Development of a climatic database of tropical clouds and it application to the analysis of large-scale cloud activities

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26400470
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Meteorology/Physical oceanography/Hydrology
• Research Institution: Fukuoka University
• Principal Investigator: NISHI Noriyuki 福岡大学, 理学部, 准教授 (00222183)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 鈴木 順子 国立研究開発法人海洋研究開発機構, 大気海洋相互作用研究分野, 技術研究員 (50512878)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HAMADA Atsushi 東京大学, 大気海洋研究所, 特任助教 (30550008)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 衛星計測 / 熱帯気象 / 雲

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We developed a method for the estimation of cloud-top height using only split-window channels of infrared observations from geostationary satellites. Lookup tables (LUTs) were constructed based on regression of them with direct observations of cloud top height from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Cloud Profiling Radar onboard CALIPSO. Our previous estimation scheme using cloud radar underestimated the top heights of cirriform cloud. Using CALIOP data, we succeeded in reducing the underestimation of the height of cirriform clouds. Although CALIOP can detect optically thin clouds around the tropopause, their top heights cannot be estimated well using split-window observations. By defining the altitude at which the optical depth from the top had a specified value τmin (= 0.2) as the cloud-top height, we could create a practical LUT. We also extended our dataset to the mid-latitude and conducted the analysis of the tropical cirrus.

Free Research Field

熱帯気象学