UWKA and WCR Data summaries, issues, problems, availability, etc WCR data processing : Dave Leon, Sam Haimov, Rick Damiani UWKA data processing: Glenn Gordon, Perry Wechsler, Larry Oolman Students: Qun Miao (PhD), Tim Trudel (MS)

dateUWKA data locationWCR times UTC WCR modes*commentsWCR echo strength CICoordination with P-3FalconS-POLarmada 5/22 all OKHomestead21:45-23:43VPDD (5), UD (2), P (2) Clear dryline, with deeper drier BL to the west goodnone+-++ Tornado radar 5/24 all OKShamrock18:53-21:13VPDD (7), UD (4)6 dryline transects (2 at low levels), 11 cold-front transects (4 at low levels) very goodeast of cold front, but aligned with it /02 Heiman dead Garden City21:07-23:30UP (3), P (1), nadir beam dead 2 microbursts, some hi-based precip poornone+--- 6/03 Heiman dead Liberal17:14-20:41 22:33-23:45 VPDD (11), UD (2)12 legs across a weakening cold front, 1 leg along it mediocrenone+-++ mips Tornado radar 6/9 all OKGuymon[17:00-19:09]all beams dead1 long E-W low-level leg into NM, 3 UWKA soundings -none+--+ 6/10 all OKnorth of Dodge City [18:56-22:20]all beams deadline-normal stack, 11 legs between m AGL, plus 2 soundings -vigorous, within IOR+--+ 6/12 all OKeast of Homestead 17:50-22:00VPDD (15), UD (4)N-S line-normal stack, none parallel to the ‘fat-line’ goodon a fine line, east of the boundary we sampled /15 all OKDumas17:39-20:57VPDD (8), UD (4)E-W line-normal stack, none parallel of the diffuse boundary mediocrenone++(+)+ 6/18 all OKSublette17:48-22:03VPDD (6), UD (6)ESE-WNW line-normal stack, none parallel; followed retreating line well mediocrewithin IOR, but benign /19 all OKGoodland17:48-22:03VPDD (7), UD (3), UP (4), P(1) ESE-WNW line-normal stack, one excellent parallel leg goodexcellent CI sampled+--+

Summary case study priorities 5/24: highest priority 6/19: high priority 6/12: priority 5/22, 6/3, 6/15, 6/18: possible use (more for intercomparison than for CI case study) Other CI data (purple in previous table): no interest

Wyoming Cloud Radar 95 GHz (3 mm) - Doppler

c c WCR through nadir port Vertical-Plane Dual-Doppler w = -V n -w insects u = V f - V n - u insects sin  tan   --> extract circulation (u,w) below AC

namemodeantennaPRF (kHz)pulse (ns)# rg  r (m) R max (m)Flight legs (height AGL) A-250-SPPSPPmagside CI – ~200 m [default] A-PP4PPmag4side10/15/ CI – ~200 m [try] A-500-SPPSPPmagside kmCI – ~200 m [try] ABL 0.55 & 0.8 Zi [try] CI – 0.6 Zi [try] low-SPPSPPmagup CI – ~200 m [default] ABL – 50 m & 0.25 Zi [default] 300 m [default] X-lo-PP4PPmag4VPDD CI – 0.6 Zi [default] ABL 0.55 Zi and 0.8 Zi [try] X-hi-PP4PPmag4VPDD20 (10 between bursts) (z) 2600 (xz) CI – across and 1.5 Zi [default] ABL 0.5 Zi [try] ABL 1.2 Zi [default] M-PP4PPmag4nadir/up20 (10 between bursts) up 1500 dn ABL 30 m [when feeling lousy] ABL 0.5 Zi [default] CI – 0.6 Zi [try] Add, only if velocity folding is a problem: X-hi-PP6PPmag6VPDD15 & 20 staggered CI – across and 1.5 Zi [try] CI – 0.6 Zi [try] 0.8, 1.6, 2.4 km [default] WCR operational modes

WCR/UWKA data Most WCR data processed at this time –netcdf –time-corrected –corrected for aircraft motion –bad data due to radio-interference corrected or omitted UWKA probe data at 1 Hz and 25 Hz Plans for higher level WCR reflectivity and velocities –focus on a few key CI days –probably structured 1 file = 1 flight leg –probably downgraded (eg 30 Hz to 2 Hz) –possibly merged dataset (WCR + UWKA, same time stamp) –probably not: 2D gridded Dual-Doppler synthesized

Examples: May 24 June 19

19:43 19:52 UWKA 19:42 UTC AMA cold front dryline WCR up-looking, flight level 165 m N 24 May

5/24, 21:07 UTC

SE 135 NW 315 cold front NW SE ascent kft km Height above flt level total length: 5.9 km flight level: 360 m AGL frontal motion convergence! ee w

Total leg length: 12 km frontal motion

Flight level: ~2300 m AGL 20:10 Z VPDD cold front 20:09 Z cold front and dryline have collapsed SSE 164 NNW 344 front & dryline moist aircold air frontal motion

Aspect ratio : 2:1 WCR nadir antenna reflectivity Time (UTC) Flight level: 2300 m AGL Height below flight level (m) dBZ

20:21: :25:40 frontal motion front km possibly stratus clouds km dBZ SSE 164 NNW frontal motion SE 120 NW 300 frontal motion km 20:27: :30:48 20:42: :46:18 ESE 164 SE 135 NW 315 Height above flight level (m) frontal motionflight level: 360 m AGL total length: 11.2 km aspect ratio: 1:1 WNW : :35:33

21:06:36-21:13:20 ESE 110 WNW 290 frontal motion This is a cloud whose towering tops had grown well above 4 km AGL, part of a line of storm cells aligned with the cold front Deep convection develops 9 km ahead of sfc cold front 9 km Gravity waves in the cold-frontal stratus 21:32 21:05 21:15 w mixing ratio ee wind direction 

20:03 20:06 UWKA wind shift 19 June ‘dryline’

height AGL (m) UWKA flight level (~880 m) wind direction mixing ratio  ee SE NW 4 m/s1 m/s 11 km 19 June vertical velocity mixing ratio

21: :25 UTC flight level: 1280 m MSL ( 300 m AGL) wind shift ‘dryline’ 21:18 UTC looking SE June 19 N

relative humidity mixing ratio  ee SE NW buoyant plume! 1.5 km displacement plume on the dry side ‘dryline’

21:37 21:33 Deep convection pops up on the moist side, some 10 km east of the fine line wind shift UWKA 19 June ‘dryline’

height AGL (m) UWKA flight level (~745 m) wind direction mixing ratio ee 13.6 km 19 June Signal overwhelmed by rain drops SE NW  w RH

Research objectives Understand WCR echo plumes (mainly BLH) –vertical structure (echo and velocity) –compare vertical velocities (UWKA vs WCR) –document buoyancy and moisture anomalies –interpret the BL dynamics, possibly in relation to land surface heterogeneity CI case studies –background info (sondes, satellite, ELDORA, ground radars) –focused on WCR & UWKA data Structure and evolution Kinematics (updraft, VPDD) Dynamical interpretation –priorities: May 24, June 19 (, June 12, …)

May 31 – BLH mission – 38 km total length – 1:1 aspect ratio

Vertical velocity structure & bias

May 19 – vertical velocity field

questions Quiescent BL (BLH-BLE) –Are bug plumes thermals? –Do bug plumes transfer moisture/heat? –Do bugs oppose the updraft in which they are embedded? –What is the vertical velocity structure within plumes? –How do plumes evolve and/or move? –How do plumes behave spatially (spacing, width, geographic preference …)? –How does plume location relate to BL structure (shear, depth, land surface properties? CI case studies WCR and UWKA documented structure and evolution Kinematics (updraft, VPDD) Dynamical interpretation: what triggers deep convection? –priorities: May 24, June 19 (, June 12, May 22, June 3…)