Public Abstract

DE-SC0025206: New insights into precipitation variability and cloud processes using polarimetric radar and cloud system resolving model simulations

Award Status: Active

Institution: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
UEI: LT9CXX8L19G1
DUNS: 785979618

Most Recent Award Date: 08/21/2024
Number of Support Periods: 1
PM: Nasiri, Shaima

Current Budget Period: 09/01/2024 - 02/28/2026
Current Project Period: 09/01/2024 - 08/31/2027
PI: Dolan, Brenda

Supplement Budget Period: N/A

Public Abstract

New insights into precipitation variability and cloud processes using polarimetric radar and cloud system resolving model simulations Principal Investigator: Dr. Brenda Dolan, Colorado State University Co-Investigators: Prof. Michael M. Bell, Colorado State University Understanding convective processes and links between dynamics, microphysics, and precipitation remains challenging in part due to the difficulties in observing complex interactions in nature. Nonetheless, comprehension of the fundamental processes influencing convection, and specifically precipitation formation, are critical for improving regional and climate models by informing microphysics schemes, as well as predicting extreme events such as heavy rainfall and flooding in a changing climate. Integrated data collection during several recent ARM field campaigns, such as the Tracking Aerosol Convection Interactions Experiment (TRACER) and Cloud, Aerosol, and Complex Terrain Interactions (CACTI), coupled with high resolution Cloud System Resolving Model Simulations (CSRM) from the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS), provide unprecedented data to investigate 3D atmospheric winds, particle size distributions, microphysics, and environment using innovative new retrieval techniques. This study builds upon our previous work funded by DOE to develop a statistical framework for investigating drop-size distribution (DSD) variability from disdrometers and model simulations (Dolan et al. 2018, 2023), and applies new techniques for deriving size distributions from polarimetric radar and vertical velocity retrievals from multiple-Doppler radars. Our analysis will leverage polarimetric radar and disdrometer data collected from recent DOE campaigns including TRACER and CACTI, as well as associated high-resolution RAMS model simulations, to investigate precipitation formation and variability as a function of cloud lifecycle, vertical velocity, thermodynamics, environment, and aerosols. The focus of this analysis will be to leverage new techniques for deriving size distributions from polarimetric radar, variational techniques for 3D multi-Doppler wind retrievals, and aerosol measurements from TRACER and CACTI to investigate links between dynamical and microphysical processes as a function of aerosol, environment, and precipitation formation. Ultimately this project will lead to a more detailed understanding of cloud processes and their links to extreme weather, resulting in better predictions of such events with forecast models and in the changing climate.

New insights into precipitation variability and cloud processes using polarimetric radar and cloud system resolving model simulations

Principal Investigator: Dr. Brenda Dolan, Colorado State University

Co-Investigators: Prof. Michael M. Bell, Colorado State University

Understanding convective processes and links between dynamics, microphysics, and precipitation remains challenging in part due to the difficulties in observing complex interactions in nature. Nonetheless, comprehension of the fundamental processes influencing convection, and specifically precipitation formation, are critical for improving regional and climate models by informing microphysics schemes, as well as predicting extreme events such as heavy rainfall and flooding in a changing climate. Integrated data collection during several recent ARM field campaigns, such as the Tracking Aerosol Convection Interactions Experiment (TRACER) and Cloud, Aerosol, and Complex Terrain Interactions (CACTI), coupled with high resolution Cloud System Resolving Model Simulations (CSRM) from the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS), provide unprecedented data to investigate 3D atmospheric winds, particle size distributions, microphysics, and environment using innovative new retrieval techniques. This study builds upon our previous work funded by DOE to develop a statistical framework for investigating drop-size distribution (DSD) variability from disdrometers and model simulations (Dolan et al. 2018, 2023), and applies new techniques for deriving size distributions from polarimetric radar and vertical velocity retrievals from multiple-Doppler radars.

Our analysis will leverage polarimetric radar and disdrometer data collected from recent DOE campaigns including TRACER and CACTI, as well as associated high-resolution RAMS model simulations, to investigate precipitation formation and variability as a function of cloud lifecycle, vertical velocity, thermodynamics, environment, and aerosols. The focus of this analysis will be to leverage new techniques for deriving size distributions from polarimetric radar, variational techniques for 3D multi-Doppler wind retrievals, and aerosol measurements from TRACER and CACTI to investigate links between dynamical and microphysical processes as a function of aerosol, environment, and precipitation formation. Ultimately this project will lead to a more detailed understanding of cloud processes and their links to extreme weather, resulting in better predictions of such events with forecast models and in the changing climate.