A Comparison of Airborne In Situ Cloud Microphysical Measurement with Ground-Based C-Band Radar Observations in Deep Stratiform Regions of African Squall Lines

This study addresses clouds with significant ice water content (IWC) in the stratiform regions downwind of the convective cores of African squall lines in the framework of the French–Indian satelliteMegha-Tropiquesproject, observed in August 2010 next to Niamey (13.5°N, 2°E) in the southwestern part...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied meteorology and climatology 2015-12, Vol.54 (12), p.2461-2477
Main Authors: Drigeard, E., Fontaine, E., Wobrock, W., Schwarzenböck, A., Duroure, C., Williams, E. R., Russell, B., Protat, A., Delanoë, J., Cazenave, F., Gosset, M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air traffic control
Airborne sensing
Aircraft
Anvils
Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics
C band
Climatology
Cloud microphysics
Clouds
Crystals
Earth Sciences
Ground-based observation
Hydrometeorology
Ice
Ice crystals
Indian spacecraft
Meteorology
Microphysics
Moisture content
Observation aircraft
Physics
Precipitation
Radar
Radar echoes
Radar range
Radar tracking
Reflectance
Reflectivity
Satellite observation
Sciences of the Universe
Signal reflection
Squall lines
Squalls
Studies
Water content
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Summary:This study addresses clouds with significant ice water content (IWC) in the stratiform regions downwind of the convective cores of African squall lines in the framework of the French–Indian satelliteMegha-Tropiquesproject, observed in August 2010 next to Niamey (13.5°N, 2°E) in the southwestern part of Niger. The objectives included comparing the IWC–Zreflectivity relationship for precipitation radars in deep stratiform anvils, collocating reflectivity observed from ground radar with the calculated reflectivity from in situ microphysics for all aircraft locations inside the radar range, and interpreting the role of large ice crystals in the reflectivity of centimeter radars through analysis of their microphysical characteristics as ice crystals larger than 5mm frequently occurred. It was found that, in the range of 20–30 dBZ, IWC and C-band reflectivity are not really correlated. Cloud regions with high IWC caused by important crystal number concentrations can lead to the same reflectivity factor as cloud regions with low IWC formed by a few millimeter-sized ice crystals.
ISSN:1558-8424
1558-8432
DOI:10.1175/JAMC-D-14-0262.1