EOS Validation Program

Institution: NOAA
                    R/E/ET6
                    325 Broadway
                    Boulder, Colorado 80302
Phone: (303) 497-6409
FAX: (303) 497-6181
E-mail: tuttal@etl.noaa.gov

http://www6.etl.noaa.gov/projects/sheba.html (SHEBA)
http://www6.etl.noaa.gov/mmcr/merge/ (SHEBA Data)
http://www6.etl.noaa.gov/projects/fireace.html (FIRE-ACE Data) http://www.srrb.noaa.gov

Madison J. Post, NOAA/Environmental Technology Laboratory
Robert A. Kropfli, NOAA/Environmental Technology Laboratory
Sergei Matrosov, NOAA/Environmental Technology Laboratory
John J. DeLuisi

June 2001
September 2001
Final Report, December 2003

In the last decade, the NOAA/Environmental Technology Laboratory has designed and operated research and operational millimeter-wave cloud radars (MMCR) including the radars that are presently being installed at the DOE/ARM CART sites. In addition, some novel techniques have been developed which combine radar data with passive radiometric data to determine vertical profiles of cloud microphysics for both ice and water clouds. We propose to support the validation of MODIS and CERES cloud retrieval algorithms throught several complementary approaches. First, as a pre-launch (AM-1) activity, we will use existing surface radar data sets for a variety of geographical locations and seasons to determine autocorrelation scales of specific cloud properties (including cloud boundaries, Re, IWP, LWP, , as well as diurnal cloudiness and cloud layering variability. It is expected that there will be a significant variation of cloud scales as a function of cloud type, altitude and geographic location. As an immediate post-launch (AM-1) activity, these preliminary autocorrelation scales will be used for space/time matching of EOS satellite observations and surface based measurements during the SHEBA and FIRE III campaigns (Beaufort Sea) with an emphasis on rapid validation early in the mission lifetime and validation of the surface-based techniques with in-situ aircraft data. Finally, an automated technique will be developed which will be applied to MMCR data at the DOE/ARM Barrow, Alaska to provide a continuous validation data sets (cloud boundaries, Re, IWP, LWP, , ) for the lifetime of the AM-1 launch starting late in 1998.

Frisch, A. S., C. W. Fairall and J. B. Snider, 1995: On the measurement of stratus cloud and drizzle parameters with a Ka-band Doppler radar and a microwave radiometer. J. Atmos. Sci., 52, 2788-2799.

Matrosov, S.Y., B.W. Orr, R.A. Kropfli, and J.B. Snider, 1994: Retrieval of vertical profiles of cirrus cloud microphysical parameters from Doppler radar and infrared radiometer measurements. J. Appl.Meteor., 33, 617-626.

Uttal, T., E. E. Clothiaux, T. P. Ackerman, J. M. Intrieri, and W. L. Eberhard, 1995: Cloud Boundary Statistics during FIRE II. J. Atmos. Sci., 52, 4276-4284.