boundary layer sensing for mountain...

BOUNDARY LAYER SENSING FOR MOUNTAIN WEATHERMarta Nelson: Senior Meteorologist, Radiometrics Corporation

TOPICS:• Radiometer information• History of Projects: Gunnison and Mancos• Mountain Climates and a better forecast• Future projects

RADIOMETER INFORMATION

Global RadiometersOperational functionalityHow can we fill the data gap and make a better forecast?

MP 3000A

o Passive Microwave Thermodynamic profiler

o Generates a sounding much like a radiosonde sounding once each minute.

o Zenith and Angle Scan modes build vertical profiles.

o Portable, Rugged, easy to install, operate and maintain.

COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD USE RADIOMETERS FOR BOTH RESEARCH AND OPERATIONS, CURRENTLY THERE ARE MORE THAN 100 RADIOMETERS IN USE IN ASIA

Zenith and Elevation Angle ScansGenerate temperature and humidity profiles

°

N

Azimuth Direction

360°

Off Zenith Hyperspectral Measurement

Brightness Temperaturesfrom different frequencies

GUNNISON AND MANCOS COLORADO WINTER SEEDING OPERATIONS

2013-2014 WINTER SEASON GUNNISON COLORADO DEPLOYMENT

TRACK LIQUID WATER MOVEMENT AND TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATION DURING ALL-WEATHER CONDITIONS.

GUNNISON COLORADO

This campaign concluded that we can detect temperature, vapor and liquid in real time in multiple directions. This prompted the addition of two more elevation scan angles in following projects.

MANCOS CAMPAIGN GOALS:

o Monitor local weather patterns from the ground to 10kmo Temperatureo Liquido Vapor and RH

o Observe liquid water in the vicinity of ground based generators

o Provide information for placement of future generators

o Build small-scale climatology of the basin

MARCH-APRIL2014MANCOSCOLORADO DEPLOYMENT

ADDED A LIVE DATA FEED AND MORE OBSERVATION ANGLES THAN THE PREVIOUS CAMPAIGN

The Jackson Reservoir Radiometer site was decommissioned only a couple of weeks ago and data analysis is incomplete…

… However

CLEAR DEPICTION OF WINTER CLOUD SEEDING CONDITIONS

~-15°C

Liquid water

Good seeding conditions lasted for about an hour!

All scans looking West

LIQUID WATER OBSERVATIONS FROM DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS

West Scan

Southwest Scan

South-South west Scan

Much can be learned from mapping liquid water as moves across the valley, this information can help us determine where the water comes from, where it goes and precipitation mode.

Supercooled Liquid Water Observations: April 2

South (180)

SSW (195)

WSW (225)

6 hours

MOUNTAIN CLIMATES AND A BETTER FORECASTSite-specific configurationMobile platforms

Basin Site Configuration

90°

60°

20°

45°

30°

50°

Peak Site Configuration

0°

0°

0°

0°

0°

0°

0°

0°

90°

Conceptual Model of Mountain Valley “Mesoclimate” mapping strategy

Conceptual Model of Mountain Valley “Mesoclimate” mapping strategy

Mobile Platform: Chase the snowstorm through the Basins

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS?