Ed Eloranta

UW-Madison Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

Snowfall measurements using a combination of High Spectral Resolution lidar and millimeter wavelength radar data

Room 811 AO&SS, October 26, 2009, 3:30 PM

Abstract

Atmospheric ice particles appear in wide variety of crystal forms. This variability complicates remote sensing of crystal sizes and water content. Crystal shape also has a direct influence on crystal fall speed which determines the precipitation rate. As a result, cloud optical depth and lifetime is critically dependent on crystal shape. This presentation will describe progress using data from a High Spectral Resolution Lidar together with data from a millimeter wavelength radar to determine precipitation rates, and a measure of crystal shape, in snowfall and ice crystal virga without a prior assumption of particle shape. These snowfall measurements will be compared to conventional snow gage measurements.