Sensitivity of Simulated GMI Brightness Temperatures to Variations in Particle Size Distributions in a Severe Hailstorm

• Published in: Journal of applied meteorology and climatology 2019-09, Vol.58 (9), p.1905-1930
• Main Authors: Leppert, Kenneth D., Cecil, Daniel J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Brightness; Brightness temperature; Channels; Convection; Diameters; Global precipitation; Graupel; Hail; Hailstones; Hailstorms; Hydrometeor types; Hydrometeors; Low concentrations; Observatories; Particle size; Particle size distribution; Precipitation; Probability distribution functions; Radar; Radar reflectivity; Radiative transfer; Rain; Reflectance; Satellites; Scattering; Sensitivity; Severe convection; Simulation; Simulators; Size distribution; Software packages; SPECIAL COLLECTION: Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM); Superhigh frequencies; Temperature
• ISSN: 1558-8424; 1558-8432
• DOI: 10.1175/JAMC-D-19-0031.1

Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI) brightness temperatures (BTs) were simulated over a case of severe convection in Texas using ground-based S-band radar and the Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Simulator. The median particle diameter Do of a normalized gamma distribution was varied for different hydrometeor types under the constraint of fixed radar reflectivity to better understand how simulated GMI BTs respond to changing particle size distribution parameters. In addition, simulations were conducted to assess how low BTs may be expected to reach from realistic (although extreme) particle sizes or concentrations. Results indicate that increasing Do for cloud ice, graupel, and/or hail leads to warmer BTs (i.e., weaker scattering signature) at various frequencies. Channels at 166.0 and 183.31 ± 7 GHz are most sensitive to changing Do of cloud ice, channels at ≥89.0 GHz are most sensitive to changing Do of graupel, and at 18.7 and 36.5 GHz they show the greatest sensitivity to hail Do . Simulations contrasting BTs above high concentrations of small (0.5-cm diameter) and low concentrations of large (20-cm diameter) hailstones distributed evenly across a satellite pixel showed much greater scattering using the higher concentration of smaller hailstones with BTs as low as ∼110, ∼33, ∼22, ∼46, ∼100, and ∼106 K at 10.65, 18.7, 36.5, 89.0, 166.0, and 183.31 ± 7 GHz, respectively. These results suggest that number concentration is more important for scattering than particle size given a constant S-band radar reflectivity.