Spatial Covariance of Cloud and Precipitation Liquid Water Content at the ARM ENA Site
Authors
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Roger Marchand — University of Washington
Qiang Fu — University of Washington
Pavlos Kollias — Stony Brook University
Edward Luke — Brookhaven National Laboratory
Category
Microphysics (cloud, aerosol and/or precipitation)
Description
Representing the spatial variability and correlation (or covariance) between cloud and precipitation liquid water content is crucial to the parameterizations of many microphysical processes, such as autoconversion and accretion [Lebsock et al. 2013, Boutle et al.2014]. In this poster we examine the possibility of simultaneously determining cloud liquid water content (CLWC) and precipitation liquid water content (PLWC) using a combination of ARM the Ka-band ARM zenith radar (KAZR) Doppler spectra and microwave radiometer observations from the ARM Eastern North Atlantic (ENA) site, with the goal of eventually using these data to better parameterization of autoconversion and accretion. In particular, we use the skewness state retrieved from the radar Doppler spectra to determine the degree to which the observed radar reflective and mean Doppler velocity (in each radar volume) are due predominately to small cloud droplets, predominately to larger precipitating (rain or drizzle) droplets, or has a significant contribution from both. This identification, combined with Microwave Radiometer data are used to obtain estimates for the CLWC and PLWC in each radar resolution volume.
