Integrating Cloud Observations from Ground and Space - a Way to Combine Time and Space Information (ICOS)

• Applicants: Professorin Dr. Susanne Crewell; Professor Dr. Jürgen Fischer; Professor Dr. Andreas Macke
• Subject Area: Atmospheric Science
• Term: from 2010 to 2014
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 175331999

Cloud processes remain one of the largest challenges in atmospheric research partly due to a gap in statistically significant observations of cloud macro- and microphysical properties. The most detailed and continuous observations available today come from the combination of state-of-the-art ground-based sensors at a few “super sites” worldwide. The integrated profiling technique (IPT) developed by the proposers has been established to provide cloud liquid water (LWC) profiles with their error and the associated environmental conditions (temperature, humidity) from a combination of microwave radiometer, cloud radar and ceilometer. Here we propose to extend this method by incorporating satellite observations by Meteosat SEVIRI into the IPT optimal estimation framework for the additional retrieval of cloud microphysics (effective radius, optical thickness) and cloud radiation budget. In addition SEVIRI measurements will be exploited to provide auxiliary information on a) the history of the cloud observed at the super site (lifetime, microphysical development, environment) and b) the representativeness of the cloud for the cloud field around the site. The method will be developed on the basis of existing data sets from observation sites at Cabauw, Lindenberg and AMF/Murg Valley.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Ulrich Löhnert