cloud type impact on surface radiation...2012/07/31  · • percentage of max radiation...

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• Forecast systems are impacted by inaccurate radiation forecasts • Cloud amount and type influences radiation forecasts • Inclusion of cloud type may improve forecasts for a variety of end-users Motivation Cloud Type Impact on Surface Radiation CURTIS L. WALKER 1,2 AMANDA ANDERSON 3 MICHAEL CHAPMAN 3 SHELDON DROBOT 3 1 SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITIES IN ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH AND SCIENCE (SOARS), UNIVERSITY CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH (UCAR) 2 UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA - LINCOLN 3 RESEARCH APPLICATIONS LABORATORY, NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH (NCAR) [email protected] Track Weather Forecast System Research Case Study This work was performed under the auspices of the SOARS Program, which is managed by UCAR and is funded by NSF, NOAA, the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science, the University of Colorado at Boulder, and by the Center for Multiscale Modeling of Atmospheric Processes. I would like to thank my communication mentor Jeff Custer, Paul Kucera, Rebecca Batchelor, David Currier and Cindy Halley Gotway. Tactical Forecasting Liquid Water Path Analysis Naval Research Lab Cloud Classifier • A combination of visible and infrared satellite channels to produce cloud type • Pixel-by-pixel brightness thresholds • Day and night operation Methods 04:00 09:00 14:00 19:00 00:00 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 29 May 2012 Mean Radiation Time Series Time (UTC) Mean Radiation (W m -2 ) Night Clear High Mid Low Cumuliform Left: Mean radiation time series for 29 May 2012 with modal cloud color-coded. Right: Cumuliform cloud types impact midday radiation, reduction period of 45 minutes and a recovery period of 25 minutes. Such information is useful to develop tactical forecasting products. 03:00 08:00 13:00 18:00 23:00 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 2 June 2012 Mean Radiation Time Series Time (UTC) Mean Radiation (W m -2 ) Night Clear • Percentage of max radiation transmission: Low 20%, Mid-level 32%, High 40%, Cumuliform 34%. • OK-Mesonet distributions similar to case studies Low Mid High Cumuliform Clear 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 Overall Cases Solar Radiation - Cloud Type Distribution Cloud Type Mean Solar Radiation (W m -2 ) n=33 n=8 n=55 n=41 n=339 Low Mid High Cumuliform Clear 0 200 400 600 800 1200 OK-Mesonet Cloud Type Grouped By Height Cloud Type Surface Solar Radiation (W m -2 ) n=4558 n=4580 n=33082 n=8714 n=205953 Cases v OK-Mesonet Left: Mean radiation time series for 2 June 2012. Despite this being a clear day, something is affecting the radiation. Right: Liquid water radiometer data shows despite the clear conditions there is some trace signal possibly responsible for radiation variability. Conclusions and Future • Clouds and other atmospheric particles impede 60-80% of total radiation. • 32.9% variability in solar radiation on cloudy case days due to clouds • 7.2% solar radiation variability due to clouds when clear case days considered • Another significant influence on radiation: Water vapor? Aerosols? • Next steps are to compute regression statistics for OK • Conduct similar assessment for other regions / seasons 1915 UTC 20 June 2012 NRL Cloud Class Racetrack Temperature and Pavement Info Better Cloud Type and Radiation Data Numerical Weather Prediction Model Racetrack Temperature and Pavement Info Numerical Weather Prediction Model Better Cloud Type and Radiation Data Racetrack Pavement Temperature Forecast Racetrack Pavement T emperature Forecast Decision Support for Race Teams Victory Lane Lane Track Weather Forecast System Forecast System Analysis Techniques Modal Cloud Category Selection • 9 pixel box, 8x8 km Case Study Analysis • 9 cases Salisbury, NC May-June 2012 • Radiation-Cloud Type Distribution • Theoretical Max Radiation and Water Vapor Assessments Bulk Statistical Assessment • June 2012 OK-MESONET • Radiation-Cloud Type Distribution Modal Cloud Category Selection

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Page 1: Cloud Type Impact on Surface Radiation...2012/07/31  · • Percentage of max radiation transmission: Low 20%, Mid-level 32%, High 40%, Cumuliform 34%. • OK-Mesonet distributions

•Forecastsystemsareimpactedbyinaccurateradiationforecasts•Cloudamountandtypeinfluencesradiationforecasts•Inclusionofcloudtypemayimproveforecastsforavarietyofend-users

Motivation

Cloud Type Impact on Surface RadiationCurtis L. WaLker1,2 amanda anderson3 miChaeL Chapman3 sheLdon drobot3

1signifiCant opportunities in atmospheriC researCh and sCienCe (soars), university Corporation for atmospheriC researCh (uCar)2university of nebraska - LinCoLn 3researCh appLiCations Laboratory, nationaL Center for atmospheriC researCh (nCar) [email protected]

track Weather forecast system

Research

Case Study

this work was performed under the auspices of the soars program, which is managed by uCar and is funded by nsf, noaa, the Cooperative institute for research in environmental science, the university of Colorado at boulder, and by the Center for multiscale modeling of atmospheric processes.i would like to thank my communication mentor Jeff Custer, paul kucera, rebecca batchelor, david Currier and Cindy halley gotway.

tactical forecasting

Liquid Water path analysis

Naval Research Lab Cloud Classifier•Acombinationofvisibleandinfraredsatellitechannelstoproducecloudtype•Pixel-by-pixelbrightnessthresholds •Dayandnightoperation

Methods

04:00 09:00 14:00 19:00 00:00

020

040

060

080

010

0012

00

29 May 2012 Mean Radiation Time Series

Time (UTC)

Mea

n Ra

diat

ion

(W m

−2)

NightClearHighMidLowCumuliform

Left: mean radiation time series for 29 may 2012 with modal cloud color-coded.

right: Cumuliform cloud types impact midday radiation, reduction period of 45 minutes and a recovery period of 25 minutes. such information is useful to develop tactical forecasting products.

03:00 08:00 13:00 18:00 23:00

020

040

060

080

010

0012

00

2 June 2012 Mean Radiation Time Series

Time (UTC)

Mea

n R

adia

tion

(W m

−2)

NightClear

•Percentageofmaxradiationtransmission:Low20%,Mid-level32%,High40%,Cumuliform34%.

•OK-Mesonetdistributionssimilartocasestudies

Low Mid High Cumuliform Clear

020

040

060

080

010

0012

00

Overall Cases Solar Radiation − Cloud Type Distribution

Cloud Type

Mea

n So

lar R

adia

tion

(W m

−2)

n=33 n=8 n=55 n=41 n=339

Low Mid High Cumuliform Clear

020

040

060

080

012

00

OK−Mesonet Cloud Type Grouped By Height

Cloud Type

Surfa

ce S

olar

Rad

iatio

n (W

m−2

)

n=4558 n=4580 n=33082 n=8714 n=205953

Cases v ok-Mesonet

Left: mean radiation time series for 2 June 2012.despite this being a clear day, something is affecting the radiation.

right: Liquid water radiometer data shows despite the clear conditions there is some trace signal possibly responsible for radiation variability.

Conclusions and Future•Cloudsandotheratmosphericparticlesimpede60-80%oftotalradiation.•32.9%variabilityinsolarradiationoncloudycasedaysduetoclouds•7.2%solarradiationvariabilityduetocloudswhenclearcasedaysconsidered•Anothersignificantinfluenceonradiation:Watervapor?Aerosols?•NextstepsaretocomputeregressionstatisticsforOK•Conductsimilarassessmentforotherregions/seasons

1915 utC 20 June 2012 nrL Cloud Class

Racetrack Temperature and Pavement Info

Better Cloud Type and Radiation Data

Numerical Weather Prediction Model

Racetrack Temperature and Pavement Info

Numerical Weather Prediction Model

Better Cloud Type and Radiation Data

Racetrack Pavement Temperature ForecastRacetrack Pavement Temperature Forecast

Decision Support for Race Teams

VictoryLaneLane

Track Weather Forecast SystemForecast System

analysis techniquesModalCloudCategorySelection

•9pixelbox,8x8kmCaseStudyAnalysis

•9casesSalisbury,NCMay-June2012

•Radiation-CloudTypeDistribution•TheoreticalMaxRadiationandWaterVaporAssessments

BulkStatisticalAssessment•June2012OK-MESONET•Radiation-CloudTypeDistribution modal Cloud Category selection