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  • 1
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    On the Temperature Dependence of the Cloud Ice Particle Effective Radius—A Satellite Perspective (2023)
    Details
    Publication Date: 2023-12-05
    Description: Cloud ice particle effective radius in atmospheric models is usually parametrized. A widely‐used parametrization comprises a strong dependence on the temperature. Utilizing available satellite‐based estimates of both cloud ice particle effective radius and cloud‐top temperature we evaluate if a similar temperature‐dependence exists in these observations. We find that for very low cloud‐top temperatures the modeled cloud ice particle effective radius generally agrees on average with satellite observations. For high sub‐zero temperatures however, the modeled cloud ice particle effective radius becomes very large, which is not seen in the satellite observations. We conclude that the investigated parametrization for the cloud ice particle effective radius, and parametrizations with a similar temperature dependence, likely produce systematic biases at the cloud top. Supporting previous studies, our findings suggest that the vertical structure of clouds should be taken into account as factor in potential future updates of the parametrizations for cloud ice particle effective radius.
    Description: Plain Language Summary: Atmospheric models are often used to diagnose and predict the atmospheric state including clouds. One very important property of clouds that consist of ice particles is the cloud ice particle effective radius. This ice effective radius is based on assumptions about the size and shapes of the ice particles in clouds, and thus parametrized, and is one of the important variables needed for calculating the effect of clouds on electromagnetic radiation, in particular on the solar radiation that enters the Earth's atmosphere. In our study we found that the parametrized ice effective radius agrees well on average and global scale with the ice effective radius inferred from satellite observations for cold clouds. However, we also found that for warmer ice clouds the parametrized ice effective radius is much higher than in satellite observations. Our study suggests that parametrizations of the ice effective radius used in atmospheric models show potential for improvements.
    Description: Key Points: Comparisons of modeled cloud ice particle effective radius with satellite observations are presented. For very low cloud temperatures the modeled cloud ice particle effective radius agrees on average with satellite observations. Modeled large cloud ice particle effective radii for high sub‐zero temperatures are not found in satellite observations.
    Description: European Space Agency http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000844
    Description: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7445152
    Description: https://doi.org/10.5676/DWD/ESA_Cloud_cci/AVHRR-PM/V003
    Description: https://doi.org/10.5676/EUM_SAF_CM/CLARA_AVHRR/V002
    Description: http://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MYD06_L2.NRT.061
    Keywords: ddc:551.5 ; clouds ; ice particle effective radius ; parametrization ; model ; satellite observations
    Language: English
    Type: doc-type:article
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  • 2
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    Shape Dependence of Falling Snow Crystals’ Microphysical Properties Using an Updated Shape Classification (2020)
    Molecular Diversity Preservation International
    Details
    Publication Date: 2020-02-09
    Description: We present ground-based in situ snow measurements in Kiruna, Sweden, using the ground-based in situ instrument Dual Ice Crystal Imager (D-ICI). D-ICI records dual high-resolution images from above and from the side of falling natural snow crystals and other hydrometeors with particle sizes ranging from 50 μ m to 4 mm. The images are from multiple snowfall seasons during the winters of 2014/2015 to 2018/2019, which span from the beginning of November to the middle of May. From our images, the microphysical properties of individual particles, such as particle size, cross-sectional area, area ratio, aspect ratio, and shape, can be determined. We present an updated classification scheme, which comprises a total of 135 unique shapes, including 34 new snow crystal shapes. This is useful for other studies that are using previous shape classification schemes, in particular the widely used Magono–Lee classification. To facilitate the study of the shape dependence of the microphysical properties, we further sort these individual particle shapes into 15 different shape groups. Relationships between the microphysical properties are determined for each of these shape groups.
    Electronic ISSN: 2076-3417
    Topics: Natural Sciences in General
    Published by Molecular Diversity Preservation International
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  • 3
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    An intercalibrated dataset of total column water vapour and wet tropospheric correction based on MWR on board ERS-1, ERS-2, and Envisat (2017)
    Copernicus
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-04-12
    Description: The microwave radiometers (MWRs) on board the European Remote Sensing Satellites 1 and 2 (ERS-1 and ERS-2) and Envisat provide a continuous time series of brightness temperature observations between 1991 and 2012. Here we report on a new total column water vapour (TCWV) and wet tropospheric correction (WTC) dataset that builds on this time series. We use a one-dimensional variational approach to derive TCWV from MWR observations and ERA-Interim background information. A particular focus of this study lies on the intercalibration of the three different instruments, which is performed using constraints on liquid water path (LWP) and TCWV. Comparing our MWR-derived time series of TCWV against TCWV derived from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) we find that the MWR-derived TCWV time series is stable over time. However, observations potentially affected by precipitation show a degraded performance compared to precipitation-free observations in terms of the accuracy of retrieved TCWV. An analysis of WTC shows further that the retrieved WTC is superior to purely ERA-Interim-derived WTC for all satellites and for the entire time series. Even compared to the European Space Agency's (ESA) operational WTC retrievals, which incorporate in addition to MWR additional observational data, the here-described dataset shows improvements in particular for the mid-latitudes and for the two earlier satellites, ERS-1 and ERS-2. The dataset is publicly available under doi:10.5676/DWD_EMIR/V001 (Bennartz et al., 2016).
    Print ISSN: 1867-1381
    Electronic ISSN: 1867-8548
    Topics: Geosciences
    Published by Copernicus on behalf of European Geosciences Union.
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  • 4
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    Comparing ERA-Interim clouds with satellite observations using a simplified satellite simulator (2018)
    Copernicus
    Details
    Publication Date: 2018-12-12
    Description: An evaluation of the ERA-Interim clouds using satellite observations is presented. To facilitate such an evaluation in a proper way, a simplified satellite simulator has been developed and applied to 6-hourly ERA-Interim reanalysis data covering the period of 1982 to 2014. The simulator converts modelled cloud fields, for example those of the ERA-Interim reanalysis, to simulated cloud fields by accounting for specific characteristics of passive imaging satellite sensors such as the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), which form the basis of many long-term observational datasets of cloud properties. It is attempted to keep the simulated cloud fields close to the original modelled cloud fields to allow a quality assessment of the latter based on comparisons of the simulated clouds fields with the observations. Applying the simulator to ERA-Interim data, this study firstly focuses on the spatial distribution and frequency of clouds (total cloud fraction) and on their vertical position, using cloud-top pressure to express the cloud fraction of high-level, mid-level and low-level clouds. Furthermore, the cloud-top thermodynamic phase is investigated. All comparisons incorporate knowledge of systematic uncertainties in the satellite observations and are further stratified by accounting for the limited sensitivity of the observations to clouds with very low cloud optical thickness (COT). The comparisons show that ERA-Interim cloud fraction is generally too low nearly everywhere on the globe except in the polar regions. This underestimation is caused by a lack of mid-level and/or low-level clouds, for which the comparisons only show a minor sensitivity to the cloud optical thickness thresholds applied. The amount of ERA-Interim high-level clouds, being higher than in the observations, agrees with the observations within their estimated uncertainties. Removing the optically very thin clouds (COT 
    Print ISSN: 1680-7316
    Electronic ISSN: 1680-7324
    Topics: Geosciences
    Published by Copernicus on behalf of European Geosciences Union.
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  • 5
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    Correction to “Comparing upper tropospheric humidity data from microwave satellite instruments and tropical radiosondes” (2011)
    American Geophysical Union
    Details
    Publication Date: 2011-05-27
    Print ISSN: 0148-0227
    Electronic ISSN: 2156-2202
    Topics: Geosciences
    Published by American Geophysical Union
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  • 6
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    Comparing upper tropospheric humidity data from microwave satellite instruments and tropical radiosondes (2010)
    American Geophysical Union
    Details
    Publication Date: 2010-12-24
    Print ISSN: 0148-0227
    Electronic ISSN: 2156-2202
    Topics: Geosciences
    Published by American Geophysical Union
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  • 7
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    A simulator for the CLARA-A2 cloud climate data record and its application to assess EC-Earth polar cloudiness (2019)
    Copernicus
    Details
    Publication Date: 2019-08-07
    Description: This paper describes a new satellite simulator for the Satellite Application Facility on Climate Monitoring (CM SAF) cLoud, Albedo and RAdiation dataset (CLARA), Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR)-based, version 2 (CLARA-A2) Climate Data Record (CDR). This simulator takes into account the variable skill in cloud detection in the CLARA-A2 CDR by using a different approach to other similar satellite simulators to emulate the ability to detect clouds. In particular, the paper describes three methods to filter out clouds from climate models undetectable by observations. The first method, compared to the simulators in Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project (CFMIP) Observation Simulator Package (COSP), relies on one global visible cloud optical depth at 550nm (τc) threshold to delineate cloudy and cloud-free conditions. Method two and three apply long/lat -gridded values separated by day and nighttime conditions. Method two uses gridded varying τc as opposed to method one that uses just a single τc threshold, and method three uses a cloud Probability of Detection (POD) depending on the model τc. Method two and three replicate the relative ease or difficulty for cloud retrievals depending on the region and illumination by increasing the cloud sensitivity where the cloud retrievals are relatively straightforward, such as over mid-latitude oceans, and by decreasing the sensitivity where cloud retrievals are notoriously tricky, such as over the Arctic region during the polar night. Method three has the added advantage that it indirectly takes into account that cloud retrievals in some areas are more likely than others to miss some clouds. This situation is common in cold regions where even thick clouds may be inseparable from cold, snow-covered surfaces and also in areas with an abundance of broken and small scale cumulus clouds such as the atmospheric subsidence regions over the ocean. The simulator, together with the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) simulator of COSP, is used to assess Arctic clouds in the EC-Earth climate model compared to the CLARA-A2 and ISCCP-H CDRs. Compared to CLARA-A2, EC-Earth is shown to underestimate cloudiness in the Arctic generally. However, compared to ISCCP and its simulator, the opposite conclusion is reached. Previous studies have found that the CLARA-A2 CDR performs well in the Arctic during the summer months, and this paper shows that the simulated cloud mask of CLARA-A2 using method three is more representative of the CDR than method one used in COSP, using a global τc threshold to simulate clouds. Therefore, the conclusion that EC-Earth underpredicts clouds in the Arctic is the more likely one. The simulator substantially improves the simulation of the CLARA-A2 detected clouds, especially in the polar regions, by accounting for the variable cloud detection skill over the year. The approach to cloud simulation based on the POD of clouds depending on their cloud optical depth, location, and illumination is the preferred one as it reduces cloudiness over a range of cloud optical depths. Climate model comparisons with satellite-derived information can be significantly improved by this approach, mainly by reducing the risk of misinterpreting problems with satellite retrievals as cloudiness features.
    Print ISSN: 1991-9611
    Electronic ISSN: 1991-962X
    Topics: Geosciences
    Published by Copernicus on behalf of European Geosciences Union.
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  • 8
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    A simulator for the CLARA-A2 cloud climate data record and its application to assess EC-Earth polar cloudiness (2020)
    Copernicus
    Details
    Publication Date: 2020-01-29
    Description: This paper describes a new satellite simulator for the CLARA-A2 climate data record (CDR). This simulator takes into account the variable skill in cloud detection in the CLARA-A2 CDR by using a different approach to other similar satellite simulators to emulate the ability to detect clouds. In particular, the paper describes three methods to filter out clouds from climate models undetectable by observations. The first method is comparable to the current simulators in the Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project (CFMIP) Observation Simulator Package (COSP), since it relies on a single visible cloud optical depth at 550 nm (τc) threshold applied globally to delineate cloudy and cloud-free conditions. Methods two and three apply long/lat-gridded values separated by daytime and nighttime conditions. Method two uses gridded varying τc as opposed to method one, which uses just a τc threshold, and method three uses a cloud probability of detection (POD) depending on the model τc. The gridded POD values are from the CLARA-A2 validation study by Karlsson and Håkansson (2018). Methods two and three replicate the relative ease or difficulty for cloud retrievals depending on the region and illumination. They increase the cloud sensitivity where the cloud retrievals are relatively straightforward, such as over midlatitude oceans, and they decrease the sensitivity where cloud retrievals are notoriously tricky, such as where thick clouds may be inseparable from cold snow-covered surfaces, as well as in areas with an abundance of broken and small-scale cumulus clouds such as the atmospheric subsidence regions over the ocean. The simulator, together with the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) simulator of the COSP, is used to assess Arctic clouds in the EC-Earth climate model compared to the CLARA-A2 and ISCCP H-Series (ISCCP-H) CDRs. Compared to CLARA-A2, EC-Earth generally underestimates cloudiness in the Arctic. However, compared to ISCCP and its simulator, the opposite conclusion is reached. Based on EC-Earth, this paper shows that the simulated cloud mask of CLARA-A2, using method three, is more representative of the CDR than method one used for the ISCCP simulator. The simulator substantially improves the simulation of the CLARA-A2-detected clouds, especially in the polar regions, by accounting for the variable cloud detection skill over the year. The approach to cloud simulation based on the POD of clouds depending on their τc, location, and illumination is the preferred one as it reduces cloudiness over a range of cloud optical depths. Climate model comparisons with satellite-derived information can be significantly improved by this approach, mainly by reducing the risk of misinterpreting problems with satellite retrievals as cloudiness features. Since previous studies found that the CLARA-A2 CDR performs well in the Arctic during the summer months, and that method three is more representative than method one, the conclusion is that EC-Earth likely underestimates clouds in the Arctic summer.
    Print ISSN: 1991-959X
    Electronic ISSN: 1991-9603
    Topics: Geosciences
    Published by Copernicus on behalf of European Geosciences Union.
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  • 9
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    Comparing ERA-Interim clouds with satellite observations using a simplified satellite simulator (2018)
    Copernicus
    Details
    Publication Date: 2018-05-30
    Description: An evaluation of the ERA-Interim clouds using satellite observations is presented. To facilitate such an evaluation in a proper way, a simplified satellite simulator has been developed and applied to six-hourly ERA-Interim reanalysis data covering the period 1982 to 2014. The simulator converts modelled cloud fields, for example those of the ERA-Interim reanalysis, to simulated cloud fields by accounting for specific characteristics of passive imaging satellite sensors such as the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), which form the basis of many long-term observational datasets of cloud properties. It is attempted to keep the simulated cloud fields close to the original modelled cloud fields to allow a quality assessment of the latter based on comparisons of the simulated clouds fields with the observations. Applying the simulator to ERA-Interim data, this study firstly focuses on spatial distribution and frequency of clouds (total cloud fraction) and on their vertical position, using cloud top pressure to express the cloud fraction of high, mid-level and low clouds. Furthermore, the cloud-top thermodynamic phase is investigated. All comparisons incorporate knowledge of systematic uncertainties in the satellite observations and are further stratified by accounting for the limited sensitivity of the observations to clouds with very low cloud optical thickness (COT). The comparisons show that ERA-Interim has generally too low cloud fraction – nearly everywhere on the globe except in the polar regions. This underestimation is caused by a lack of mid-level and/or low clouds – for which the comparisons only show a minor sensitivity to cloud optical thickness thresholds applied. The amount of ERA-Interim high clouds, being higher than in the observations, agrees to the observations within their estimated uncertainties. Removing the optically very thin clouds (COT
    Electronic ISSN: 1680-7375
    Topics: Geosciences
    Published by Copernicus on behalf of European Geosciences Union.
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  • 10
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    The Cloud_cci simulator v1.0 for the Cloud_cci climate data record and its application to a global and a regional climate model (2019)
    Copernicus
    Details
    Publication Date: 2019-02-22
    Description: The Cloud Climate Change Initiative (Cloud_cci) satellite simulator has been developed to enable comparisons between the Cloud_cci climate data record (CDR) and climate models. The Cloud_cci simulator is applied here to the EC-Earth global climate model as well as the Regional Atmospheric Climate Model (RACMO) regional climate model. We demonstrate the importance of using a satellite simulator that emulates the retrieval process underlying the CDR as opposed to taking the model output directly. The impact of not sampling the model at the local overpass time of the polar-orbiting satellites used to make the dataset was shown to be large, yielding up to 100 % error in liquid water path (LWP) simulations in certain regions. The simulator removes all clouds with optical thickness smaller than 0.2 to emulate the Cloud_cci CDR's lack of sensitivity to very thin clouds. This reduces total cloud fraction (TCF) globally by about 10 % for EC-Earth and by a few percent for RACMO over Europe. Globally, compared to the Cloud_cci CDR, EC-Earth is shown to be mostly in agreement on the distribution of clouds and their height, but it generally underestimates the high cloud fraction associated with tropical convection regions, and overestimates the occurrence and height of clouds over the Sahara and the Arabian subcontinent. In RACMO, TCF is higher than retrieved over the northern Atlantic Ocean but lower than retrieved over the European continent, where in addition the cloud top pressure (CTP) is underestimated. The results shown here demonstrate again that a simulator is needed to make meaningful comparisons between modeled and retrieved cloud properties. It is promising to see that for (nearly) all cloud properties the simulator improves the agreement of the model with the satellite data.
    Print ISSN: 1991-959X
    Electronic ISSN: 1991-9603
    Topics: Geosciences
    Published by Copernicus on behalf of European Geosciences Union.
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