Airborne Passive Remote Sensing of Optical Thickness and Particle Effective Radius of Cirrus and Deep Convective Clouds

Within this Ph.D. thesis, the optical thickness and particle effective radius of cirrus and deep convective clouds (DCCs) are retrieved using passive remote sensing techniques. For this purpose, airborne and satellite measurements of spectral solar radiation combined with extensive radiative transfer simulations have been conducted. Data analyzed in this study were collected during the ML-CIRRUS and the ACRIDICON-CHUVA campaigns, which aimed to study natural and contrail cirrus over Europe and DCCs over the Amazon rainforest using the German High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO), respectively. During the campaigns, HALO was equipped with a comprehensive set of remote sensing and in situ instruments. In particular flights, closely collocated measurements with the overpasses of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard of the Aqua satellite were carried out. A cirrus located above liquid water clouds and a DCC topped by an anvil cirrus are investigated. In general, the research framework can be divided into four parts. In the first part, the spectral upward radiances measured by the Spectral Modular Airborne Radiation Measurement System (SMART)-Albedometer aboard of HALO are compared with those measured by the MODIS. In the second part, a radiance ratio retrieval assuming a vertically homogeneous cloud is applied to obtain the cloud optical thickness and particle effective radius based on the measurements of SMART-Albedometer and MODIS. Multiple near-infrared wavelengths with different absorption characteristics are utilized in the retrieval in order to study the vertical structure of cloud particle sizes. In the third part, the retrieved cloud properties are compared with those derived from the MODIS cloud products. For the cirrus case, the retrieved values of particle effective radius are further compared to in situ data measured by the Cloud Combination Probe (CCP). To allow this comparison, a vertical weighting method is applied. Although the comparison results in a good agreement, retrievals using this conventional technique only provide information on cloud particle sizes from the upper layers, even if spectral measurements have been employed. The retrieved particle effective radius represents a vertically weighted value, where the upper cloud layers are weighted at most. In the fourth part, an extended technique based on Bayesian optimal estimation has been developed to obtain the full vertical profile of particle effective radius. For this purpose, a parameterization assuming the shape of the vertical profile with respect to a vertical coordinate within the cloud is applied. The information content of SMART-Albedometer measurements is analyzed to identify wavelengths that bring the most information pertaining to each retrieval parameter. The new retrieval technique is applied to the cirrus case to infer the profile of particle effective radius as a function of optical thickness. The comparison between the retrieved and the in situ profiles shows a good agreement with a deviation of about 5 % at the cloud top and increases to values of up to 15 % at the cloud base. The new retrieval technique has shown excellent skill in improving the study of the vertical profile of cloud microphysical properties, which can be applied in the future generation of airborne and satellite retrievals based on the measurements of passive remote sensing.:1. Introduction 2. Definitions 3. Measurements 4. Comparison of upward radiance 5. Retrieval of cloud optical thickness and particle effective radius 6. Comparison of cloud optical thickness and particle effective radius 7. Retrieval of the vertical profile of particle effective radius 8. Summary and conclusio

ANALISA SEBARAN TSS (TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLID) DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN CITRA SATELIT AQUA MODIS TAHUN 2005-1011 (Studi Kasus: Pesisir Pantai Surabaya-Sidoarjo)

Pembuangan lumpur dan material terlarut dalam jumlah besar dan secara terus-menerus ke Kali Porong mengakibatkan terjadinya sedimentasi di Kali Porong dan sedimentasi juga timbul di muara Kali Porong dan Pantai Surabaya – Sidoarjo yang diakibatkan oleh transport sedimen dari Kali Porong ke muara dan ke sepanjang pantai. Oleh karena itu, perlu adanya suatu penelitian mengenai nilai dan sebaran TSS (Total Suspended Solid) yang akan digunakan untuk analisa sebaran sedimentasi pantai Surabaya – Sidoarjo dengan menggunakan teknologi citra satelit. Citra satelit yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah citra Aqua MODIS MYD021KM hasil perekaman secara multi temporal dari tahun 2005 sampai dengan tahun 2011 sehingga dapat diketahui nilai dan persebaran TSS (Total Suspended Solid).Algoritma yang digunakan adalah algoritma Guzman & Santaella (2009) untuk menentukan nilai TSS pada daerah penelitian, dengan waktu penelitian pada musim timur yang dilakukan pada bulan Juli. Daerah penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah daerah pesisir pantai Surabaya – Sidoarjo.Dari hasil pengolahan data dan analisa didapatkan nilai TSS dari tahun 2005 – 2011 bervariasi antara 0.112 mg/l - 138.233 mg/l. Uji validasi yang dilakukan bernilai 76,40%, yang menunjukkan TSS hasil pengolahan citra merepresentasikan kondisi sesungguhnya. Daerah yang mengalami dampak sebaran TSS tinggi adalah muara Kali Porong, selatan Kali Porong, Pantai Pasuruan, muara Kali Alo, dan daerah pantai utara Kali Alo. Nilai dan sebaran TSS dipengaruhi oleh pasang surut, arus arus, angin, dan gelombang. Hasil pengolahan data dan analisis ini dapat dijadikan bahan referensi dalam penelian selanjutnya

Airborne Passive Remote Sensing of Optical Thickness and Particle Effective Radius of Cirrus and Deep Convective Clouds

Within this Ph.D. thesis, the optical thickness and particle effective radius of cirrus and deep convective clouds (DCCs) are retrieved using passive remote sensing techniques. For this purpose, airborne and satellite measurements of spectral solar radiation combined with extensive radiative transfer simulations have been conducted. Data analyzed in this study were collected during the ML-CIRRUS and the ACRIDICON-CHUVA campaigns, which aimed to study natural and contrail cirrus over Europe and DCCs over the Amazon rainforest using the German High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO), respectively. During the campaigns, HALO was equipped with a comprehensive set of remote sensing and in situ instruments. In particular flights, closely collocated measurements with the overpasses of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard of the Aqua satellite were carried out. A cirrus located above liquid water clouds and a DCC topped by an anvil cirrus are investigated. In general, the research framework can be divided into four parts. In the first part, the spectral upward radiances measured by the Spectral Modular Airborne Radiation Measurement System (SMART)-Albedometer aboard of HALO are compared with those measured by the MODIS. In the second part, a radiance ratio retrieval assuming a vertically homogeneous cloud is applied to obtain the cloud optical thickness and particle effective radius based on the measurements of SMART-Albedometer and MODIS. Multiple near-infrared wavelengths with different absorption characteristics are utilized in the retrieval in order to study the vertical structure of cloud particle sizes. In the third part, the retrieved cloud properties are compared with those derived from the MODIS cloud products. For the cirrus case, the retrieved values of particle effective radius are further compared to in situ data measured by the Cloud Combination Probe (CCP). To allow this comparison, a vertical weighting method is applied. Although the comparison results in a good agreement, retrievals using this conventional technique only provide information on cloud particle sizes from the upper layers, even if spectral measurements have been employed. The retrieved particle effective radius represents a vertically weighted value, where the upper cloud layers are weighted at most. In the fourth part, an extended technique based on Bayesian optimal estimation has been developed to obtain the full vertical profile of particle effective radius. For this purpose, a parameterization assuming the shape of the vertical profile with respect to a vertical coordinate within the cloud is applied. The information content of SMART-Albedometer measurements is analyzed to identify wavelengths that bring the most information pertaining to each retrieval parameter. The new retrieval technique is applied to the cirrus case to infer the profile of particle effective radius as a function of optical thickness. The comparison between the retrieved and the in situ profiles shows a good agreement with a deviation of about 5 % at the cloud top and increases to values of up to 15 % at the cloud base. The new retrieval technique has shown excellent skill in improving the study of the vertical profile of cloud microphysical properties, which can be applied in the future generation of airborne and satellite retrievals based on the measurements of passive remote sensing.:1. Introduction 2. Definitions 3. Measurements 4. Comparison of upward radiance 5. Retrieval of cloud optical thickness and particle effective radius 6. Comparison of cloud optical thickness and particle effective radius 7. Retrieval of the vertical profile of particle effective radius 8. Summary and conclusio

Spectral upward radiance and retrieved cloud properties

The data contain spectral upward radiance at wavelengths = 645 nm, 1240 nm, and 1640 nm. For SMART, the measured radiances have been convoluted with the MODIS relative spectral response. Retrieval products, one cloud optical thickness (645 nm), and two particle effective radius (1240 nm and 1640 nm), are given. For more details, please contact the corresponding author

ACRIDICON–CHUVA Campaign: Studying Tropical Deep Convective Clouds and Precipitation over Amazonia Using the New German Research Aircraft HALO

Between 1 September and 4 October 2014, a combined airborne and ground-based measurement campaign was conducted to study tropical deep convective clouds over the Brazilian Amazon rain forest. The new German research aircraft, High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO), a modified Gulfstream G550, and extensive ground-based instrumentation were deployed in and near Manaus (State of Amazonas). The campaign was part of the German–Brazilian Aerosol, Cloud, Precipitation, and Radiation Interactions and Dynamics of Convective Cloud Systems–Cloud Processes of the Main Precipitation Systems in Brazil: A Contribution to Cloud Resolving Modeling and to the GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement) (ACRIDICON– CHUVA) venture to quantify aerosol–cloud–precipitation interactions and their thermodynamic, dynamic, and radiative effects by in situ and remote sensing measurements over Amazonia. The ACRIDICON–CHUVA field observations were carried out in cooperation with the second intensive operating period of Green Ocean Amazon 2014/15 (GoAmazon2014/5). In this paper we focus on the airborne data measured on HALO, which was equipped with about 30 in situ and remote sensing instruments for meteorological, trace gas, aerosol, cloud, precipitation, and spectral solar radiation measurements

ML-CIRRUS: The Airborne Experiment on Natural Cirrus and Contrail Cirrus with the High-Altitude Long-Range Research Aircraft HALO

The Midlatitude Cirrus experiment (ML-CIRRUS) deployed the High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO) to obtain new insights into nucleation, life cycle, and climate impact of natural cirrus and aircraft-induced contrail cirrus. Direct observations of cirrus properties and their variability are still incomplete, currently limiting our understanding of the clouds’ impact on climate. Also, dynamical effects on clouds and feedbacks are not adequately represented in today’s weather prediction models.Here, we present the rationale, objectives, and selected scientific highlights of ML-CIRRUS using the G-550 aircraft of the German atmospheric science community. The first combined in situ–remote sensing cloud mission with HALO united state-of-the-art cloud probes, a lidar and novel ice residual, aerosol, trace gas, and radiation instrumentation. The aircraft observations were accompanied by remote sensing from satellite and ground and by numerical simulations.In spring 2014, HALO performed 16 flights above Europe with a focus on anthropogenic contrail cirrus and midlatitude cirrus induced by frontal systems including warm conveyor belts and other dynamical regimes (jet streams, mountain waves, and convection). Highlights from ML-CIRRUS include 1) new observations of microphysical and radiative cirrus properties and their variability in meteorological regimes typical for midlatitudes, 2) insights into occurrence of in situ–formed and lifted liquid-origin cirrus, 3) validation of cloud forecasts and satellite products, 4) assessment of contrail predictability, and 5) direct observations of contrail cirrus and their distinction from natural cirrus. Hence, ML-CIRRUS provides a comprehensive dataset on cirrus in the densely populated European midlatitudes with the scope to enhance our understanding of cirrus clouds and their role for climate and weather