Liquid Water Path Retrievals: Progress Report and Data Comparison
Authors
Carolyn Brauer — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Laura Dian Riihimaki — CIRES | NOAA ESRL GML
Krista Gaustad — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Maria Paola Cadeddu — Argonne National Laboratory
Timothy R. Shippert — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
David D. Turner — NOAA- Global Systems Laboratory
Category
ARM infrastructure
Description
Liquid water path (LWP) is an important parameter for many ARM data users. The LWP is typically derived from brightness temperature (TB) measurements from microwave radiometers (MWRs) or downwelling radiation measurements done by infrared interferometers, such as the Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI). Several types of microwave radiometers, including two-channel (MWR), which operate at 23.8 and 31.4 GHz, and three-channel (MWR3C) radiometers, which operate at 23.8, 30, and 89 GHz, are used at ARM sites, and AERIs are employed at the Southern Great Plains (SGP), Eastern North Atlantic (ENA) sites, and the North Slope of Alaska (NSA) site at Barrow, as well as in ARM Mobile Facilities (AMFs). Accurate LWP values depend on reliable retrievals from these instruments, and the data quality is improved by combining infrared and microwave measurements [1]. A comparison of LWP from microwave and infrared instruments at the SGP site will be presented along with the current state of LWP retrievals at the SGP and ENA sites.
[1] DD Turner, “Improved ground-based liquid water path retrievals using a combined infrared and microwave approach.” J. Geophys. Res., 112, D15204, doi:10.1029/2007JD008530.
