Satellite Data as used in the Local Analysis and Prediction System LAPS

1
Satellite Data as used in the Local Analysis and
Prediction System (LAPS)

• Steve Albers
• May 13, 2008

2
LAPS cloud analysis
METAR
METAR
METAR
3
3D Cloud Image
4
Cloud / Radar W-E X-sect
5
Cloud Analysis Flow Chart
6
Cloud/precip cross section
7
Precip type and snow cover
8
Cloud/Satellite Analysis Topics

• 11 micron IR
• 3.9 micron data
• Improving visible with terrain albedo database
• CO2-Slicing method (Cloud-top pressure)

9
11 micron imagery

• T(11u) best detects mid-high level clouds
• Cloud Clearing Step
• Cloud Building Step
• Iterative Adjustment Step
• Forward model converts cloud-sounding T(11u)
  estimate
• Constrained 1DVAR iteration fits cloud layers to
  observed T(11u)

10
3.9 micron imagery

• T(3.9u) T(11u) detects stratus at night
• Currently used with 11u cloud-tops for cloud
  building
• Testing underway for cloud-clearing
• Additional criteria include T(11u) and land
  fraction
• T(3.9u) T(11u) detects clouds in the daytime?
• Visible may be similar in cloud masking
  properties
• Visible may be easier for obtaining a cloud
  fraction
• Cloud Phase?
• Could work using T(3.9u) T(11u) at night
• Cloud-top phase needs blending throughout LWC/ICE
  column

11
Visible Satellite

• Improving visible with terrain albedo database
• Cloud-clearing (done with current analysis)
• Cloud-building (now being tested)
• Easiest to do over low-latitude oceans
• Accurate sfc albedo can work with VIS 11 micron
  cloud-tops
• Visible cloud fraction can be used to correct
  apparent brightness temperature to yield improved
  cloud-top temperature

12
Visible Satellite Impact

13
CO2 Slicing Method (cloud-top P)

• Subset of NESDIS Cloud-Top Pressure data
• CO2 (fractional) measurements add value
• 11u measurements (0 or 1 cloud fraction)
  redundant with imagery?
• Imagery has better spatial and temporal
  resolution?
• Treat as a cloud sounding similar to METARs and
  PIREPs

14
Temperature Analysis

• Derived Satellite Soundings
• GOES
• POES (via MADIS)

15
Wind Analysis

• Cloud Drift Winds (via MADIS)
• 3 hourly
• Experimental 1 hourly

16
fdfdfd
GOES/POES Soundings
Cloud-Drift Winds
ACARS Temperature
ACARS/Radar Wind
17
Humidity Analysis

• GOES Retrieved Integrated Water Vapor (GVAP)
• Utilizes Gradients
• Tech Memo and Posters by Dan Birkenheuer
• Earlier method uses GOES sounder with OPTRAN

18
(No Transcript)
19
MM5 Fcst Synthetic Imagery
Implemented by Brent Shaw
20
WRF Fcst Synthetic Imagery

• Ongoing with Isidora Jankov and Louie Grasso
  (CIRA)
• Future efforts incorporating Community Radiative
  Transfer Model (CRTM)?

21
Going Global with G-LAPS

• Global LAPS Domain running in real-time
• Expanding our satellite image coverage
• global geosynchronous satellites

22
Global IR Satellite Animations for Science On A
Sphere (SOS)

• Start with AWC / McIDAS animation
• Apply QC
• Overlay MTSAT imagery supplied by Taiwan CWB
• Merge with Blue Marble using variable
  transparency

23
Global Cylindrical IR image for SOS
24
Global IR Satellite Animations for Science On A
Sphere (SOS)

• Testing with GSD / McIDAS feed
• 15 minute frames
• time interpolation from 30 minute data
• testing with Meteosat Second Generation

25
Further Information

• http//laps.noaa.gov

26
Questions??
27
CloudSchematic
28
Selected references

• Albers, S., 1995 The LAPS wind analysis. Wea.
  and Forecasting, 10, 342-352.
• Albers, S., J. McGinley, D. Birkenheuer, and J.
  Smart, 1996 The Local Analysis and prediction
  System (LAPS) Analyses of clouds, precipitation
  and temperature. Wea. and Forecasting, 11,
  273-287.
• Birkenheuer, D., B.L. Shaw, S. Albers, E. Szoke,
  2001 Evaluation of local-scale forecasts for
  severe weather of July 20, 2000. Preprints, 14th
  Conf on Numerical Wea. Prediction, Ft.
  Lauderdale, FL, Amer. Meteor. Soc.
• Cram, J.M.,Albers, S., and D. Devenyi, 1996
  Application of a Two-Dimensional Variational
  Scheme to a Meso-beta scale wind analysis.
  Preprints, 15th Conf on Wea. Analysis and
  Forecasting, Norfolk, VA, Amer. Meteor. Soc.
• McGinley, J., S. Albers, D. Birkenheuer, B. Shaw,
  and P. Schultz, 2000 The LAPS water in all
  phases analysis the approach and impacts on
  numerical prediction. Presented at the 5th
  International Symposium on Tropospheric
  Profiling, Adelaide, Australia.
• Schultz, P. and S. Albers, 2001 The use of
  three-dimensional analyses of cloud attributes
  for diabatic initialization of mesoscale models.
  Preprints, 14th Conf on Numerical Wea.
  Prediction, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Amer. Meteor. Soc.

29
Derived products flow chart
30
Future Precip analysis efforts

• Combine radar with other data sources
• Model First Guess
• Rain Gauges
• Satellite Precip Estimates (e.g. GOES/TRMM)

31
Future LAPS analysis work

• Surface obs QC
• Operational use of Kalman filter (with time-space
  conversion)
• Handling of surface stations with known bias
• Improved use of radar data for AWIPS
• Multiple radars
• Wide-band full volume scans
• Use of Doppler velocities
• Obtain observation increments just outside of
  domain
• Implies software restructuring
• Add SST to surface analysis
• Stability indices
• Wet bulb zero, K index, total totals, Showalter,
  LCL (AWIPS)
• LI/CAPE/CIN with different parcels in boundary
  layer
• new (SPC) method for computing storm motions
  feeding to helicity determination
• More-generalized vertical coordinate?

32
Recent analysis improvements

• More generalized 2-D/3-D successive correction
  algorithm
• Utilized on 3-D wind/temperature, most surface
  fields
• Helps with clustered data having varying error
  characteristics
• More efficient for numerous observations
• Tested with SMS
• Gridded analyses feed into variational balancing
  package
• Cloud/Radar analysis
• Mixture of 2D (NEXRAD/NOWRAD low-level) and 3D
  (wide-band volume radar)
• Missing radar data vs no echo handling
• Horizontal radar interpolation between radials
• Improved use of model first guess RH cloud
  liq/ice

33
Cloud type diagnosis
Cloud type is derived as a function of
temperature and stability
34
LAPS data ingest strategy
35
Dummy Image
36
Humidity Analysis

• Satellite Radiances