Linear relation between convective cloud base height and updrafts and application to satellite retrievals

Youtong Zheng*, Daniel Rosenfeld

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

65 Scopus citations

Abstract

Measurements done by the Department of Energy/Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program, at the Southern Great Plains, the central Amazon, and on board an oceangoing ship between Honolulu and Los Angeles, show that updraft speeds measured by Doppler lidar and 95 GHz cloud radar are tightly linearly correlated with cloud base height (Hb). Based on these relationships, a method of satellite retrieval of maximum (Wmax) and cloud base (Wb) updraft speeds in cloud topped planetary boundary layer is proposed. Hb, as an input for updraft estimation, is obtained from satellite-retrieved cloud base temperature in combination with 2 m air temperature derived from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts reanalysis. Validation by the lidar and radar measurements shows good agreements for the satellite retrieval of Wmax with RMSE (root-mean-square error) = 0.38 m/s and MAPE (mean absolute percentage error) = 19% and Wb with RMSE = 0.34 m/s and MAPE = 21%.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)6485-6491
Number of pages7
JournalGeophysical Research Letters
Volume42
Issue number15
DOIs
StatePublished - 16 Aug 2015

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
©2015. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

Keywords

  • cloud base updrafts
  • satellite retrieval

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