Validation activities in Australia

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Validation activities in Australia

• Beth Ebert, Tom Keenan, Peter May, Alan Seed
• Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre
• Melbourne, Australia

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Two-pronged validation approach

• Site-based validation
• Well instrumented (polarimetric Doppler radars,
  gauges, profiler, etc.) site at Darwin
• High space and time resolution providing
  diagnostic information
• Ongoing and case study validation of satellite
  (TRMM) data
• Results most useful for improving algorithms

• National-scale validation over Australia
• Operational daily rain gauge analysis
• Large domain includes tropics and mid-latitudes
• Ongoing verification of grid-scale satellite rain
  estimates on daily, monthly, seasonal, annual
  basis
• Gauge-calibrated radar estimates from national
  network
• Results most useful for identifying difficult
  regimes, informing users

3
Darwin Climate Monitoring Station

• Undertake climatological monitoring and research
  relevant to tropical convection in the monsoon
  environment of Darwin, Australia
• Emphasis on rainfall, vertical structure of
  hydrometeors, rainfall estimation
• Undertake detailed process studies relevant to
  defining the four dimensional structure, dynamics
  and microphysical properties of tropical
  convection
• Morphology and process studies

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ARM Tropical Western Pacific ARCS-3 Site at Darwin
Cloud Properties Millimeter-Wavelength Cloud
Radar (MMCR) Micropulse Lidar (MPL) Microwave
Radiometer (MWR) Total Sky Imager (TSI)
Vaisala Ceilometer (VCEIL) Surface
Meteorology Surface Meteorological Instruments
for TWP (SMET) Atmospheric Profiling Atmospheric
Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI)
Balloon-Borne Sounding System (SONDE)
Microwave Radiometer (MWR) Aerosols Cimel
Sunphotometer (CSPHOT) Longwave Spectral
Radiation Atmospheric Emitted Radiance
Interferometer (AERI) Shortwave Spectral
Radiation Cimel Sunphotometer (CSPHOT)
Multifilter Rotating Shadowband Radiometer
(MFRSR) Shortwave and Longwave Broadband
Radiation Ground Radiometers on Stand for
Upwelling Radiation (GNDRAD) Sky Radiometers on
Stand for Downwelling Radiation (SKYRAD)
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TRMM validation at Darwin using CPOL radar

• reflectivity
• horizontal rainfall structure

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TRMM validation at Darwin using CPOL radar

• rain profiles
• rain rates
• microphysical classification

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Microphysical studies

• Profiler reflectivity (920-MHz)
• CPOL reflectivity (over the profiler site)
• CPOL differential reflectivity

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Microphysical studies
Darwin
Brandes et al., Florida TEFLUN-B (2004 JTECH)
Bringi et al., Brazil LBA (2002 JTECH) -
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The Tropical Warm Pool International Cloud
Experiment, Darwin, Nov. 2005 Feb. 2006
Soundings in Indonesia
MTSat, A-Train
Describe and understand monsoon cloud structure
and evolution and their impact on the
environment http//www.bom.gov.au/bmrc/wefor/resea
rch/twpice.htm
???????????? Graduate School of Engineering,
Osaka University
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CP2 deployment near Brisbane
Long term joint BMRC/NCAR program involving
operation of the CP2 dual polarimetric,
dual-frequency (S and X Band) radar. Emphasis on
nowcasting severe weather and hydrological
studies.
220 real-time stations providing continuous
rain-fall observations (at 1 mm resolution) from
about 190 sites and water level data for about
140 sites.
Subtropical high rainfall regime with significant
orographic enhancement (800-900 mm on the
southwestern plains to over 1600 mm on the
highest peaks)
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Australian operational radar-raingauge network
Rainfall server
Serves data that is Quality controlled attenua
tion blockage AP Gauge corrected Error
statistics Coming soon Radar-gauge blended
analyses Applications QPE, validation,
hydrology
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Main web page Australia
IPWG validation against Australian daily rain
gauge analyses http//www.bom.gov.au/bmrc/SatRainV
al/sat_val_aus.html
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Daily page maps
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Daily page algorithm validation
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Monthly and seasonal summaries
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Pilot Evaluation of High Resolution Precipitation
Products (PEHRPP)

• Goals of PEHRPP
• Characterize errors in various high resolution
  precipitation products (HRPP) on many spatial and
  temporal scales, over varying surfaces and
  climatic regimes
• Enable developers of HRPP to improve their
  products and potential users to understand the
  relevant characteristics of the products
• Define data requirements and computing resources
  needed for retrospective processing of HRPP
• Bring together scientists with different rainfall
  concerns
• Developers and producers of high resolution
  precipitation products (HRPP)
• Providers of basic data (satellite observations,
  surface radar, rain gauge reference networks)
• Users of high resolution precipitation fields

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PEHRPP Hypotheses

• HRPP errors can be characterized by comparing
  them to independent observations from rain gauges
  and radars.
• Errors of and differences between HRPP are
  meaningful, in that they can be systematically
  related to precipitation characteristics and/or
  algorithm methodology.
• Improved HRPP can be derived by combining
  products or methods based on the observed errors
  and differences.
• HRPP spatial and temporal variability is
  realistic on scales appropriate for scientific
  studies (e.g., hydrology).
• Numerical weather prediction forecasts of
  precipitation can be used to improve HRPP in some
  locations and times.

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Activities ("suites")
PHIL

• Regional comparisons (coordinator Joe Turk,
  NRL)
• Large areas, long (continuous) time periods
• Focus on daily totals over 0.25x0.25 areas
• Observations from national rain gauge and radar
  networks
• Where possible, evaluate diurnal variability of
  HRPPs using three-hourly or finer resolution
• High time resolution comparisons (coordinators
  Kuo-Lin Hsu, UC Irvine Phil Arkin, U. Maryland
  ESSIC)
• CEOP (Coordinated Enhanced Observing Period)
  sites, TOGA and IMET buoys, Pacific atoll gauges,
  and other long term data sets
• Focus on three-hourly totals over 0.25x0.25
  areas, or finer resolution
• Wide variety of climatological and physical
  regimes
• Ancillary observations may assist in
  understanding results

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Activities ("suites")

• Very high quality field programs (coordinator
  Phil Arkin, ESSIC)
• Selected field programs
• NAME, KWAJEX, LBA, Florida, SCSMEX, ....
• Focus on three-hourly totals over 0.25x0.25
  areas
• Needs scientists who can do this work
• "Big picture" comparisons (coordinator ?)
• Catch any artifacts not noticed in detailed
  statistics of above suites
• obvious systematic changes on a latitude line,
  related to availability of certain data types
• changes in time series, related to data
  availability
• Validation of large-scale quantities and
  characteristics against bulk quantities, existing
  products (GPCP, CMAP, etc.), streamflow data
  sets, water budgets, and subjective judgment
• Focus on thousands of kilometers and monthly

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High resolution precipitation products (HRPP)
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Confirmed data providers (Suite 1)