Tropical oceanic cloudiness and the incidence of precipitation: Early results from CloudSat

Results of analysis of CloudSat radar data collected during the first three months of operation are described. It is shown that the global tropical oceans (30N–30S) predominantly favor clouds with tops in two layers centered at about 2 and 12 km. Precipitating clouds occur primarily in three modes, a shallow mode that is the most frequent type, as well as a middle and deep mode. Regional features are also discussed. The Indian and western Pacific Oceans exhibit more predominantly high clouds and deeper precipitation features than the eastern Pacific and Atlantic. The occurrence of a mid‐level mode of cloudiness and precipitation is shown to vary regionally, being particularly significant in the western Pacific. For all regions examined, precipitating clouds are observed to be deeper than non‐precipitating clouds. Over the global tropical oceans, 18% of the clouds detected by CloudSat produce precipitation.

[1]  Gerald G. Mace,et al.  Global hydrometeor occurrence as observed by CloudSat: Initial observations from summer 2006 , 2007 .

[2]  G. Stephens,et al.  Properties of Tropical Convection Observed by Millimeter-Wave Radar Systems , 2007 .

[3]  By,et al.  Some simple solutions for heat-induced tropical circulation , 2006 .

[4]  Timothy F. Hogan,et al.  The Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System: , 2006 .

[5]  Chialin Wu,et al.  Cloud profiling radar for the CloudSat mission , 2005, IEEE International Radar Conference, 2005..

[6]  Paul Racette,et al.  Measurements of Ocean Surface Backscattering Using an Airborne 94-GHz Cloud Radar—Implication for Calibration of Airborne and Spaceborne W-Band Radars , 2005 .

[7]  Chidong Zhang,et al.  Madden‐Julian Oscillation , 2005 .

[8]  G. Stephens.  Cloud Feedbacks in the Climate System: A Critical Review , 2005 .

[9]  E. O'connor,et al.  The CloudSat mission and the A-train: a new dimension of space-based observations of clouds and precipitation , 2002 .

[10]  R. Lindzen,et al.  Does The Earth Have an Adaptive Infrared Iris , 2013 .

[11]  E. Clothiaux,et al.  Objective Determination of Cloud Heights and Radar Reflectivities Using a Combination of Active Remote Sensors at the ARM CART Sites , 2000 .

[12]  Richard H. Johnson,et al.  Trimodal Characteristics of Tropical Convection , 1999 .

[13]  P. Amayenc,et al.  A Class of Single- and Dual-Frequency Algorithms for Rain-Rate Profiling from a Spaceborne Radar. Part II: Tests from Airborne Radar Measurements , 1996 .

[14]  Mongi Marzoug,et al.  A Class of Single- and Dual-Frequency Algorithms for Rain-Rate Profiling from a Spaceborne Radar. Pad I: Principle and Tests from Numerical Simulations , 1994 .

[15]  V. Ramanathan,et al.  Thermodynamic regulation of ocean warming by cirrus clouds deduced from observations of the 1987 El Niño , 1991, Nature.

[16]  Ka-Ming Lau,et al.  Origin of Low-Frequency (Intraseasonal) Oscillations in the Tropical Atmosphere. Part I: Basic Theory , 1987 .

[17]  A. E. Gill.  Some simple solutions for heat‐induced tropical circulation , 1980 .