Expect the first R05 product, 1B-CPR to be released in late summer.
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2C-SNOW-PROFILE
Product Availability: Full mission availability except for anomalies and maneuver data gaps.
The CloudSat Snow Profile product (2C-SNOW-PROFILE) provides estimates of vertical profiles of snowfall rate along with snow size distribution parameters and snow water content for radar reflectivity profiles observed by the CloudSat Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) which, based on an evaluation of the profile and ancillary data, appear to coincide with snow at the surface. For these profiles, the product also estimates snowfall rate at the surface. Because of ground clutter, the CPR cannot reliably measure reflectivities near the surface. To overcome this limitation, the product algorithm estimates snow properties using a truncated reflectivity profile, terminated somewhat above the surface, then uses the estimated snow properties in the bottom-most portion of the profile to estimate the surface snowfall rate. For the truncated reflectivity profile, profiles of size distribution parameters are retrieved using an optimal estimation algorithm which incorporates a priori information about snow microphysical properties, radar scattering properties, and size distribution parameters. Retrievals are performed only for profiles which appear likely to contain snow at the surface, either dry snow or snow with a small melted mass fraction. The retrieved size distribution parameter profiles and the a priori information are then used to calculate profiles of snowfall rates and snow water contents. The optimal estimation method produces uncertainty estimates for the retrieved size distribution parameters, and these uncertainties are then used to estimate uncertainties for the snowfall rates and snow water contents.
Primary Publications
Process Description and Interface Control Document (PDICD)
| File Name | Last Modified | |
|---|---|---|
| 2C-SNOW-PROFILE P_R04 PDICD (574.68 KB) | February 10, 2013 |
Algorithm Specifications
| Popup | Type | Dimensions | Units | Range | Missing | Miss Op | Factor | Offset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UINT(1) | nray | -- | 0 to 127 | 1 | 0 | |||
| UINT(1) | nray | -- | 0 to 127 | 1 | 0 | |||
| UINT(1) | nray | -- | 0 to 81 | 1 | 0 | |||
| REAL(4) | nbin,nray | -- | -1 to 2 | -999 | == | 1 | 0 | |
| REAL(4) | nbin,nray | -- | -999 | == | 1 | 0 | ||
| REAL(4) | nbin,nray | -- | 2 to 8 | -999 | == | 1 | 0 | |
| REAL(4) | nbin,nray | -- | 1 to 2 | -999 | == | 1 | 0 | |
| REAL(4) | nray | -- | -999 | 1 | 0 | |||
| REAL(4) | nbin,nray | mm/h | -999 | == | 1 | 0 | ||
| REAL(4) | nray | mm/h | -999 | == | 1 | 0 | ||
| INT(1) | nray | -- | -1 to 4 | -1 | == | 1 | 0 | |
| REAL(4) | nray | mm/h | -999 | == | 1 | 0 | ||
| REAL(4) | nbin,nray | mm/h | -999 | == | 1 | 0 | ||
| INT(1) | nray | -- | -128 to 127 | 0 | == | 1 | 0 | |
| REAL(4) | nbin,nray | g/m^3 | -999 | == | 1 | 0 | ||
| REAL(4) | nbin,nray | g/m^3 | -999 | == | 1 | 0 |
| Popup | Type | Dimensions | Units | Range | Missing | Miss Op | Factor | Offset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INT(2) | nray | meters | -9999 to 8850 | 9999 | == | 1 | 0 | |
| INT(2) | nbin,nray | m | -5000 to 30000 | -9999 | == | 1 | 0 | |
| REAL(4) | nray | degrees | -90 to 90 | 1 | 0 | |||
| REAL(4) | nray | degrees | -180 to 180 | 1 | 0 | |||
| REAL(4) | nray | seconds | 0 to 6000 | 1 | 0 | |||
| REAL(8) | <scalar> | seconds | 0 to 6e+008 | 1 | 0 | |||
| REAL(4) | <scalar> | seconds | 0 to 86400 | 1 | 0 | |||
| REAL(4) | <scalar> | m | to | -9999 | == | 1 | 0 |
Related News Articles
2016
CloudSat releases algorithm uncertainty study
September 1, 2016
The CloudSat algorithm development leads have completed a synthesis of algorithm uncertainties. The synopsis describes the known uncertainties in the Cloudsat algorithms and provides the relevant technical and peer reviewed references for data end-users. The algorithm development team plans to update the document periodically as new data releases become available.
2013
2C-SNOW-PROFILE released to the CloudSat Science Team
February 10, 2013
The CloudSat DPC has released to the CloudSat Science Team the R04 version of the 2C-SNOW-PROFILE (snow water content and snowfall rate) product. After a short review period of approximately two weeks the product will be released to the general science community.
All data users are asked to review the updated documentation available on the CloudSat DPC website. In addition, we ask that you report any anomalies or questions about the product to the DPC at cloudsat@cira.colostate.edu before the review period has ended.
If you have any questions concerning the ordering process, contact the DPC at cloudsat@cira.colostate.edu
Related Publications
| 2C-SNOW-PROFILE Related Publications |
|---|
2016 - Arctic Observation and Reanalysis Integrated System: A New Data Product for Validation and Climate Study. Christensen, M., A. Behrangi, T. L'Ecuyer, N. Wood, M. Lebsock, and G. Stephens Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc. Product Tags: Have you found an error with this publication? Please log into the website to submit a change request. |
2016 - Toward improving ice water content and snow rate retreivals from radars. Part I: X and W bands, emphasizing CloudSat Heymsfield, A., S.Y. Matrosov and N.B. Wood. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol. Product Tags: Have you found an error with this publication? Please log into the website to submit a change request. |
2016 - A shallow cumuliform snowfall census using spaceborne radar Kulie, M. S., L. Milani, N. B. Wood, S. A. Tushaus, R. Bennartz, and T. S. L'Ecuyer J. Hydrometeor. Product Tags: Have you found an error with this publication? Please log into the website to submit a change request. |
2016 - Evaluation of current and projected Antarctic precipitation in CMIP5 models Palerme, C., Genthon, C., Claud, C., Kay, J. E., Wood, N. B. and T. L'Ecuyer Clim Dyn Product Tags: Have you found an error with this publication? Please log into the website to submit a change request. |
2016 - Status of high-latitude precipitation estimates from observations and reanalyses Behrangi, A.; Christensen, M.; Richardson, M.; Lebsock, M.; Stephens, G.; Huffman, G.J.; Bolvin, D.; Adler, R.F.; Gardner, A.; Lambrigtsen, B. J. Geophys. Res. Atmos. Product Tags: Have you found an error with this publication? Please log into the website to submit a change request. |
2016 - Comparison of Snowfall estimates from the NASA CloudSat Cloud Profiling Radar and NOAA/NSSL Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor System Sheng Chen, Yang Hong, Mark Kulie, A. Behrangi, Phillip M. Stepanian, Qing Cao, Yalei You, Jian Zhang, Junjun Hu, Xinhua Zhang Journal of Hydrology Product Tags: Have you found an error with this publication? Please log into the website to submit a change request. |
2015 - Intercomparison of snowfall estimates derived from the CloudSat Cloud Profiling Radar and the ground based weather radar network over Sweden. Norin, L., A. Devasthale, T. S. Lecuyer, N. B. Wood, M. Smalley Atmos. Meas. Tech. Product Tags: Have you found an error with this publication? Please log into the website to submit a change request. |
2015 - A climatology of the precipitation over the southern ocean as observed at macquarie island. Wang Z, Siems ST, Belusic D, Manton MJ, Huang Y. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol. Product Tags: Have you found an error with this publication? Please log into the website to submit a change request. |
2014 - An Update on the Oceanic Precipitation Rate and Its Zonal Distribution in Light of Advanced Observations from Space. Behrangi, A., G. Stephens, R. F. Adler, G. J. Huffman, B. Lambrigtsen, and M. Lebsock J. Climate Product Tags: Have you found an error with this publication? Please log into the website to submit a change request. |
2014 - How does the spaceborne radar blind zone affect derived surface snowfall statistics in polar regions? Maahn, M., C. Burgard, S. Crewell, I. V. Gorodetskaya, S. Kneifel, S. Lhermitte, K. Van Tricht, and N. P. M. van Lipzig J. Geophys. Res. Atmos. Product Tags: Have you found an error with this publication? Please log into the website to submit a change request. |
2014 - How much snow falls on the Antarctic ice sheet? Palerme, C., J. E. Kay, C. Genthon, T. L'Ecuyer, N. B. Wood and C. Claud The Cryosphere Product Tags: Have you found an error with this publication? Please log into the website to submit a change request. |
2014 - Estimating snow microphysical properties using collocated multi sensor observations. Observing system performance Wood, N. B., T. S. L'Ecuyer, A. Heymsfield, G. L. Stephens, D. Hudak, and P. Rodriguez J. Geophys. Res. Product Tags: Have you found an error with this publication? Please log into the website to submit a change request. |