59(1/2):105-121.
[13]	ZHONG L Z, LIU L P, GE R S, et al. A study of the calibration of the new generation of millimeter-wavelength cloud radar and its detection capability[J]. Acta Meteorologica Sinica, 2011, 69(2):352-362(in Chinese).
[14]	LHERMITTE R M. Probing air motion by Doppler analysis of radar clear air returns[J]. Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, 1966, 23(5):575-591.
[15]	WANG D W,WANG G L. Application of adaptive median filtering in cloud Doppler radar data pre-processing[J].Laser Technology,2012,36(2):221-224(in Chinese).
[16]	VENEM V, RUSSCHENBERG H, APITULEY A, et al. Cloud boundary height measurements using lidar and radar[J]. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 2000, 24(2):129-134.
[17]	LHERMITTE R M. Attenuation and scattering of millimeter wavelength radiation by clouds and precipitation[J]. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 1990, 7(3):464-479.
[18]	ELLIS S M, VIVEKANANDAN J. Liquid water content estimates using simultaneous S and Ka band radar measurements[J]. Radio Science, 2011, 46(2):RS2021.
[19]	PLATT C M, YOUNG S A, CARSWELL A I, et al. The experimental cloud lidar pilot study (ECLIPS) for cloud-radiation research[J]. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 1994, 75(9):1635-1645.
[20]	CHEN Zh Y, ZHANG Y J, LIU W Q, et al. Detection and analysis of cloud height in Hefei with lidar[J]. Laser Technology,2010,34(6):733-735(in Chinese).
[21]	PAL S R, STEINBRECHT W, CARSWELL A I. Automated method for lidar determination of cloud base height and vertical extent[J]. Applied Optics, 1992, 31(10):1488-1494.
[22]	WEITKAMP C, FLINT H, LAHMANN W, et al. Radar and lidar cloud measurements at geesthacht[J]. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 1999, B24(3):163-166.

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通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com

1.
沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院沈阳 110142

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Comparison analysis of cloud boundary detection by means of millimeter wavelength cloud radar and lidar

1. Shenzhen National Climate Observatory, Shenzhen 518040, China;

2. Meteorological Observation Center, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing 100081, China;

3. State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Science, Beijing 100081, China

Received Date: 2014-12-25

Accepted Date: 2015-01-09

Available Online: 2016-03-25

Abstract: To detect cloud boundaries accurately, millimeter wavelength cloud radar (MMCR) and micropulse lidar (MPL) were combined and used to detect stratocumulus, altostratus, altocumulus and cirrocumulus. Differences of cloud boundaries detected by two radars were analyzed comparatively. The results show that the cloud base height detected by MPL is usually higher than MMCR. The difference is large for altostratus but is small for other cases. The differences are mainly due to the different scattering mechanisms of cloud particle for light beam and microwave electromagnetic wave, and the different identification methods of cloud boundaries by MPL and MMCR. For small particles at the top of cloud and small ice crystals in the cloud, the detection ability of MPL is more powerful than MMCR. But for deep cloud, MPL can't detect the real top of cloud because of attenuation effect. Under the same situation, MMCR can completely penetrate the clouds.

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Reference (22)

[1]	SLINGO A. Sensitivity of the earth's radiation budget to changes in low clouds[J]. Nature,1990,343(6253):49-51.
[2]	RANDALL D A, HARSHVARDHAN, DAZLICH D A, et al. Interactions among radiation, convection, and large-scale dynamics in a general circulation model[J]. Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, 1989, 46(13):1943-1970.
[3]	WANG H Q, ZHAO G Q. Cloud and radiation Ⅰ:cloud climatology and radiative effects of clouds[J]. Scientia Atmospheric Sinica, 1994, 18(s1):910-932(in Chinese).
[4]	ZHAO Z L, MAO J T, WEI Q, et al. A study of vertical structure of spring stratiform clouds in northwest china[J]. Meteorological Monthly, 2010, 36(5):71-77(in Chinese).
[5]	SLINGO A,SLINGO J M. Response of the national center for atmospheric research community climate model to improvements in the representation of clouds[J]. Journal of Geophysical Research:Atmospheres, 1991, 96(D8):15341-15357.
[6]	KOGAN Z N, KOGAN Y L. The effect of cloud geometrical thickness variability on optical depth[C]//Proceedings of the 8th ARM Science Team Meeting. Washington DC,USA:Department of Energy, 1998:377-380.
[7]	HAN D, ELLINGSON R G. An experimental technique for testing the validity of cumulus cloud parameterizations for longwave radiation calculations[J]. Journal of Applied Meteorology, 2000, 39(7):1147-1159.
[8]	UTTAL T, CLOTHIAUX E E, ACKERMAN T P, et al. Cloud boundary statistics during FIRE Ⅱ[J]. Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, 1994,52(23):4276-4284.
[9]	INTRIERI J M, SHUPE M D, UTTAL T, et al. An annual cycle of Arctic cloud characteristics observed by radar and lidar at SHEBA[J]. Journal of Geophysical Research:Oceans, 2002, 107(C10):SHE5.
[10]	COMSTOCK J M, ACKERMAN T P, MACE G G. Ground-based lidar and radar remote sensing of tropical cirrus clouds at Nauru Island Cloud statistics and radiative impacts[J]. Journal of Geophysical Research:Atmospheres, 2000,107(D23):AAC16.
[11]	KOLLIAS P, CLOTHIAUX E E, MILLER M A, et al. Millimeter-wavelength radar:New frontier in atmospheric cloud and precipitation research[J]. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 2007, 88(10):1608-1624.
[12]	KROPFLI R A, KELLY R D. Meteorological research applications of MM-wave radar[J]. Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics, 1996, 59(1/2):105-121.
[13]	ZHONG L Z, LIU L P, GE R S, et al. A study of the calibration of the new generation of millimeter-wavelength cloud radar and its detection capability[J]. Acta Meteorologica Sinica, 2011, 69(2):352-362(in Chinese).
[14]	LHERMITTE R M. Probing air motion by Doppler analysis of radar clear air returns[J]. Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, 1966, 23(5):575-591.
[15]	WANG D W,WANG G L. Application of adaptive median filtering in cloud Doppler radar data pre-processing[J].Laser Technology,2012,36(2):221-224(in Chinese).
[16]	VENEM V, RUSSCHENBERG H, APITULEY A, et al. Cloud boundary height measurements using lidar and radar[J]. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 2000, 24(2):129-134.
[17]	LHERMITTE R M. Attenuation and scattering of millimeter wavelength radiation by clouds and precipitation[J]. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 1990, 7(3):464-479.
[18]	ELLIS S M, VIVEKANANDAN J. Liquid water content estimates using simultaneous S and Ka band radar measurements[J]. Radio Science, 2011, 46(2):RS2021.
[19]	PLATT C M, YOUNG S A, CARSWELL A I, et al. The experimental cloud lidar pilot study (ECLIPS) for cloud-radiation research[J]. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 1994, 75(9):1635-1645.
[20]	CHEN Zh Y, ZHANG Y J, LIU W Q, et al. Detection and analysis of cloud height in Hefei with lidar[J]. Laser Technology,2010,34(6):733-735(in Chinese).
[21]	PAL S R, STEINBRECHT W, CARSWELL A I. Automated method for lidar determination of cloud base height and vertical extent[J]. Applied Optics, 1992, 31(10):1488-1494.
[22]	WEITKAMP C, FLINT H, LAHMANN W, et al. Radar and lidar cloud measurements at geesthacht[J]. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 1999, B24(3):163-166.

Comparison analysis of cloud boundary detection by means of millimeter wavelength cloud radar and lidar

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通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com

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Comparison analysis of cloud boundary detection by means of millimeter wavelength cloud radar and lidar

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