High-Resolution Passive Microwave Observations of Convective Systems over the Tropical Pacific Ocean

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents high-resolution passive microwave measurements obtained in the western Pacific warm pool region. These measurements represent the most comprehensive such observations of convection over the tropical oceans to date, and were obtained from the Advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer (AMPR) aboard the NASA ER-2 during the Tropical Ocean and Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment. The AMPR measures linearly polarized radiation at 10.7, 19.35, 37.1, and 85.5 GHZ. Nadir brightness temperature scatterplots suggest that the three lower frequencies respond primarily to emission/absorption processes. Strong ice scattering is relatively rare, as absolute magnitudes of the ice-scattering signature do not approach those measured in strong convection over land. This is apparently related to the reported weaker updraft velocities over tropical oceans, which would create and suspend relatively smaller graupel or hail particles in the upper cloud. Observations withi...