CURRENT FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS(1) A study of Arctic radiation budget using CERES/MODIS satellite and ARM surface observations and NASA GISS model. NASA Energy and Water Cycle Study (NEWS) project, 07/2007-07/2010. This proposed research is in response to the announcement of NASA ROSE-2005 NRA, in particular for "NASA Energy and Water Cycle Study (NEWS)", using three data sets: satellite, surface, and model over Arctic regions. We propose to develop a long-term merged aerosol-cloud-radiation vertical distribution product and use it to evaluate climate model simulations of the atmospheric structure. We plan to use DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) surface observations, the NASA Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) on Terra and Aqua flux measurements and coincident Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cloud and aerosol products, cloud and radiation flux products from GOES-10 to fill in gaps, and the NASA GISS Single Column Model (SCM) at the ARM Northern Slope Alaska (NSA, 71o 19' N, 156o 37' W) site during 2000-2006 period. Based on 6-yr dataset, we propose:
This proposed research is designed to address some key scientific issues and to help bridge the gaps in understanding that currently exist between Arctic clouds, surface/TOA/atmosphere radiation budgets, and their interactions using three datasets. This proposed research will leverage current NASA instruments and resources. This project's research team is unique because we bring to bear documented expertise in the proposed research areas: satellite remote sensing, surface remote sensing, and climate modeling. (2)Evaluation of Aerosol-Cloud-Radiation Process and Feedbacks in the Alaskan Arctic, NSF, 06/2007-07/2010.The climate of the Arctic is changing rapidly for reasons that are poorly understood. It is generally recognized that low-level cloud cover is a controlling factor in any feedbacks that amplify the rate of change. However, any assessment of the relevant mechanisms at play requires accurate long-term statistical representations of Arctic cloud properties and variability. Our past efforts used long-term seasonal data to quantify indirect aerosol amplification to Arctic surface warming: thermal insulation of the surface by low-level Arctic stratus is increased in the presence of mid-latitude aerosol pollution. The proposed effort aims to expand our understanding of this phenomenon, and Arctic clouds in general, by analyzing long-term data sets collected at the DOE North Slope of Alaska - Adjacent Arctic Ocean (NSA-AAO) and NOAA BRW sites near Barrow, Alaska. Our proposed activities are to a) develop new, and refine existing remote-sensing cloud retrieval algorithms for application to Arctic studies; and b) derive long-term seasonal databases of pollution, low-cloud micro-structures, phase, precipitation, and radiative properties, and c) isolate the component mechanisms that control cloud, aerosol and precipitation interactions in the Arctic. From these efforts we expect a deepened understanding of the response of Arctic haze phenomena to a projected warmer, wetter Arctic. The broader impacts of this study are development of new techniques for studying Arctic climate and component processes, dissemination of understanding and continuous monitoring of anthropologically forced climate change in the Arctic, fostered collaborations between different government agencies and university researchers, undergraduate and graduate student training, and contribution to the broad goals of the 2007 to 2008 International Polar Year (IPY). (3)Comparison of cloud fraction, height/temperature, and microphysical properties between GISS SCM, NASA MODIS, and DOE ARM SGP data. NASA Modeling, Analysis and Prediction (MAP) Program, 12/2005-12/2009.This proposed research is in response to the announcement of NASA " a new Cloud Modeling and Analysis Initiative (CMAI)", using three data sets: NASA GISS Single Column Model (SCM) simulations, NASA MODIS satellite results, and DOE ARM surface data over the ARM Southern Great Plains (SGP) site during the period of 1999-2001. Based on the 3-year three data sets, we propose to provide (1) cloud amount and height/temperature of different kind of clouds, and (2) single-layer low, middle, and high cloud microphysical properties. It is our goal to eventually improve the representation of clouds in climate models and to have more accurate climate predictions using satellite and surface observations. Related News (4) Validation of CERES-derived TERRA and AQUA cloud properties using DOE ARM surface observations. NASA CERES project, 1/2004-04/2010.For reliable application of satellite datasets in cloud process and climate models, it is important to quantify the uncertainties in the derived cloud macrophysical and microphysical properties. When properly analyzed and validated, ground-based observations can provide a baseline for estimating errors in the satellite products. However, such comparisons must be conducted carefully because of significant spatial and temporal differences between the two different observing platforms. Also because clouds are so variable, a statistically reliable validation requires coincident satellite-surface measurements taken in a variety of conditions. A complete validation of cloud retrievals in all conditions will take many years to achieve and will proceed in steps for particular conditions using the available reference datasets. (5) Improvement of CERES Science Team cloud retrieval algorithms using both ground-based and space-based radar-lidar observations over Polar regions. NASA, 05/2009-05/2011.This proposed research is a natural extension of our validation study from previous case studies to a statistical study using more than 3 years of collocated surface and satellite observations from June 2006 to June 2009 at the DOE ARM NSA site. The first objective of the proposed research is to quantitatively evaluate the NASA CERES science team derived MODIS and GOES cloud properties using both ARM ground-based and NASA space-based CloudSat and CALIPSO observations over Arctic and Antarctic regions during the 3-yr period. The second objective is to use collocated surface-satellite radiation aberrations to study Arctic surface radiation and TOA radiation budgets, as well as derived atmospheric radiation budget during the period 2000-2008. (6) Evaluation of NASA GISS climate model simulated convective clouds using both DOE surface and NASA satellite observations. ND NASA EPSCOR program, 05/2009-05/2010.A total of 344 convective cases have been selected from 1997 to 2007 using collocated ARM MMCR and WSR-88D reflectivity measurements over the ARM SGP site. By co-locating the WSR-88D volumetric scan with the MMCR, we reconstruct the WSR-88D data into a time-height series directly over the SGP that are comparable to the MMCR data format to provide a complete time-height series of cloud-precipitation. To study the spatial developmental stages, such as growth, mature, and dissipation, of convective systems, we will map the WSR-88D observed horizontal precipitation on the GOES/MODIS retrieved cloud-top properties. The integrated satellite and WSR-88D data will be used to examine the spatial structure of the convective cores (precipitation) and stratiform (cirrus anvils with/without precipitation) regions of convective systems. Eventually we will construct a 3-D structure of DCS from both the vertical and spatial distributions of surface-satellite observations for modelers to evaluate their simulations. |