WB57 Middle Latitude Cirrus Experiment WB MidCiX

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WB57 Middle Latitude Cirrus Experiment (WB MidCiX)
Jay Mace Andy Heymsfield

• Science
• Schedule
• Mission Implementation

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WB MidCiX Science Objectives

• Can cloud property retrieval algorithms developed
  for A-Train active and passive remote sensing
  measurements accurately characterize the
  microphysical properties of synoptic and
  convectively generated cirrus cloud systems?
• What are the relationships between the cirrus
  particle mass, projected area, and particle size
  spectrum in various genre of cirrus clouds?
• Does the present complement of state of the art
  in situ cloud probes provide the level of
  precision and accuracy necessary? What are the
  operational constraints? What Level of accuracy
  and precision can be established?

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WB MidCiX Science Schedule
When? May is best for cirrus, Early is better
for wave clouds So, MidCix Dates Wednesday 12
April Thursday 7 May 2004
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Intruments
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CAPS Nevzorov
JLH CIN CSI
MMS PT
CPI VIPS
Harvard Total Water
CU Total Water 2DP
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WB MidCiX Schedule
Assumptions Assume 60 hours. 10 hours
integration, 25-30 hours over ARM (5 flights),
10-15 hours in wave clouds (2 flights), 15 hours
in other cirrus (2 flights). Goal 1-2
integration flights followed by flights every
second or third day depending on the weather.
Flying back to back only in exceptional
circumstances (once or twice during the
month). 12 April Begin Integration 16 April
Short Test flight get instruments creating
data 19 April Long Test flight Use as science
flight if possible 21 April begin Science
flights 6 May Last science flight
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WB MidCiX Flight Plans

• Ground Site Support
• anchor along-the-wind legs (100 km) on the
  ground site stepping vertically by 1000 ft to
  bottom or top then spiral over the ground site to
  profile the layer. Repeat.
• Forecasting is challenging since the aircraft
  interests are limited to what is observed only at
  the ground site by vertically pointing
  instruments.
• Issues Will have a person on the ground with
  radio to interact with pilots. Person will also
  interact with Ellington reporting on status of
  the ground site instruments.

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WB MidCiX Flight Plans

• Wave Clouds
• Basic Flight Plan Concentrate near
  Boulder/Front Range. Multiple penetrations along
  the wind and along a theta-e surface
• Forecasting Will be challenging. Collaborate
  with Eckerman (NRL) and John Brown (FSL) for
  forecasting. Made initial contacts with Colorado
  Skywarn for ground observations. Will have eyes
  on the ground in Boulder perhaps with radio
• Issue Turbulence Numerical model of Eckerman
  to predict location of breaking waves.

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WB MidCiX Flight Plans

• Non-ground site Cirrus Would like to examine
  the following genre 1) Cirrus forced by mid
  latitude jet, 2) cirrus associated with middle
  latitude weather disturbances, 3) continental
  anvil cirrus.
• Take long 100 km x 50 km racetracks at
  predefined in-cloud altitudes (i.e. near cloud
  top and in cloud center). Advect the track
  horizontally with the cloud field.
• This will be our default non ground site
  experiment
• Goal Maximum coordination with MODIS/MISR
  overpasses (Terra and Aqua)

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WB MidCiX Forecasting Support

• As usual, forecasting will be a critical element
  to the success of this experiment
• Forecasting Team 2 forecasters in the field
  (Univ. of Utah), 1 aging forecaster veteran
  (Mace), support in Utah providing tailored model
  products.
• Pat Minnis group will provide satellite support
  in the field
• Wave cloud forecasters and ground observers

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WB MidCiX Daily flight day Schedule
Goal Launch as early as 0900 (Terra support)
as late as 1100 depending on objective. 0600
Forecasting Team makes initial assessment. 0700
Go-No Go 0800 Morning meeting (not mandatory
on flight days) 1000 Nominal Launch 1500
Afternoon meeting 1700 Nominal land 1730
Debrief
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WB MidCiX Down Day Schedule
0700 Forecasting Team Meets 0800 Weather
Briefing (not mandatory) 1500 Daily
meeting forecast plans for tomorrow and next
day data discussion
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• Issues
• Communication
• between 57 and Ellington, ARM site, Front
  Range contact.
• between ground components (cell phone network?)
• What else?
• Aircrew Training - need to make sure the science
  issues are understood and that 2-way
  communication is maintained in the planning and
  implementation process. How to proceed?
• Integration issues CSI and 2DP, others?
• Data Policy (in the field and afterwards)
• Other major issues that I am missing?

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The A-Train
?/05
?/07
12/02
3/05
1/04
Slide Courtesy Graeme Stephens
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• Science Question 1 Issues
• Remote Sensing Algorithm Validation
• A-Train Active/Passive Sensor algorithms
  combine radar, lidar backscatter with passive
  scattered or emitted radiances
• Algorithms all rely on a set of simplifying
  assumptions that limit their applicability
• Establishing accuracy and precision requires a
  statistically significant accumulation of
  reliable in situ data.

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Comparison of acft-observed IWP with ground based
retrievals
Comparison of acft-observed effective radii with
ground based retrievals
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The DOE ARM site in north-central Oklahoma
operates 24/7 a suite of ground based remote
sensors that mimic the A-Train suite in many
ways mm-radar, lidar, microwave, IR and solar
radiometry, soundings, etc
24 hours of MMCR data
Photo courtesy Tom Ackerman
MidCiX Goal To sample cirrus over the ground
site to provide algorithm validation support
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MODIS Algorithm Validation
MODIS-CERES
MOD06
MidCiX Goal Sample Cirrus in support of MODIS
observations
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WB MidCiX Science Question 2

• All cloud property retrieval algorithms, properly
  implemented, require an understanding of,
• Parametric relationships between,
• Particle Mass and maximum dimension (effective
  density)
• Particle Area and maximum dimension
• Particle fallspeed and maximum dimension
• Particle bulk density and maximum dimension
• Others depending on algorithm
• Variance and co-variance between state parameters
  (IWC, D, extinction, etc)
• Variance and co-variance between various
  observable parameters (Z, Vd, lidar backscatter,
  extinction, etc. These can be calculated from
  in situ data)

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WB MidCiX Science Question 2

• Knowledge of these relationships largely control
  out ability to quantify the error characteristics
  of geophysical parameters retrieved from remote
  sensing data.
• These relationships are needed for global
  algorithms to be applied to A-Train data sets.
• We have crystal FACE young anvils
• We anticipate data from tropical cirrus (TC4
  field experiments)
• We NEED middle latitude cirrus data MidCiX

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WB MidCiX Science Question 2
MidCiX Goal document the relationships for
various genre of middle latitude cirrus
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CSI on C130