Ground-based Radar Observations Research Articles

Radar Circular Polarization Ratio of Near-Earth Asteroids: Links to Spectral Taxonomy and Surface Processes

The radar circular polarization ratio (CPR) is an indicator of near-surface, wavelength-scale complexity. Interestingly, previous surveys also noted an association between near-Earth asteroid (NEA) disk-integrated CPR and spectral taxonomic class, potentially reflecting differences in regolith mechanical properties and/or surface histories. Here, using Arecibo S-band radar measurements, we revisit this relationship, as well as associations with orbital and physical parameters, to test the impact of compositional class and surface processes on CPR. We found that the X complex, and potentially V-type NEAs, follow a bimodal CPR distribution, while the other studied taxonomies are unimodal. Considering S, C, Q, L, V, and X types, a CPR ≳ 1 is diagnostic of the high-CPR X complex, which includes all Xe types, while a CPR ≲ 0.4 is shared by S, C, Q, and L types. V types are not reliably identified by CPR alone. The high CPR tied to some X types may be reflective of significant roughness over multiple scales, but further analysis, including experimental insights, is needed to understand this signature. Furthermore, we found strong evidence that Aten NEAs have both a broader distribution and a higher median CPR than objects outside of Earth’s orbit. This may suggest that these Earth-crossing asteroids have their surficial physical properties altered by planetary encounters, indicating that such processes act over centimeter-to-decimeter scales. The 2029 close approach of NEA (99942) Apophis presents a unique opportunity to integrate ground-based radar observations with spacecraft measurements, such as by the Apophis Explorer (OSIRIS-APEX) mission, to reveal how resurfacing events alter NEA radar properties.

The Response of Tropopause-Overshooting Convection over North America to Climate Change

Abstract Recent field campaigns, observational studies, and modeling work have demonstrated that extratropical tropopause-overshooting convection has a substantial, and previously underestimated impact on stratospheric water vapor concentrations. This necessitates improved understanding of how tropopause-overshooting convection will respond to a warming climate. A growing body of research indicates that environments conducive to severe thunderstorms will occur more often and be increasingly unstable in the future, but no study has examined how this may be related to increased overshooting. To rectify this, this study leverages an existing pseudo-global warming (PGW) experiment to evaluate potential future changes in tropopause-overshooting convection over North America. We examine two 10-year simulations consisting of (1) a retrospective period (2003 – 2012) forced by ERA-interim initial and boundary conditions (the control simulation), and (2) the same retrospective period with CMIP5 ensemble-mean high-end emission scenario climate changes added to the initial and boundary conditions (the PGW simulation). Tropopause-overshooting convection in the control simulation is validated against observed overshoots from both ground-based radar observations in the United States and GOES satellite observations over North America. The model is shown to effectively simulate the observed regional distribution, annual cycle, and diurnal cycle of tropopause-overshooting convection. The projected response of tropopause-overshooting convection in the PGW simulation is found to increase more than 250% across the model domain, and the projected seasonal period of frequent tropopause-overshooting convection is shown to extend into late-summer. Additionally, tropopause-overshooting convection with extreme tropopause-relative heights (> 4 km) are more frequent in a warmed climate scenario.

Oceanic Precipitation Nowcasting Using a UNet-Based Residual and Attention Network and Real-Time Himawari-8 Images

Qualitative precipitation forecasting plays a vital role in marine operational services. However, predicting heavy precipitation over the open ocean presents a significant challenge due to the limited availability of ground-based radar observations far from coastal regions. Recent advancements in deep learning models offer potential for oceanic precipitation nowcasting using satellite images. This study implemented an enhanced UNet model with an attention mechanism and a residual architecture (RA-UNet) to predict the precipitation rate within a 90 min time frame. A comparative analysis with the standard UNet and UNet with an attention algorithm revealed that the RA-UNet method exhibited superior accuracy metrics, such as the critical ratio index and probability of detection, with fewer false alarms. Two typical cases demonstrated that RA-UNet had a better ability to forecast monsoon precipitation as well as intense precipitation in a tropical cyclone. These findings indicate the greater potential of the RA-UNet approach for nowcasting heavy precipitation over the ocean using satellite imagery.

Research on Three-Dimensional Cloud Structure Retrieval and Fusion Technology for the MODIS Instrument

Accurate three-dimensional (3D) cloud structure measurements are critical for assessing the influence of clouds on the Earth’s atmospheric system. This study extended the MODIS (Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) cloud vertical profile (64 × 64 scene, about 70 km in width × 15 km in height) retrieval technique based on conditional generative adversarial networks (CGAN) to construct seamless 3D cloud fields for the MODIS granules. Firstly, the accuracy and spatial continuity of the retrievals (of 7180 samples from the validation set) were statistically evaluated. Then, according to the characteristics of the retrieval error, a spatially overlapping-scene ensemble generation method and a bidirectional ensemble binning probability fusion (CGAN-BEBPF) technique were developed, which improved the CGAN retrieval accuracy and support to construct seamless 3D clouds for the MODIS granules. The CGAN-BEBPF technique involved three steps: cloud masking, intensity scaling, and optimal value selection. It ensured adequate coverage of the low reflectivity areas while preserving the high-reflectivity cloud cores. The technique was applied to retrieve the 3D cloud fields of Typhoon Chaba and a multi-cell convective system and the results were compared with ground-based radar measurements. The cloud structures of the CGAN-BEBPF results were highly consistent with the ground-based radar observations. The CGAN-EBEPF technique retrieved weak ice clouds at the top levels that were missed by ground-based radars and filled the gaps of the ground-based radars in the lower levels. The CGAN-BEBPF was automated to retrieve 3D cloud radar reflectivity along the MODIS track over the seas to the east and south of mainland China, providing valuable cloud information to support maritime and near-shore typhoons and convection prediction for the cloud-sensitive applications in the regions.

Orbital and Physical Characterization of Asteroid Dimorphos Following the DART Impact

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission impacted Dimorphos, the satellite of binary near-Earth asteroid (65803) Didymos, on 2022 September 26 UTC. We estimate the changes in the orbital and physical properties of the system due to the impact using ground-based photometric and radar observations, as well as DART camera observations. Under the assumption that Didymos is an oblate spheroid, we estimate that its equatorial and polar radii are 394 ± 11 m and 290 ± 16 m, respectively. We estimate that the DART impact instantaneously changed the along-track velocity of Dimorphos by −2.63 ± 0.06 mm s−1. Initially, after the impact, Dimorphos’s orbital period had changed by −32.7 minutes ± 16 s to 11.377 ± 0.004 hr. We find that over the subsequent several weeks the orbital period changed by an additional 34 ± 15 s, eventually stabilizing at 11.3674 ± 0.0004 hr. The total change in the orbital period was −33.25 minutes ±1.5 s. The postimpact orbit exhibits an apsidal precession rate of 6.7 ± 0.°2 day−1. Under our model, this rate is driven by the oblateness parameter of Didymos, J 2, as well as the spherical harmonics coefficients, C 20 and C 22, of Dimorphos’s gravity. Under the assumption that Dimorphos is a triaxial ellipsoid with a uniform density, its C 20 and C 22 estimates imply axial ratios, a/b and a/c, of about 1.3 and 1.6, respectively. Preimpact images from DART indicate Dimorphos’s shape was close to that of an oblate spheroid, and thus our results indicate that the DART impact significantly altered the shape of Dimorphos.

A New Closure Assumption and Formulation Based on the Helmholtz Decomposition for Improving Retrievals for Vortex Circulations from Single-Doppler Radar Observations

Abstract Doppler weather radars are powerful tools for investigating the inner-core structure and intensity of tropical cyclones (TCs). The Doppler velocity can provide quantitative information on the vortex structure in the TCs. The generalized velocity track display (GVTD) technique has been used to retrieve the axisymmetric circulations and asymmetric tangential flows in the TCs from ground-based single-Doppler radar observations. GVTD can have limited applicability to asymmetric vortices due to the closure assumption of no asymmetric radial flows. The present study proposes a new closure formulation that includes asymmetric radial flows, based on the Helmholtz decomposition. Here it is assumed that the horizontal flow is predominantly rotational and expressed with a streamfunction, but limited inclusion of wavenumber-1 divergence is available. Unlike the original GVTD, the decomposition introduces consistency along the radius by solving all equations simultaneously. The new approach, named GVTD-X, is applied to analytical vortices and a real TC with asymmetric structures. This approach makes the retrieval of axisymmetric flow relatively insensitive to the contamination from asymmetric flows and to small errors in storm center location. For an analytical vortex with a wavenumber-2 asymmetry, the maximum relative error of the axisymmetric tangential wind retrieved by GVTD-X is less than 2% at the radius of the maximum wind speed. In practical applications, errors can be evaluated by comparing results for different maximum wavenumbers. When applied to a real TC, GVTD-X largely suppressed an artificial periodic fluctuation that occurs in GVTD from the aliasing of the neglected asymmetric radial flows. Significance Statement In tropical cyclone (TC) wind retrievals from single-Doppler weather radar observations, closure assumptions are required for the retrieval equations. The present study proposes a new closure allowing asymmetric radial winds and improving retrievals for TC winds in the previously developed technique. The relative error of the axisymmetric tangential wind in idealized vortices from the new approach is less than 2% at the radius of the maximum wind speed. In applying to a real TC with an elliptical eyewall, we found that the new approach can largely suppress an artificial evolution of the tangential winds in the previous retrieval technique.

Toward a European Facility for Ground-Based Radar Observations of Near-Earth Objects

In this work, we present the preliminary results of radar observations of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) carried out by European radio telescopes in the framework of the European Space Agency (ESA) project “NEO observation concepts for radar systems”, aimed at deriving the functional requirements of a planetary radar system, evaluating the available European assets to perform NEO radar observations, and carrying out test radar campaigns. In the first part of the project, we executed the performance analysis of a possible European planetary radar system. Instrumental features, as much as issues like the impact of weather conditions on signal propagation at different radio frequencies, were considered. This paper focused on the test campaigns, performed in the years 2021–2022 in collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which led to the observation of several asteroids including 2021 AF8, (4660) Nereus, and 2005 LW3, which allowed us to derive astrometric measurements, as well as to measure physical properties, such as rotation periods, and observe how one of the targets is actually a binary asteroid. The obtained results demonstrated that European radio astronomical dishes, although employed only as receivers (in bistatic or multistatic configurations) and for a limited amount of time, are able to provide a significant contribution to the constitution of a European network to increase the opportunities for NEO monitoring and studies, if a transmitting antenna—equipped with a suitable high-power transmitter—were made available.

Precipitation Vertical Structure Characterization: A Feature-Based Approach

Abstract The three-dimensional (3D) structure of precipitation systems is highly dependent on hydrometeor formation processes and microphysics. This study aims to characterize distinct vertical profiles of precipitation regimes by relying on the availability of a high-quality, spatially dense radar network and its capability to observe the 3D structure of the storms. A deep-learning-based framework, coupled with unsupervised clustering methods, is developed to identify types of precipitation structures irrespective of their physical properties. A 6-month period of 3D reflectivity profiles from the Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) network is used to identify different regimes and investigate their properties with respect to the underlying environmental conditions. Dominant features retrieved from radar reflectivity profiles using convolutional neural-network-based autoencoders are employed to identify similar-looking vertical structures using coupled k-means and agglomerative clustering algorithms. The k-means method identifies distinct groups, while the agglomerative clustering visualizes intercluster relationships. The framework identifies 18 clusters that can be broadly combined into five groups of varied echo-top heights. The 18 clusters demonstrate variability with respect to structural features and precipitation rate/type, implying that profiles in each group belong to a physically different precipitation regime. An independent analysis of the regime properties is conducted by matching the MRMS reflectivity profiles with environmental parameters derived from the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model forecasts. The distribution of the environmental variables confirms cluster-specific feature properties, confirming the physics-based regime separation across the clusters and their dependence on the vertical structure. The identified precipitation regimes can assist in developing physics-guided retrievals and studying precipitation regimes. Significance Statement This study proposes a systematic model to identify precipitation profiles of distinct vertical structures and evaluate their dependence on environmental conditions. The model was developed using ground-based radar observations; however, there is potential to extend this model to reflectivity profiles from both ground- and satellite-based sensors. In addition, the identified precipitation regime clusters could be a proxy for the vertical structure of precipitation systems and assist in determining the structural variability within traditional precipitation type classification (e.g., convective versus stratiform). Moreover, identifying the precipitation regimes could also be used to improve satellite-based precipitation retrievals. Finally, a better understanding of precipitation structure would also help improve the initialization of climate models.

Development and Investigation of GridRad-Severe, a Multiyear Severe Event Radar Dataset

Abstract Many studies have aimed to identify novel storm characteristics that are indicative of current or future severe weather potential using a combination of ground-based radar observations and severe reports. However, this is often done on a small scale using limited case studies on the order of tens to hundreds of storms due to how time-intensive this process is. Herein, we introduce the GridRad-Severe dataset, a database including ∼100 severe weather days per year and upward of 1.3 million objectively tracked storms from 2010 to 2019. Composite radar volumes spanning objectively determined, report-centered domains are created for each selected day using the GridRad compositing technique, with dates objectively determined using report thresholds defined to capture the highest-end severe weather days from each year, evenly distributed across all severe report types (tornadoes, severe hail, and severe wind). Spatiotemporal domain bounds for each event are objectively determined to encompass both the majority of reports and the time of convection initiation. Severe weather reports are matched to storms that are objectively tracked using the radar data, so the evolution of the storm cells and their severe weather production can be evaluated. Herein, we apply storm mode (single-cell, multicell, or mesoscale convective system storms) and right-moving supercell classification techniques to the dataset, and revisit various questions about severe storms and their bulk characteristics posed and evaluated in past work. Additional applications of this dataset are reviewed for possible future studies.

Combining astrometry and JUICE – Europa Clipper radio science to improve the ephemerides of the Galilean moons

Context. The upcoming JUICE and Europa Clipper missions targeting Jupiter’s Galilean satellites will provide radio science tracking measurements of both spacecraft. Such data are expected to significantly help estimating the moons’ ephemerides and related dynamical parameters (e.g. tidal dissipation parameters). However, the two missions will yield an imbalanced dataset, with no flybys planned at Io, condensed over less than six years. Current ephemerides’ solutions for the Galilean moons, on the other hand, rely on ground-based astrometry collected over more than a century which, while being less accurate, bring very valuable constraints on the long-term dynamics of the system. Aims. An improved solution for the Galilean satellites’ complex dynamics could however be achieved by exploiting the existing synergies between these different observation sets. Methods. To quantify this, we merged simulated radio science data from both JUICE and Europa Clipper spacecraft with existing ground-based astrometric and radar observations, and performed the inversion in different configurations: either adding all available ground observations or individually assessing the contribution of different data subsets. Our discussion specifically focusses on the resulting formal uncertainties in the moons’ states, as well as Io’s and Jupiter’s tidal dissipation parameters. Results. Adding astrometry stabilises the moons’ state solution, especially beyond the missions’ timelines. It furthermore reduces the uncertainties in 1/Q (inverse of the tidal quality factor) by a factor two to four for Jupiter, and about 30–35% for Io. Among all data types, classical astrometry data prior to 1960 proved particularly beneficial. Overall, we also show that ground observations of Io add the most to the solution, confirming that ground observations can fill the lack of radio science data for this specific moon. Conclusions. We obtained a noticeable solution improvement when making use of the complementarity between all different observation sets. The promising results obtained with simulations thus motivate future efforts to achieve a global solution from actual JUICE and Clipper radio science measurements.

Post-Event Surface Deformation of the 2018 Baige Landslide Revealed by Ground-Based and Spaceborne Radar Observations

On 11 October and 3 November 2018, two large landslides occurred in Baige Village, Tibet, China, forcing the Jinsha River to be cut off and form a dammed lake, resulting in massive economic damages and deaths. This paper uses ground-based radar (GBR) and spaceborne interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technologies to perform dynamic monitoring of the Baige landslide. Firstly, the GBR results suggest that the cumulative deformation from 4 to 10 December 2018 was 1.4 m, and the landslide still exhibits a risk of instability. Secondly, with the Sentinel-1A ascending and descending orbit images from December 2018 to February 2022, the InSAR-stacking technology assisted by the generic atmospheric correction online service (GACOS) and the multidimensional small baseline subset (MSBAS) method are utilized to obtain the annual deformation velocity and cumulative deformation in the satellite radar line of sight (LOS) direction of the landslide. Finally, according to the spatial–temporal deformation characteristics of feature points, combined with optical images, field investigation, and geological conditions, the development trend and inducing factors of the Baige landslide are comprehensively analyzed. It is shown that the Baige landslide is in constant motion at present, and the deformation is spreading from the slope to its right side. This research establishes a framework of combining emergency monitoring (i.e., GBR) with long-term monitoring (i.e., spaceborne InSAR). The framework is more conducive to obtaining the deformation and evolution of landslides, providing a greater possibility for studying the development trend and risk assessment of landslides, and assisting in reducing or even avoiding the losses caused by landslides.

Using Ground-Based Radar Observations to Evaluate Asymmetric Convection and Eyewall Dynamics during the Landfall of Hurricane Harvey (2017)

Abstract Asymmetric dynamics in tropical cyclones (TCs) are vital to understanding intensity change and convective distribution at landfall. The growth of barotropic–convective instability (e.g., mesovortices), vortical hot towers, and vortex Rossby waves (VRWs) have been considered through numerical modeling studies, often by mean–eddy partitioning of the tangential wind tendency. Unfortunately, few observational datasets exist that are sufficient for such study. A University of Oklahoma Shared Mobile Atmospheric Research and Teaching radar observed major Hurricane Harvey (2017) as it intensified just before landfall near Port Aransas, Texas. Combined with a coastal WSR-88D radar, dual-Doppler derived kinematic analyses were constructed every ∼6 min at 1-km spatial resolution during Hurricane Harvey’s landfall. In this study, observations of asymmetric mesovortices on the interior edge of Harvey’s eyewall are documented. The asymmetries promoted a dual exchange of vorticity in the TC eyewall and represent an example of an eddy mechanism of intensity change on various time scales. Considering the combined effects of resolvable asymmetries, we examine the change in the tangential wind as a function of mean–eddy kinematics before and after landfall. Before landfall, the low-level eddy contribution was positive to the low-level tangential wind tendency. Following landfall, the contribution from the low-level eddy became weakly positive to weakly negative. Finally, the evolution of some asymmetric features in Harvey’s eyewall are shown to manifest in a VRW-like response that initiates rainbands just outside of Harvey’s eyewall.

Optimal Estimation Inversion of Ionospheric Electron Density from GNSS-POD Limb Measurements: Part I-Algorithm and Morphology

GNSS-LEO radio links from Precise Orbital Determination (POD) and Radio Occultation (RO) antennas have been used increasingly in characterizing the global 3D distribution and variability of ionospheric electron density (Ne). In this study, we developed an optimal estimation (OE) method to retrieve Ne profiles from the slant total electron content (hTEC) measurements acquired by the GNSS-POD links at negative elevation angles (ε < 0°). Although both OE and onion-peeling (OP) methods use the Abel weighting function in the Ne inversion, they are significantly different in terms of performance in the lower ionosphere. The new OE results can overcome the large Ne oscillations, sometimes negative values, seen in the OP retrievals in the E-region ionosphere. In the companion paper in this Special Issue, the HmF2 and NmF2 from the OE retrieval are validated against ground-based ionosondes and radar observations, showing generally good agreements in NmF2 from all sites. Nighttime hmF2 measurements tend to agree better than the daytime when the ionosonde heights tend to be slightly lower. The OE algorithm has been applied to all GNSS-POD data acquired from the COSMIC-1 (2006–2019), COSMIC-2 (2019–present), and Spire (2019–present) constellations, showing a consistent ionospheric Ne morphology. The unprecedented spatiotemporal sampling of the ionosphere from these constellations now allows a detailed analysis of the frequency–wavenumber spectra for the Ne variability at different heights. In the lower ionosphere (~150 km), we found significant spectral power in DE1, DW6, DW4, SW5, and SE4 wave components, in addition to well-known DW1, SW2, and DE3 waves. In the upper ionosphere (~450 km), additional wave components are still present, including DE4, DW4, DW6, SE4, and SW4. The co-existence of eastward- and westward-propagating wave4 components implies the presence of a stationary wave4 (SPW4), as suggested by other earlier studies. Further improvements to the OE method are proposed, including a tomographic inversion technique that leverages the asymmetric sampling about the tangent point associated with GNSS-LEO links.

Modeling of Scattering by Dense Random Media Consisting of Particle Clusters With DMRT Bicontinuous

In this article, we developed the dense media radiative transfer (DMRT) model for random media with densely packed particle clusters. The dense media are computer-generated by applying the bicontinuous random media characterization. The microstructure of the media is controlled by two parameters: mean grain size <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\langle \zeta \rangle $ </tex-math></inline-formula> and aggregation parameter <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${b}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> . Phase matrices and extinction coefficients are computed with full-wave simulations. These are then substituted into radiative transfer (RT) equations to obtain backscattering coefficients of the dense media layer with particle clusters. The backscattering has a weaker frequency dependence (e.g., <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sim $ </tex-math></inline-formula> 2.6 power for <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${b}=\mathbf {0}.\mathbf {4}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ) than the Rayleigh scattering of fourth power. Backscattering results exhibit strong co-, cross-polarization (pol), and ratio of cross- to co-polarization. For applications to remote sensing of terrestrial snow at C-band, the results of DMRT simulations show that cross-polarization of snow volume scattering can be larger than that of soil surface scattering. Recently, this property of strong cross-polarization has become a useful satellite remote sensing technique for global retrieval of snow depth. Comparisons of DMRT results are made with ESA Satellite Sentinel 1 C-band data and ground-based radar observations. The calculated backscatter is in good agreement with radar measurements for both the co- and cross-polarization.

Improvements in rainfall estimation over Bangkok, Thailand by merging satellite, radar, and gauge rainfall datasets with the geostatistical method

ABSTRACT Bangkok is located in a low land area, and floods frequently occur from rainfall, river discharge, and tides. High-accuracy rainfall data are needed to achieve high-accuracy flood predictions from hydrological models. The main objective of this study is to establish a method that improves the accuracy of precipitation estimates by merging rainfall from three sources: an infrared channel from the Himawari-8 satellite, rain gauges, and ground-based radar observations. This study applied cloud classification and bias correction using rain gauges to discriminate these errors. The bias factors were interpolated using the ordinary kriging (OK) method to fill in the areas of estimated rainfall where no rain gauge was available. The results show that bias correction improved the accuracy of radar and Himawari-8 rainfall estimates before their combination. The merged algorithm was then adopted to produce hourly merged rainfall products (GSR). Compared to the initial estimated product, the GSR is significantly more accurate. The merging algorithm increases the spatial resolution and quality of rainfall estimates and is simple to use. Furthermore, these findings not only reveal the potential and limitations of the merged algorithm but also provide useful information for future retrieval algorithm enhancement.

Observed Concentric Eyewalls of Supertyphoon Hinnamnor (2022)

Ground-based radar observations of the concentric eyewalls (CEs) of supertyphoon Hinnamnor (2022) showed that CEs evolved as follows: (Stage 0) development of a distinct stationary band complex (SBC) downshear in moderate south-southeastward vertical wind shear (VWS), (Stage 1) maturity of the secondary eyewall (SE), (Stage 2) contraction of the SE, and (Stage 3) decay of the CE structures. From Stage 0 to Stage 1, the SBCs transitioned into an axisymmetric SE, and moats appeared a few hours after SE formation. Outer rainbands formed successively in the down-to-left shear quadrants and developed wide stratiform regions with a vast anvil cloud extending outward as they moved upshear. When the anvil cloud covered the right-shear quadrants, the stratiform regions started contracting. Evolutions of the doppler velocity fields were detected under the anvil and stratiform regions of each rainband. An intense convection developed at the inner edge of the contracting SE as regions with relatively high doppler-velocity merged. When the core region was surrounded by multiple well-developed rainbands, the inner eyewall weakened rapidly. The radar observations revealed the importance of moderate-to-weak VWS and development of a SE as a rainband complex during evolution of CEs.

What Determines Above-Anvil Cirrus Plume Infrared Temperature?

Abstract Above-anvil cirrus plumes (AACPs) in midlatitude convection are important indicators of severe storms and stratospheric hydration events. Recent studies of AACPs have shown large variability in their characteristics, although many of the causes remain unknown. Notably, some AACPs appear equally as cold (or colder) than the broader storm top when compared to the more frequently observed warm AACP feature in infrared satellite imagery. To confidently identify the presence of an AACP, trained experts utilize infrared imagery to support the primary source of AACP identification, visible imagery. Thus, nighttime AACPs are often left unidentified due to unavailable visible imagery, especially for cold AACPs. In this study, 89 warm and 89 cold AACPs from 1-min GOES-16 satellite imagery coupled with ground-based radar observations and reanalysis data are comparatively evaluated to answer the following research questions: 1) Why do some AACPs exhibit a warm feature in infrared imagery while others do not, and 2) what observable storm and environment differences exist between warm and cold AACPs? It is found that cold AACPs tend to occur in tropical environments, which feature higher, cold-point tropopauses. Conversely, warm AACPs tend to occur in midlatitude environments, with lower tropopauses accompanied by an isothermal region (or tropopause inversion layer) in the lower stratosphere. Similar storm characteristics are found for warm and cold AACP events, implying that infrared temperature variability is driven by environmental differences. Together, these results suggest that cold AACPs are predominantly tropospheric phenomena, while warm AACPs reside in the lower stratosphere. Significance Statement The purpose of this study is to determine why some storms with a specific cloud-top feature exhibit a broad warm spot in infrared satellite imagery while others appear cold. This is important because storms with this specific cloud-top feature, whether warm or cold, produce much more severe weather than most other storms. These cloud-top features are also potentially indicative of increased water vapor in the stratosphere, which results in warming of Earth’s climate. Our results help us better understand storms that are frequently severe and suggest that the storms with cold features are less important to understanding stratospheric water vapor and climate change.

Integration of ground-based and space-borne radar observations for three-dimensional deformations reconstruction: application to Luanchuan mining area, China

Luanchuan mining area, which is located in Henan Province, China and characterized by undulating topography and large precipitation, is vulnerable to the landslide disasters. The observations from the space-borne radar (ascending and descending TerraSAR-X) images and the ground-based radar (GPRI-II) images are integrated to monitor the surface deformations in Luanchuan mining area. Before the integration of the observations from multi-source SAR images, the coordinate systems of multi-source images are required to be unified by geographical projection. However, the accuracy of the commonly used geographical coding will be degraded by external DEM errors and inaccurate satellite orbit, which makes it difficult to achieve the high-precision registration of space-borne and ground-based radar scenes. Therefore, in this paper the iterative closest point (ICP) method is introduced to register the space-borne and ground-based images, yielding sub-pixel registration accuracy. Reasonable weights are then assigned to multi-source observations through Strain Model and Variance Component Estimation (SM-VCE) method, from which the high-precision three-dimensional deformations can be reconstructed. The results show that the maximum deformation rates in the east-west, north-south and vertical directions of Luanchuan mining area from July 20, 2019, to August 1, 2019, are about 0.2, 0.4 and 0.7 mm/day, respectively. The deformations are mainly on the loose slags in the Luanchuan pit rather than the bedrock, as a result of the accumulation of waste slags. Some suggestions on the installation location of ground-based radar are also provided to better combine the space-borne and ground-based observations.

Lake Victoria Thunderstorms: Radar-Observed Initiation and Storm Evolution Modes

Abstract The enhanced observation period during the HIGHWAY field campaign in East Africa provided the opportunity to obtain continuous ground-based radar observations over the Lake Victoria basin. This provided insight into thunderstorm initiation processes and thunderstorm evolution. This insight is significant for it can lead to nowcasting thunderstorms over Lake Victoria, which is particularly important because of the &gt;200 000 fishers using the lake daily and the extremely high number of drownings resulting from capsized boats caused by large waves and high winds from thunderstorms. Radar data from the south shoreline of Lake Victoria made it possible to observe thunderstorm activity over the entire lake. Unexpectedly the radar returns from high concentration of insects over the lake made it possible for the radar to observe boundary layer convergence lines. With this information a radar-trained forecaster could provide nowcasts of severe storm locations and by using extrapolation techniques provide nowcasts of their future location. In addition, rules for forecasting the timing and extent of nighttime thunderstorm activity over the lake based on radar monitoring of earlier activity along the northeast land/lake region are provided. While there are many obstacles to overcome, it is hoped that in the near future this possible life-saving information can be provided to Lake Victoria boaters. Significance Statement Radar data from the south shore of Lake Victoria has enabled new understanding of thunderstorm initiation and evolution over the lake. This understanding provides the potential to nowcast thunderstorms over Lake Victoria. This is particularly important because of the extremely high number of drownings that occur over the lake that result from capsized boats caused by large waves and high winds from thunderstorms. Radar-based rules are provided for forecasting and nowcasting the timing and severity of Lake Victoria thunderstorms.

My dealings with the aurora borealis

Two important decisions on my career path had the consequence that, after a quarter century of experimentation with barium plasma clouds, I was directing my research more and more towards physics of the auroral borealis. The combination of ground-based optical and radar observations and two national satellite missions were our means to deepen the understanding of the plasma physics background of the aurora, especially of discrete auroral arcs. Our contributions are put in perspective with the global research in this field by a quick run through the major steps in the exploration of the physics of the aurora. Although by the end of the 20th century all key ingredients for the understanding of auroral arcs were available, the present state leaves many open questions, foremost with respect to the true generators processes and the overall flow of momentum and energy. Some of these questions I tried to address during my retirement years.