Scattering of solar radiation as a function of cloud dimensions and orientation

The effects of cloud dimensions and orientation on the scattering pattern have been examined assuming rectangular shaped finite clouds corresponding to cumulus. The clouds are illuminated by the visible solar radiation. The analysis shows the following. (1) A cloud of horizontal extent less than 5 times its vertical dimension should be regarded as a finite cloud for estimating scattering patterns. (2) The importance of cloud shape increases with increasing solar zenith angle. (3) Surrounding clouds located at a distance of about 5 times their diameter away from the central cloud do not alter the scattering pattern. The surrounding clouds increase the fraction of reflection as they approach the central cloud, this effect becoming evident when the separation is about twice the cloud diameter, corresponding to a cloud amount of about 25%.     

A method for estimating optical properties of dusty cloud

Based on the scattering properties of nonspherical dust aerosol, a new method is developed for retrieving dust aerosol optical depths of dusty clouds. The dusty clouds are defined as the hybrid system of dust plume and cloud. The new method is based on transmittance measurements from surface-based instruments multi-filter rotating shadowband radiometer （MFRSR） and cloud parameters from lidar measurements. It uses the difference of absorption between dust aerosols and water droplets for distinguishing and estimating the optical properties of dusts and clouds, respectively. This new retrieval method is not sensitive to the retrieval error of cloud properties and the maximum absolute deviations of dust aerosol and total optical depths for thin dusty cloud retrieval algorithm are only 0.056 and 0.1, respectively, for given possible uncertainties. The retrieval error for thick dusty cloud mainly depends on lidar-based total dusty cloud properties.     

On the retrieval of ice cloud particle shapes from POLDER measurements

Shapes of ice crystals can significantly affect the radiative transfer in ice clouds. The angular distribution of the polarized reflectance over ice clouds strongly depends on ice crystal shapes. Although the angular-distribution features of the total or polarized reflectance over ice clouds imply a possibility of retrieving ice cloud particle shapes by use of remote sensing data, the accuracy of the retrieval must be evaluated. In this study, a technique that applies single ice crystal habit and multidirectional polarized radiance to retrieve ice cloud particle shapes is assessed. Our sensitivity studies show that the retrieved particle shapes from this algorithm can be considered good approximations to those in actual clouds in calculation of the phase matrix elements. However, this algorithm can only work well under the following conditions: (1) the retrievable must be overcast and thick ice cloud pixels, (2) the particles in the cloud must be randomly oriented, (3) the particle shapes and size distributions used in the lookup tables must be representative, and (4) the multi-angle polarized measurements must be accurate and sufficient to identify ice cloud pixels of randomly oriented particles. In practice, these conditions will exclude most of the measured cloud pixels. Additionally, because the polarized measurements are only sensitive to the upper cloud part not deeper than an optical thickness of 4, the retrieved particle shapes with the polarized radiance may only approximate those in the upper parts of the clouds. In other words, for thicker clouds with vertical inhomogeneity in particle shapes, these retrieved particle shapes cannot represent those of whole clouds. More robust algorithm is needed in accurate retrieval of ice cloud particle shapes.     

Optical properties of mixed phase boundary layer clouds observed from a tethered balloon platform in the Arctic

A tethered balloon system was used to collect data on radiometric and cloud microphysical properties for mixed phase boundary layer clouds, consisting of ice crystals and liquid water droplets during a May–June 2008 experimental campaign in Ny-Ålesund, Norway, located high in the Arctic at 78.9°N, 11.9°E. The balloon instrumentation was controlled and powered from the ground making it possible to fly for long durations and to profile clouds vertically in a systematic manner. We use a radiative transfer model to analyze the radiometric measurements and estimate the optical properties of mixed-phase clouds. The results demonstrate the ability of instruments deployed on a tethered balloon to provide information about optical properties of mixed-phase clouds in the Arctic. Our radiative transfer simulations show that cloud layering has little impact on the total downward irradiance measured at the ground as long as the total optical depth remains unchanged. In contrast, the mean intensity measured by an instrument deployed on a balloon depends on the vertical cloud structure and is thus sensitive to the altitude of the balloon. We use the total downward irradiance measured by a ground-based radiometer to estimate the total optical depth and the mean intensity measured at the balloon to estimate the vertical structure of the cloud optical depth.     

Jupiter's Great Red Spot and zonal winds as a self-consistent,one-layer,quasigeostrophic flow

We present the point of view that both the vortices and the east-west zonal winds of Jupiter are confined to the planet's shallow weather layer and that their dynamics is completely described by the weakly dissipated, weakly forced quasigeostrophic (QG) equation. The weather layer is the region just below the tropopause and contains the visible clouds. The forcing mimics the overshoot of fluid from an underlying convection zone. The late-time solutions of the weakly forced and dissipated QG equations appear to be a small subset of the unforced and undissipated equations and are robust attractors. We illustrate QG vortex dynamics and attempt to explain the important features of Jupiter's Great Red Spot and other vortices: their shapes, locations with respect to the extrema of the east-west winds, stagnation points, numbers as a function of latitude, mergers, break-ups, cloud morphologies, internal distributions of vorticity, and signs of rotation with respect to both the planet's rotation and the shear of their surrounding east-west winds. Initial-value calculations in which the weather layer starts at rest produce oscillatory east-west winds. Like the Jovian winds, the winds are east-west asymmetric and have Karman vortex streets located only at the west-going jets. From numerical calculations we present an empirically derived energy criterion that determines whether QG vortices survive in oscillatory zonal flows with nonzero potential vorticity gradients. We show that a recent proof that claims that all QG vortices decay when embedded in oscillatory zonal flows is too restrictive in its assumptions. We show that the asymmetries in the cloud morphologies and numbers of cyclones and anticyclones can be accounted for by a QG model of the Jovian atmosphere, and we compare the QG model with competing models.     

Collective oscillations of fresh and salt water bubble plumes

Bubble plumes of various void fractions and sizes were produced by varying the flow velocity of a water jet impinging normally on a water surface. The bubbles entrained at the surface were carried downwards by the fluid flow to depths ranging from 33 to 65 cm, and formed roughly cylindrical plumes with diameters ranging from 12 to 27 cm. The acoustic emissions from the plumes were recorded onto digital audio tape using a hydrophone placed outside the cloud at distances ranging from 50 cm to 16.0 m. Closeup video images of the individual bubbles within the plume were also taken in order to gain knowledge of the bubble size distributions. The experiments were performed in both fresh-water and salt-water environments. The fresh-water clouds emitted sounds with a modal structure that was significantly different from that produced by the salt-water clouds. Furthermore, the smaller bubbles present in the salt-water clouds have a fundamental effect on the amplification of turbulence noise, generating sound at significant levels for frequencies up to several hundred Hertz.     

Radiative effect differences between multi-layered and single-layer clouds derived from CERES, CALIPSO, and CloudSat data

Clouds alter general circulation through modification of the radiative heating profile within the atmosphere. Their effects are complex and depend on height, vertical structure, and phase. The instantaneous cloud radiative effect (CRE) induced by multi-layered (ML) and single-layer (SL) clouds is estimated by analyzing data collected by the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO), CloudSat, and Clouds and Earth’s Radiation Energy Budget System (CERES) missions from March 2007 through February 2008. The CRE differences between ML and SL clouds at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) and at the surface were also examined. The zonal mean shortwave (SW) CRE differences between the ML and SL clouds at the TOA and surface were positive at most latitudes, peaking at 120 W m⁻² in the tropics and dropping to −30 W m⁻² at higher latitudes. This indicated that the ML clouds usually reflected less sunlight at the TOA and transmitted more to the surface than the SL clouds, due to their higher cloud top heights. The zonal mean longwave (LW) CRE differences between ML and SL clouds at the TOA and surface were relatively small, ranging from −30 to 30 W m⁻². This showed that the ML clouds only increased the amount of thermal radiation at the TOA relative to the SL clouds in the tropics, decreasing it elsewhere. In other words, ML clouds tended to cool the atmosphere in the tropics and warm it elsewhere when compared to SL clouds. The zonal mean net CRE differences were positive at most latitudes and dominated by the SW CRE differences.     

Cloud 3D effects on broadband heating rate profiles: I. Model simulation

Solar broadband heating directly drives the atmospheric and ocean circulations, and is largely determined by cloud spatial 3-diminesional (3D) structures. To study the cloud 3D effects on radiation, a 3D broadband Monte-Carlo radiative transfer model, along with an Independent Pixel/Column Approximation (IPA) method, is used to simulate radiation and heating rate of three typical cloud fields generated by cloud resolving models (CRM). A quantitative and statistical estimation of cloud 3D effects has been developed to investigate the impact of cloud 3D structures on both heating rate strength, STD_Bias, and vertical distribution, CorrCoef. The cloud 3D structures affect some clouds more in heating rate strength and others more in vertical distribution. It is crucial to use the combination of CorrCoef and STD_Bias for better quantitative evaluation of the 3D effects. Furthermore, there is no simple way to define a critical resolution (or average radius), within which the IPA heating rate profiles closely represent the true 3D heating rate profiles. The critical radius (or resolution) strongly depends on solar incident angle as well as cloud vertical distribution. Also, the critical radii for clear-sky columns are larger than for cloudy columns, although the corresponding STD_Bias for clear-sky columns are smaller than for cloudy columns. Analysis based on two different statistical average methods illustrates that the cloud 3D effects due to the dimensionality difference between the 3D clouds (circle average) and 2D clouds (line average) significantly impact on the heating rate profiles.     

Thermal effects on laser-ablated particle velocities from thin film targets

The thermal history of the target surface on the plume dynamics was studied by high-speed streak photography. A thin aluminum layer was deposited on a thick substrate material. By choosing substrate materials with different thermal conductivity, it is possible to control the heat flux inside the target material, which in turn controls the particle ejection process. In all the experimental conditions tested, the plume was found to have two different velocity clouds. By a series of experiments with different substrate materials, their velocities were shown to depend on the substrate material. The heat conduction equation was solved to simulate the temperature history of the target materials. The result was discussed with those from streak photography and burn patterns, showing an appreciable dependence on the heat conductivity of the material.     

星载激光雷达云和气溶胶分类反演算法研究

激光探测对于获取云和气溶胶的垂直廓线,研究大气中云和气溶胶的垂直分布特征以及对全球气候变化的影响意义重大。而星载大气激光雷达云气溶胶分类算法的研究,对于激光雷达数据的参数反演及应用极为重要。针对激光条件下探测的云和气溶胶特有的光学信息和空间分布,结合概率统计与机器学习算法,提出了一种对于云/气溶胶、云相态及气溶胶子类型识别的分类算法,实现了星载激光雷达的大气特征层快速、有效分类。算法采用中国地区2016年CALIOP的观测数据作为样本数据,主要由三部分组成：（1）基于激光探测的云和气溶胶层不同的光学特性以及地理空间分布特征,分别构建了云和气溶胶的γ₅₃₂,χ,δ,Z和lat的五维概率密度函数,以此为基础构建云气溶胶的分类置信函数,并基于此实现了云和气溶胶类型的反演;（2）选取支持向量机(SVM)作为随机朝向冰晶粒子(ROI)和水云分类的算法模型基础,结合云层的γ₅₃₂,χ,δ Z和云顶温度T的概率密度函数构建ROI,水平朝向冰晶粒子(HOI)和水云的分类置信函数以修正SVM误分的特征层以及筛选出水云中少部分的HOI冰云,获得云相态的分类结果;（3）以各气溶胶子类型的光学以及空间分布特性为基础,采用决策树策略的气溶胶子类型识别算法实现了对气溶胶子类型的区分,完成气溶胶子类型的识别。利用现有CALIOP观测结果作为样本数据构建分类数据库,避免了对于地面以及航测数据的依赖,而机器学习则大大简化了算法的实现过程,使得云气溶胶分类更加高效。算法结果与正交极化云气溶胶激光雷达垂直特征层分布数据(CALIPSO VFM)产品对比分析：云层有98.51%一致性,气溶胶有88.43%的一致性,且白天比夜间一致性高。对于云相态分类,可以有效区分出水云和冰云,其中二者水云一致性高达93.44%。在气溶胶子类型反演结果中,可以准确识别出大多数气溶胶特征层子类型。霾、沙尘以及晴空三种典型情况下的反演结果均与CALIOP VFM产品数据具有较好的一致性。其中,霾天的大部分煤烟型以及污染型（污染沙尘以及污染大陆）气溶胶反演结果与VFM具有较好的一致性。沙尘天也能够获得较好的沙尘以及污染沙尘的结果。晴空为数不多的气溶胶层也取得了较为一致的结果。对于实现的星载大气激光雷达特征层分类算法,针对CALIOP激光测量的云气溶胶层的分类进行了重要的改进,在保证一定精度的基础上,简化了算法,提高了数据处理的效率,在下一步工作中,将分别构建不同时段和季节的分类模型以及提高两种不同偏振特性的冰云和气溶胶子类型的分类精度。     

Effects of water and ice clouds on cloud microphysical budget:An equilibrium modeling study

The effects of water and ice clouds on the cloud microphysical budget associated with rainfall are investigated through the analysis of grid-scale data from a series of two-dimensional cloud-resolving model equilibrium sensitivity simulations. The model is imposed without large-scale vertical velocity. In the control experiment, the contribution from rainfall （cM） associated with net evaporation and hydrometeor loss/convergence is about 29% of that from the rainfall （Cm） associated with net condensation and hydrometeor gain/divergence and about 39% of that from the rainfall （CM） associated with net condensation and hydrometeor loss/convergence. The exclusion of ice clouds enhances rainfall contribution of CM, whereas it reduces rainfall contributions of Cm and cM. The removal of radiative effects of water clouds increases rainfall contribution of CM, barely changes rainfall contribution of Cm and reduces the rainfall contribution of cM in the presence of the radiative effects of ice clouds. Elimination of the radiative effects of water clouds reduces the rainfall contributions of CM and Cm, whereas it increases the rainfall contribution of cM in the absence of the radiative effects of ice clouds.     

Venus atmospheric waves: A challenge for nonlinear dynamics

Planetary-scale cloud patterns seen in ultraviolet images of Venus are produced by atmospheric waves traveling slowly with respect to the cloud-top winds. The cloud features often combine to produce a dark horizontal “Y” shape that encircles the planet. Linear wave theory and detailed observations of the waves show that the “Y” is a combination of two components-a midlatitude wave traveling somewhat slower than the winds and an equatorial wave moving slightly faster. However, nonlinear effects must be invoked in order to couple the two modes in such a way as to reproduce the observations.     

Dual-Site Lidar Observations and Satellite Data Analysis for Regional Cloud Characterization

Lidar data observed by two continuously operated portable automated lidar (PAL) systems and images from the visible and thermal infrared channels of the advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) sensor on board the noaa16 satellite are employed for the characterization of cloud heights and cloud types. The PAL systems are located in Chiba and Ichihara city areas, separated by approximately 10 km. Measurements from October 2003 to March 2005 reveal that monthly averages of cloud base height and cloud cover ratio show good agreement between the two sites. The characteristics of the vertical (Chiba) and slant (Ichihara) measurements are also discussed. The PAL data are used to adjust threshold values of a cloud-type classification method in split-window data of noaa16-AVHRR. Comparisons between the lidar signals and the cloud classification results from the concurrent AVHRR images show that the classification method can reasonably be applied to this mid-latitude case, although the split-window technique was originally developed for tropical clouds.     

利用地基红外高光谱发射率数据进行云参数反演(2): 云滴有效半径和云水路径反演

云滴有效半径和云水路径等微物理参数是了解云的形成过程、辐射效应以及云、气溶胶和降水相互作用等问题的重要数据。利用地基红外高光谱辐射数据开展了云微物理参数反演方法研究。针对光谱数据的特点,进行了基于云层发射率光谱和辐射光谱的敏感性分析,在此基础上建立了云微物理参数与云发射率光谱差值和斜率等特征参数有关的查找表关系。具体特征参数包括：热红外波段862.1和934.9 cm-1的云层发射率之差、中红外波段1 900.1和2 170.1 cm-1的云层发射率之差、热红外波段900～1 000 cm-1区间的发射率光谱斜率和辐射值光谱斜率、1 100～1 200 cm-1区间的发射率光谱斜率和辐射值光谱斜率等。研究了臭氧波段云层透过率的计算方法及对查找关系的约束性,选择了1 050～1 060 cm-1区间的云层透过率平均值作为约束特征参数。实现了基于逐步搜索法的多重查找反演云滴有效半径和光学厚度,并可通过经验关系计算云水路径。研究表明,该算法得到的水云的云滴有效半径与ARM计划中的MICROBASE产品基本相当,冰云的云滴有效半径相对偏小,两者的云水路径反演结果差异较大。该反演算法较适合于光学厚度小于6的薄云。     

Acoustic manifestation of bubbles frozen in an ice sheet

Hydrocarbon sources on the ocean floor produce buoyant bubble plumes, i.e., gas flares. In winter, bubbles reaching the surface freeze in an ice sheet. Such clouds of frozen bubbles are observable in Arctic seas and are usual elements of ice sheets of lakes, e.g., Lake Baikal. Based on the general solution of the problem of scattering by a sphere in an isotropic elastic medium, the frozen bubble scattering cross section is found. The theory of multiple scattering by frozen bubble plume is derived. The structure of low-frequency resonances corresponding to collective oscillations of a bubble cloud is described.     

Analysis of concentration patterns in volcanic rocks: Insights into dynamics of highly explosive volcanic eruptions

In this contribution we present new data resulting from the analysis of concentration patterns of mixed juvenile fragments ejected by a highly explosive volcanic eruption that occurred on Salina Island (Aeolian Islands, Italy) and our aim is to identify the fluid-dynamic regime characterizing the magma mixing process. Concentration patterns are studied by calculating the power spectrum of concentration variability along transects crossing the magma mixing structures. Results indicate that the slope of power spectrum has an average value of about −5/3, according to Kolmogorov law of turbulence, and suggest that the magma mixing process, in the studied conditions, can be approximated by considering the passive scalar mixing hypothesis in homogeneous isotropic turbulent flow. These results represent a first step towards a better understanding of magma mixing processes associated to highly explosive volcanic eruptions and this first step is taken by studying concentration patterns in volcanic rocks by coupling petrological and non-linear dynamics methods.     

MMW-Band Backscattering Cross Sections from Typical Clouds over Xi''an

In this paper, macro- and micro-physical properties of clouds over Xi'an region are discussed based on meteorologic observation data. The theory and mechanism of backscattering for clouds are analyzed. The quantity calculations of the backscattering cross sections for various reflection mechanism of clouds are dealt with at 1100GHz. The results calculated show that the major contributions for the backscattering cross section come possibly from clear-air and humidity turbulence, and also from distributions of cloud particles, especially, at higher frequencies. These numerical calculation results on the basis of Xi'an typical clouds properties confirm previous results and it is significance for millimeter wave communication, active and passive remote sensing, and low availability satellite links.     

An algorithm to determine cirrus properties from analysis of multiple-scattering influence on lidar signals

A Monte Carlo-based evaluation of the multiple-scattering influence on ground-based Raman lidar measurements is presented. The lidar returns from cirrus clouds are analyzed in order to evaluate vertical profiles of the extinction and backscattering coefficients. Results show that for the typical cirrus cloud, the presence of the multiple scattering can lead to an underestimation of the extinction coefficient by as large as 200% whereas the backscattering coefficient is almost unaffected for the Raman lidar technique. An algorithm to select one or a set of phase functions which fit to the lidar data is also presented. It is an iterative procedure based on Monte Carlo scattering simulation. By comparison of the experimental value of the lidar ratio, corrected for the multiple scattering influence, and the phase function used in the Monte Carlo simulation, one can determine a suitable phase function. The validity and sensitivity of the algorithm have been demonstrated by applying it to simulated cases. The application to some real cases indicates that our procedure allows for the establishing of a practical scattering model for the cirrus clouds.     

Sensitivity of depolarized lidar signals to cloud and aerosol particle properties

Measurements from depolarized lidars provide a promising method to retrieve both cloud and aerosol properties and a versatile complement to passive satellite-based sensors. For lidar observations of clouds and aerosols, multiple scattering plays an important role in the scattering process. Monte Carlo simulations are carried out to investigate the sensitivity of lidar backscattering depolarization to cloud and aerosol properties. Lidar parameters are chosen to be similar to those of the upcoming space-based CALIPSO lidar. Cases are considered that consist of a single cloud or aerosol layer, as well as a case in which cirrus clouds overlay different types of aerosols. It is demonstrated that besides thermodynamic cloud phase, the depolarized lidar signal may provide additional information on ice or aerosol particle shapes. However, our results show little sensitivity to ice or aerosol particle sizes. Additionally, for the case of multiple but overlapping layers involving both clouds and aerosols, the depolarized lidar contains information that can help identify the particle properties of each layer.     

The impact of ice cloud particle microphysics on the uncertainty of ice water content retrievals

Ice water content (IWC) is a standard product of cloud radar measurements. In this work, cloud radar cross-sections of various ice clouds are modeled to examine the relationship between the radar signal and the IWC. We report that using backscatter signal at cloud radar wavelength to retrieve IWC results in large uncertainties. Particle size distribution is the primary cause for the uncertainty in the retrieved IWC at radar wavelengths, though particle shape and orientation also play significant roles. Particularly in this study, we demonstrate that using both transmitted waves through the clouds (extinction) and backscattered waves from the clouds to retrieve the mean particle size and then using the mean particle size for IWC retrieval reduces the uncertainty. IWC retrieval can be improved with size distribution derived from dual wavelength cloud radar.