Evaluation of Long-Term Cloud-Resolving Model Simulations Using Satellite Radiance Observations and Multifrequency Satellite Simulators

Evaluation of Long-Term Cloud-Resolving Model Simulations Using Satellite Radiance Observations and Multifrequency Satellite Simulators

Abstract This paper proposes a methodology known as the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Triple-Sensor Three-Step Evaluation Framework (T3EF) for the systematic evaluation of precipitating cloud types and microphysics in a cloud-resolving model (CRM). T3EF utilizes multisensor satellite si...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of atmospheric and oceanic technology 2009-07, Vol.26 (7), p.1261-1274
Main Authors: Matsui, Toshihisa, Zeng, Xiping, Tao, Wei-Kuo, Masunaga, Hirohiko, Olson, William S, Lang, Stephen
Format: Article
Language:eng
Subjects:
Clouds
Computer simulation
Marine
Meteorology
Microwaves
Radar
Radiance
Reflectivity
Satellites
Simulators
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Summary:Abstract This paper proposes a methodology known as the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Triple-Sensor Three-Step Evaluation Framework (T3EF) for the systematic evaluation of precipitating cloud types and microphysics in a cloud-resolving model (CRM). T3EF utilizes multisensor satellite simulators and novel statistics of multisensor radiance and backscattering signals observed from the TRMM satellite. Specifically, T3EF compares CRM and satellite observations in the form of combined probability distributions of precipitation radar (PR) reflectivity, polarization-corrected microwave brightness temperature (Tb), and infrared Tb to evaluate the candidate CRM. T3EF is used to evaluate the Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model for cases involving the South China Sea Monsoon Experiment (SCSMEX) and the Kwajalein Experiment (KWAJEX). This evaluation reveals that the GCE properly captures the satellite-measured frequencies of different precipitating cloud types in the SCSMEX case but overestimates the frequencies of cumulus congestus in the KWAJEX case. Moreover, the GCE tends to simulate excessively large and abundant frozen condensates in deep precipitating clouds as inferred from the overestimated GCE-simulated radar reflectivities and microwave Tb depressions. Unveiling the detailed errors in the GCE’s performance provides the better direction for model improvements.
ISSN:0739-0572
1520-0426