The KAZR-ARSCL Product: What’s available now, and a look ahead
Authors
Tami Fairless — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Karen Lee Johnson — Brookhaven National Laboratory
Michael Jensen — Brookhaven National Laboratory
Scott Giangrande — Brookhaven National Laboratory
Pavlos Kollias — Stony Brook University
Edward Luke — Brookhaven National Laboratory
Category
General topics – Clouds
Description
The U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program archives a continuous, ongoing and publicly available record of zenith-pointing millimeter-wavelength radar observations and corresponding Value-Added Products (VAPs), beginning in 1997 and available at a number of climatically-important sites worldwide. This observation and product record continues following the 2011 upgrade of the profiling cloud radars from their origins as Millimeter Cloud Radars (MMCRs) to the current Ka-band ARM Zenith Radars (KAZRs).
The KAZR upgrade for the Active Remote Sensing of CLouds (ARSCL) VAP, along with its intermediate VAP, KAZR-COR, have been formally released. KAZR-ARSCL processing is fully automated, unlike the original MMCR-based ARSCL VAP, which required human oversight and intervention. The KAZR-COR product makes corrections to calibrated KAZR mode observations (the general and higher sensitivity modes), including gaseous attenuation correction and unfolding of mean Doppler velocities. It also creates a significant detection mask for each radar mode. The KAZR-ARSCL VAP then merges the corrected KAZR-COR mode files to produce best-estimate KAZR moments. It also incorporates ceilometer, micropulse lidar, microwave radiometer and rain gauge observations to complement radar capabilities. KAZR-ARSCL output includes best-estimate radar moments, best-estimate cloud base and cloud layer base and top heights.
We also discuss the status of KAZR2-ARSCL, which accomodates the upgraded KAZR2 radars now operating at the Oliktok, Alaska AMF3 and the fixed Eastern North Atlantic Azores sites. These radars add a additional attenuated radar mode, for improved performance in precipitation.
Plans for an enhanced KAZR-ARSCL2 product are also discussed. The upgraded VAP is expected to incorporate observations from additional sensors and products where available: radar wind profiler, Raman lidar, disdrometer, and the Doppler spectra-based MICRO-ARSCL VAP. These data sources have the potential to improve performance in precipitation, improve cloud detection and fine-tune insect detection.
