Chadrasekar, V.

Gatlin, Patrick

Joshil, Shashank

Kirstetter, Pierre

Marks, David

Pabla, Charanjit

Petersen, Walt

Pippitt, Jason

Tokay, Ali

Wang, Jianxin

Wingo, Stephanie M.

Wolff, David

NASA Technical Reports Server

Evaluating Precipitation Observed in 
Complex Terrain During GPM Field 
Campaigns with the SIMBA Data-fusion Tool
Stephanie M. Wingo
NASA Postdoctoral Program/USRA
Stephanie.M.Wingo@nasa.gov
Walt Petersen1, Patrick Gatlin1, David Marks2, David Wolff3, and Charanjit Pabla2
1NASA MSFC, 2SSAI/NASA WFF, 3NASA WFF
And Colleagues: 
Jason Pippitt4, Ali Tokay5, Pierre Kirstetter6, Jianxin Wang4, V. Chandrasekar7, Shashank Joshil7
4SSAI/GSFC, 5UMBC/GSFC, 6OU/NSSL, 7CSU
American Geophysical Union • 2017 Fall Meeting • New Orleans • H32C-05
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20170012195 2019-08-30T18:40:51+00:00Z
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov
• GPM GV & field campaign datasets
• Surface-, ground-, satellite-based 
instruments  points, profiles, 
volumes of data
Wingo et al. – in review (JTECH)
System for Integrating Multi-platform data 
to Build the Atmospheric column (SIMBA)
Targeted 
observations 
collected in 
various 
formats & 
coordinate 
systems
• SIMBA:
• Available observations from all 
supported platforms on a single, 3D grid
• Platform-specific modules
• Interpolate only as required for grid
•NetCDF, Atmospheric Column files
• Attributes maintain sensor parameters
2
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov
SIMBA Overview
User Defines 
Column Grid:
center location, 
horiz. & vert. 
extent, spacing
Platform-specific Modules:
Read native data, process only
as needed to set coincident 
observations into column grid
Atmospheric Column 
Data Product:
All available observations 
on common 3D grid in 
NetCDF format
• Coincident data set 
into the requested 
column grid
• Attributes maintain:
column grid set up, 
exact/original 
platform locations, 
modes, timestamps, 
algorithms, product 
versions, etc
• Inventory utility
Ground, Point Observations
• Disdrometers, tip bucket & 
weighing gauges and 
derived parameters
• Exact locations preserved
MRMS QPE Product
• 0.01° x 0.01° over 
CONUS:  Precip rate, 
precip type, RQI
Ground-based
Scanning Radars
• NPOL, D3R, DOW6, NWS 
NEXRAD/88D: Doppler, 
polarimetric radar fields,
GPM-GV DPQC
• Gridded via Radx
Satellite-based Sensors
• GPM GMI: L1C, L2AGPROF
TBs & retrieved precip
• GPM DPR: 2ADPR
Ka/Ku-band obs & retrievlas
• FOV locations
Ground-based
Profiling Radars
• MRR: Z, w, LWC, DSD 
parameters
• Vertical gate spacing
Soundings:
• T, Td, winds, LCL, 
LFC, EL, CAPE, 
CIN, TPW
SIMBA enables more efficient precipitation science
by fusing targeted GPM GV observations from several 
instruments to a common atmospheric column grid
3
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov
OLYMPEX Campaign: Winter 2015-2016
Houze et al. (2017)
• Coast & terrain impacts on 
precipitation in Pacific frontal systems
• Effects on satellite measurements
• Remote and In-situ data collection
• Ground-based:
• NPOL, D3R, DOW, 88Ds
• Disdrometers, gauges, particle imaging
• Airborne sensors:
• NASA DC-8, ER-2: dropsondes,
GPM Core analog
• UND Citation: In-situ cloud particle probes
• Satellite: 2nd post-launch campaign for 
GPM Core Observatory
4
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov
OLYMPEX – 3 December 2015
NPOL RHI
DPR NS
DPR HS
DPR MS
SIMBA Columns 
6 locations 
Ocean –
Quinault River 
Valley
Along NPOL 
50°/230°
azimuth/DPR 
scan lineNear perfect ground- & 
space-based scan alignment
UW WRF+GFS Analyses:  10 m winds & SLP
00 UTC 03 Dec 12 UTC 03 Dec 00 UTC 04 Dec
NPOL 1.5° Z
• Evolving system with 
shortwave trough
• Southerly flow
• Early: Widespread 
stratiform, variability
• GPM Core OP @ 1523
• Ideal coordination
• Later: front-like shallow 
echo line with wind shift
0857 1157 1857
DPR & GMI swaths
5
NPOL w/ GPM swaths
1537
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov
OLYMPEX – 3 December 2015
6 Columns along NPOL 50°/230°:
1) Ocean
•Elev: 0 m
•KLGX, NPOL, D3R
2) NPOL
•Elev: 157 m
•KLGX, NPOL, D3R
•APUs, tip gauges
3) Midpoint (N-AP)
•Elev: 40 m
•KLGX, NPOL, D3R,
1 MRR
•APU, 2DVD, tipping 
bucket gauges
4) Amanda Park
•Elev: 63 m
•KLGX, NPOL, D3R, 
DOW6, 2 MRRs
•APUs, 2DVDs, 
Pluvio, tipping 
bucket gauges
5) Grave’s Creek
•Elev: 358 m
•KLGX, NPOL, DOW6
•APUs
6) Upper East Fork
•Elev: 1120 m
•KLGX, NPOL, DOW6
•Pluvio gauge
All Columns:
20 x 20 x 6 km
500 m spacing
6
Z
VR
Zdr
Z
VR
Zdr
Kdp Kdp
(OP-10 min) (OP+10 min)
Max time offset:
10 min (NPOL v. GMI)
RHIs Reveal Structure:
• Fallstreaks below 
brightband
• Upward VR shift 
over terrain; 
enhancement in Z, 
Zdr, Kdp (e.g., Kingsmill et al. 
2006, Medina et al. 2007, 
Kennedy and Rutledge 2011)
• Transient vertical Zdr
feature, max Kdp at 
base – but near 0°C 
(Tromel et al. 2013)
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov
• DPR misses DM behavior below 0°C
level: Decrease then grow; only 
decreases in higher terrain – SW flow…
Z DMPR
O
ce
an
DMPR
N
P
O
L
M
id
p
o
in
t
A
m
an
d
a 
P
ar
k
G
ra
ve
’s
 C
re
e
k
U
p
p
e
r 
E 
Fo
rk
Z
• Higher Terrain:  More variability; DPR 
limited - at worst no gates below 0°C level
• Precip rates: at modest elevation sites, GPROF 
& DPR PRs vs. sfc-based data w/in ~3 mm/h
OLYMPEX – 3 December 2015
7
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov
OLYMPEX – 3 December 2015
Z DMPR
O
ce
an
DMPR
N
P
O
L
M
id
p
o
in
t
A
m
an
d
a 
P
ar
k
G
ra
ve
’s
 C
re
e
k
U
p
p
e
r 
E 
Fo
rk
Z
8
• DPR misses DM behavior below 0°C
level: Decrease then grow; only 
decreases in higher terrain – SW flow…
• Higher Terrain:  More variability; DPR 
limited - at worst no gates below 0°C level
• Precip rates: at modest elevation sites, GPROF 
& DPR PRs vs. sfc-based data w/in ~3 mm/h
DPR HS Lowest Clutter-Free Bin Height:
~3 km in highest terrain for this case
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov
OLYMPEX – 12 November 2015
00 UTC 12 Nov 12 UTC 12 Nov 00 UTC 13 Nov
21 UTC 12 Nov GOES WV
9
• Atmospheric river event
• Domain in warm sector
• Southwesterly flow
UW WRF+GFS Analyses:  10 m winds & SLP
Z
VR
Zdr
2112 UTC NPOL 50° RHI
1818 2118
NPOL 1.5° Z
• GPM GMI OP @ 2115
• Up to 60 mm/24 h in QRV
• Leeward rain shadow
NPOL RHIs:
• Secondary peaks ~2km 
above 0°C
• VR shifts upward ahead 
of terrain
• BB, 2nd peaks bend 
down toward terrain
• Downslope flow
DPR & 
GMI
swaths
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov
OLYMPEX – 12 November 2015
• GMI only for this case
• Lower elev. Disdrometer-derived 
Rayleigh Z compares well to S-band obs
Z DMPR
O
ce
an
DMPR
N
P
O
L
M
id
p
o
in
t
A
m
an
d
a 
P
ar
k
G
ra
ve
’s
 C
re
e
k
U
p
p
e
r 
E 
Fo
rk
Z
• Marked DM increase approaching ground, particularly 
from MRRs - flow more normal to terrain barrier
• Precipitation rates especially more 
challenging in higher terrain 
10
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov
OLYMPEX – 17 November 2015
00 UTC 17 Nov 12 UTC 17 Nov 00 UTC 18 Nov
12 UTC 17 Nov GOES WV
00 UTC 18 Nov GOES WV
11
UW WRF+GFS Analyses:  10 m winds & SLP
Z
VR
Zdr
1952 UTC NPOL 50° RHI
1918 1957
2037 2118
• Atmospheric river event
• Westerly flow
• Prominent stratiform, 
some embedded cells
• 200 mm + /24 h in QRV 
(up to 60 mm leeward)
• GPM GMI OP @ 2001
NPOL RHIs:
• VR shifts upward 
ahead of terrain
• Secondary peaks
• BB bends less than 
seen in 12 Nov case
• Growth below 0°C
• Later: FROPA with NCFR, 
into elongated sections 
as passed over land
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov
OLYMPEX – 17 November 2015
• DPR shows DM behavior 
more subtly than ground-
based sensors
Z DMPR
O
ce
an
DMPR
N
P
O
L
M
id
p
o
in
t
A
m
an
d
a 
P
ar
k
G
ra
ve
’s
 C
re
e
k
U
p
p
e
r 
E 
Fo
rk
Z
• Z profiles compare better at lower elevation sites
• Precip rates: satellite estimates underest. ground-
based by 50%+ at higher elevation 12
• DM increases toward ground (westerly flow) –
except at highest elevation sites
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov 13
MRR Dm @ 08-14Z MRR Dm @ 16-21Z
Olympic Mtns
Wet 
Graupel/Snow
15-25 km range 25-35 km range 45-55 km range
H
ei
gh
t 
[k
m
]
17 Nov 2015
As approach terrain:
• MRRs: DM increase 
more prominent
• NPOL/HID: more 
riming, big drops
• Topographically enhanced 
riming/aggregation leads to 
DSD changes resulting in more 
efficient collision-coalescence 
and larger drops at surface
• Dependent on flow 
orientation relative to terrain
Gatlin et al. (2017) – AMS Radar Conf.
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov 14
Z
DM
DPR HS Lowest Clutter-Free Bin Height:
~3+ km in highest terrain for this case
OLYMPEX –
17 November 2015
• DPR can not see the whole story!
• DPR scan along NPOL 50° azimuth
• NPOL RHI composite filled in below DPR
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov 15
Z
DM
DPR HS Lowest Clutter-Free Bin Height:
~3+ km in highest terrain for this case
OLYMPEX –
17 November 2015
• DPR can not see the whole story!
• DPR scan along NPOL 50° azimuth
• NPOL RHI composite filled in below DPR
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov 16
IPHEx Campaign: Spring/Summer 2014
• Warm season orographic precipitation 
& complex terrain hydrologic processes
• Effects on satellite measurements, QPE
• Remote and In-situ data collection
• Ground-based:
• NPOL, D3R, 88Ds, NOXP
• Disdrometers, gauges, particle imaging
• Airborne sensors:
• NASA ER-2: dropsondes,
GPM Core analog
• UND Citation: In-situ cloud particle probes
• Satellite: 1st post-launch campaign for 
GPM Core Observatory
Barros et al. (2014), IPHEx Sci Plan
IPHEx GV focus domain (yellow) 
& river basins of interest
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov 17
• GPM “Check-out” period
• Early: MCS off Appalachians
• Approaching cold front
• GPM DPR OP @ 2316
• Convection with 1-2 in hail 
in NPOL coverage; ER-2 
coordination
DPR & GMI swaths
IPHEx – 23 May 2014
IPHEx ground-
based assets
1936 2107
2156 2315
NPOL 
1.5° Z
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov 18
• GPM “Check-out” period
• Early: MCS off Appalachians
• Approaching cold front
• GPM DPR OP @ 2316
• Convection with 1-2 in hail 
in NPOL coverage; ER-2 
coordination
IPHEx – 23 May 2014
ρhv
Kdp
DM
Z
VR
Zdr
IPHEx ground-
based assets
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov 19
IPHEx – 23 May 2014
• DPR DM behavior below 0°C better 
than OLYMPEX – less terrain
• DPR NS captures Z increase below 0°C better than HS, MS
• Satellite preip rates underestimate ground-based sensors
Z DMPR
C
3
C
2
C
1
Z DMPR
C
4
C
5
Z
• Except in strongest Z core, satellite 
sfc precip rates underestimate MRMS
AGU 2017 Fall Meeting • H32C-05 • stephanie.m.wingo@nasa.gov
• SIMBA fuses targeted satellite- & ground-
based observations to a user-specified 3D grid 
for more efficient precipitation investigations
20
Summary & Continuing Work
This work is supported by an appointment to the NASA Postdoctoral 
Program at Marshall Space Flight Center, administered by Universities 
Space Research Association through a contract with NASA.
Visualization for Integrated 
Satellite- Airborne- and Ground-
based data Exploration (VISAGE): 
NASA AIST effort to use SIMBA
OLYMPEX Cases:
• Demonstrate concerns with DPR 
in regions of complex terrain
• DM behavior below 0°C implies 
processes changes, dependent on 
orientation of cross-barrier flow
IPHEx Example:
• DPR NS better represents Z in 
stronger convection
• Improved DPR DM in regions of 
less complex terrain
• Zdr signature, ML characteristics, DPR 
profiles/algorithm improvements
• Additional events, statistics
• Further SIMBA developments
IN41B-0031: Thursday 8a-12:20p
Poster Hall D-F


Evaluating Precipitation Observed in Complex Terrain During GPM Field Campaigns with the SIMBA Data-fusion Tool

Evaluating Precipitation Observed in Complex Terrain During GPM Field Campaigns with the SIMBA Data-fusion Tool

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