The joint project with Dudley Chelton of CIOSS examining the Gulf Stream’s affects on the overlying atmosphere has continued. Part of CIRA’s contribution is to run software which uses temperature profiles derived from AMSU data to compute various atmospheric parameters of interest (relative vorticity, divergence, vertical velocity). For comparison, temperatures from the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) will also be run in the code. Work on using the NARR data has begun. In particular, a Gaussian smoother is being set up to use on the data, as the NARR data are known to contain noise. (J. Dostalek)
As part of the GOES-R Risk Reduction program, a tropopause wind product is being developed. Combining measurements from radiosondes, COSMIC, GOES, and OMI, the nondivergent wind field can be estimated at the tropopause (i.e. jet-stream level). The basis of the technique is the relationship between lower-stratospheric ozone and the vorticity at the tropopause derived by Vaughn and Price (1991). The date of the case currently being studied is 9 March 2009. The initial run of the technique produced reasonable results. As refinements were sought to improve the program, irregularities appeared in the ozone profiles derived from measurements taken by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), which flies on the Aura spacecraft (Figure 1). During the investigation, it was found that on 25 June 2007 the first of several row anomalies occurred which affect the ozone profiles. Until the problem is resolved the bad data points from 9 March 2009 must be removed, or a new case chosen. (J. Dostalek)
Figure 1. OMI retrieval locations and contours of total ozone. Blue lines show gaps in the retrieval which the contouring routine appears to have filled correctly. Red lines show gaps in data for which the contours indicate a problem in the data. Although still under investigation, the data problems along the red lines are thought to be due to the row anomaly in the OMI instrument.
Work on the“Kyrill” case is complete. A manuscript entitled, “Assimilating synthetic GOES-R radiances in cloudy conditions using an ensemble-based method” is currently in press. (Zupanski, D., M. Zupanski, L. Grasso, R. Brummer, I. Jankov, D. Lindsey, M. Sengupta, and M. DeMaria)
Work on the 27 June 2005 thunderstorm case is complete. A manuscript entitled, “An Example of the use of Synthetic 3.9 µm GOES-12 Imagery for Two-Moment Microphysical Evaluation” is currently in press. (D. Lindsey, L. Grasso)
Collaboration has begun with Shobha Kondragunta (NOAA/NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications and Research). We have begun converting synthetic GOES-R imagery into McIDAS format. The figure below is an example of a 3.9 µm image valid at 1800 UTC 24 August 2006. (L. Grasso, D. Lindsey, D. Hillger)
Figure: Synthetic GOES-R 3.9 µm image valid at 1800 UTC 24 August 2006. This is based on a 4 km WRF-chem simulation.
Collaboration continues between CIRA in Fort Collins and Boulder. Efforts continue with the production of synthetic GOES-R ABI imagery from the WRF model. Isidora Jankov is leading this effort. Results from this work are discussed in a recently prepared manuscript entitled, “An Evaluation of Five WRF-ARW Microphysics Schemes Using Synthetic GOES Imagery for an Atmospheric River Event Affecting the California Coast.” This manuscript was accepted with revision. (I. Jankov, L. Grasso, M. Sengupta, P J. Neiman, D. Zupanski, M. Zupanski, D. Lindsey, and R. Brummer)
Collaboration with Martin Setvak of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute proved successful. A paper was written discussing “cold ring” thunderstorms. RAMS was run with different temperature structures at the tropopause to offer a possible explanation of satellite observed cold ring thunderstorms. The manuscript is in press. (D. Lindsey, L. Grasso)
Collaboration with Wayne MacKenzie at the University of Alabama-Huntsville continues as a result of the Aviation AWG work. Together we are working on boundary layer moisture depth estimation through the use of channel differences and convective initiation. Additionally, we have acquired a second year of AWG funds to provide additional synthetic GOES-R data to Wayne and his group. (L. Grasso and D. Lindsey)
As part of the Spring Experiment at the Storm Prediction Center, we made real time synthetic GOES-R imagery. This imagery was made from the NSSL 4km WRF-ARW real time runs. We have been making such imagery at CIRA since May 2010. The figure below is an example 10.35 µm image valid at 00Z on 24 April 2010 (a 24-hour forecast). (L. Grasso, D. Lindsey, Bob Rabin (NSSL/CIMSS), Scott Dembeck (NASA), Jack Kain (NSSL), Chris Siewert (SPC))
Figure. Synthetic 10.35 µm GOES-R ABI image valid at 00 UTC on 24 April 2010 based on a 24-hour forecast from SPC's 4-km WRF-ARW simulation.
Selected images of smoke from the Shultz fire outside of Flagstaff, Arizona were collected when it was realized that the smoke plume was greatly affecting the skies in northeastern Colorado. The attached 4-panel image shows the smoke plume as seen in various image products. See the figure caption for an explanation of each of the four panels. (D. Hillger)
Figure 1: Images at 1315 UTC of the Schultz fire outside of Flagstaff AZ on 21 June 2010. Upper-left panel shows the smoke over the state of Colorado as seen by GOES-west at 1 km through forward-scattering. Upper-right panel shows the smoke over Colorado as seen much less clearly by GOES-east at 1 km through backward scattering. Lower-left panel shows a lower resolution (4 km) image of the smoke extending from its origin near Flagstaff AZ, with the plume extending northward over much of eastern Utah and then eastward over northern Colorado, and extending yet further across Nebraska. Lower-right panel is a 3-color image product, with the smoke in red over a dark background. This last image was created from a visible-albedo product, a shortwave-albedo product, and a longwave-IR image, as the Red, Green, and Blue components, respectively.
The algorithm/program used by B. Hughes to create shortwave albedo images failed when GOES-13 replaced GOES-12 as GOES-east. D. Hillger provided revised/updated software for use at the NESDIS/OSDPD Satellite Services Division. (D. Hillger)
The cloud climatology based on marine stratus depth work with Joe Clark and Mel Nordquist from the Eureka, CA National Weather Service (NWS) office, and Becca Mazur with Cheyenne, WY NWS office is continuing. There have been two teleconferences between CIRA, Eureka, and Cheyenne this quarter to discuss progress and project needs. (C. Combs)
The marine stratus depth climatologies for all four periods (May 15-Jun15, Jun16-Jul15, Jul16-Aug15, Aug16-Sep15) have been transferred to Eureka. Mel Nordquist is currently validating the climatologies with ground observations and satellite data from summer 2010. Future plans include creating cloud templates that will be used in the Graphical Forecast Editor (GFE) as first guess in sky cover forecasts. (C. Combs)
A poster on the Eureka project was presented at the American Meteorology Society (AMS) 17th Conference on Satellite Meteorology and Oceanography on September 30, 2010. A conference paper on this poster will be produced next quarter. (C. Combs)
The long-term solar prediction work is continuing. A sector covering Colorado has been taken from GOES West data for every daylight hour during May-September 1999-2009 for imager channels 1-5. Cloud/no cloud images were produced using a visible background/threshold method. These can be used to produce cloud climatologies over our potential test sites of Christman field and Boulder, CO. (C. Combs)
A method to identify solar regimes using ground solar irradiance measurements is currently in development and shows promise. The results from this classification will be used to determine pre-cursor meteorological patterns and develop regimes for the climatologies. (C. Combs)
Steve Miller, Duli Chand, Renate Brummer and Cindy Combs prepared a power point presentation on the solar project and rehearsed it several times. Duli Chand and I presented it for GIMPAP review on August 3. (C. Combs)
C. Combs attended the CoRP symposium on August 10-11. Duli Chand and I presented our work on the solar project August 11 at the symposium. On August 12, I talked with several visiting students, including Brent Maddux from CIMSS and Zulamet Vega-Martinez (CREST), about their projects and interests. On August 31, I met with Yinghui Liu, a visiting student from CIMSS, to discuss climatologies. (C. Combs)