Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net 1680-7367 1680-7375 8 2 2008 10.5194/acpd-8-4765-2008 http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/8/4765/2008/ http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/8/4765/2008/acpd-8-4765-2008.html http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/8/4765/2008/acpd-8-4765-2008.pdf 4765 4809 2008-03-05 Clouds-Aerosols-Precipitation Satellite Analysis Tool (CAPSAT) I. M. Lensky lenskyi@mail.biu.ac.il D. Rosenfeld Department of Geography and Environment, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel Institute of Earth Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel A methodology for representing much of the physical information content of the METEOSAT Second Generation (MSG) geostationary satellite using red-green-blue (RGB) composites of the computed physical values of the picture elements is presented. The physical values are the solar reflectance in the solar channels and brightness temperature in the thermal channels. The main RGB compositions are (1) "Day Natural Colors", presenting vegetation in green, bare surface in brown, sea surface in black, water clouds as white, ice as magenta; (2) "Day Microphysical", presenting cloud microstructure using the solar reflectance component of the 3.9 μm, visible and thermal IR channels; (3) "Night Microphysical", also presenting clouds microstructure using the brightness temperature differences between 10.8 and 3.9 μm; (4) "Day and Night", using only thermal channels for presenting surface and cloud properties, desert dust and volcanic emissions; (5) "Air Mass", presenting mid and upper tropospheric features using thermal water vapor and ozone channels. The scientific basis for these rendering schemes is provided, with examples for the applications. The expanding use of these rendering schemes requires their proper documentation and setting as standards, which is the main objective of this publication. Freud, E., Rosenfeld, D., Andreae, M. O., Costa, A. A., and Artaxo, P.: Robust relations between CCN and the vertical evolution of cloud drop size distribution in deep convective clouds, Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 5, 10 155–10 195, 2005. Fromm M., Tupper, A., Rosenfeld, D., Servranckx, R., and McRae, R.: Violent pyro-convective storm devastates Australia's capital and pollutes stratosphere, Geophys. Res. Let., 33, L05815, doi:10.1029/2005GL025161, 2006. Inoue, T.: An instantaneous delineation of convective rainfall areas using split window data of NOAA-7 AVHRR, J. Meteor. Soc. Japan, 65, 469–481, 1987. Lensky, I. M. and Drori, R.: A Satellite Based Parameter to Monitor the Aerosol Impact on Convective Clouds, J. Appl. Meteor. Clim., 45, 660–666., 2007. Lensky, I. M., and Rosenfeld, D: Satellite-based insights into precipitation formation processes in continental and maritime convective clouds at nighttime, J. Appl. Meteor, 42, 1227–1233, 2003a. Lensky, I. M., and Rosenfeld, D.: A night rain delineation algorithm for infrared satellite data based on microphysical considerations, J. Appl. Meteor., 42, 1218–1226, 2003b. Lensky, I. M., and Rosenfeld, D.: The time-space exchangeability of satellite retrieved relations between cloud top temperature and particle effective radius Atmos, Chem. Phys., 6, 2887–2894, http://www.copernicus.org/EGU/acp/acp/6/2887/acp-6-2887.pdf, 2006. Martins J. V, Marshak, A., Remer, L. A., Rosenfeld, D., Kaufman, Y. J., Fernandez-Borda, R., Koren, I., Zubko, V., and Artaxo, P.: Remote sensing the vertical profile of cloud droplet effective radius, thermodynamic phase, and temperature, Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 7, 4481–4519, http://www.copernicus.org/EGU/acp/acpd/recent_papers.html, 2007. Ricchiazzi, P., Yang, S., Gautier, C., and Sowle, D.: SBDART: A research and teaching software tool for plane parallel radiative transfer in the earth's atmosphere, B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 79, 2101–2114, 1998. Rosenfeld, D. and Lensky, I. M.: Satellite-based insights into precipitation formation processes in continental and maritime convective clouds, B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 79, 2457–2476, 1998. Rosenfeld, D: TRMM observed first direct evidence of smoke from forest fires inhibiting rainfall, Geophys, Res. Lett., 26, 3105–3108, 1999. Rosenfeld, D: Suppression of rain and snow by urban and industrial air pollution, Science, 287, 1793–1796, 2000. Rosenfeld, D., Rudich, Y., and Lahav, R.: Desert dust suppressing: A possible desertification feedback loop, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 98, 5975–5980, 2001. Rosenfeld, D., Lahav, R., Khain, A. P., and Pinsky, M.: The role of sea-spray in cleansing air pollution over ocean via cloud processes, Science, 297, 1667–1670, 2002. Rosenfeld, D., Cattani, E., Melani, S., and Levizzani, V.: Considerations on daylight operation of 1.6 μm vs 3.7 μm channel on NOAA and METOP Satellites, B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 85, 873–881, 2004. Rosenfeld, D. and Woodley, W. L.: Closing the 50-year circle: From cloud seeding to space and back to climate change through precipitation physics, Chapter 6 of "Cloud Systems, Hurricanes, and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)" edited by: Drs. Wei-Kuo Tao and R. Adler, 234, 59–80, Meteorological Monographs 51, AMS, 2003. Rosenfeld, D. and Woodley, W. L.: Pollution and Clouds. Physics, World, Institute of Physics Publishing LTD, Dirac House, Temple Back, Bristol BS1 6BE, UK, February 2001, 33–37, 2001. Rosenfeld D., I. M. Lensky, J. Peterson, and Gingis, A.: Potential impacts of air pollution aerosols on precipitation in Australia, Clean Air and Environmental Quality, 41, 43–49, 2006. Rosenfeld D., Woodley, W. L., Krauss, T. W., and Makitov, V.: Aircraft Microphysical Documentation from Cloud Base to Anvils of Hailstorm Feeder Clouds in Argentina, J. Appl. Meteor., 45, 1261–1281, 2006. Rosenfeld D., Fromm, M., Trentmann, J., Luderer, G., Andreae, M. O., and Servranckx, R.: The Chisholm firestorm: observed microstructure, precipitation and lightning activity of a pyro-Cb, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 7, 645–659, http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/7/645/2007/acp-7-645-2007.html, 2007. Ramanathan, V., Crutzen, P. J., Kiehl, J. T., and Rosenfeld, D.: Aerosols, Climate and the Hydrological Cycle, Science, 294, 2119–2124, 2001. Rudich, Y., Rosenfeld, D., and Khersonsky, O.: Treating clouds with a grain of salt, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(22), doi:10.1029/2002GL016055, 2002. Rudich, Y., Sagi, A., and Rosenfeld, D.: Influence of the Kuwait oil fires plume (1991) on the microphysical development of clouds, J. Geophys. Res., 108(D15), 4478, doi:10.1029/2003JD003472, 2003. Schmetz, J., Pili, P., Tjemkes, S., Just, D., Kerkmann, J., Rota, S., and Ratier, A.: An Introduction to Meteosat Second Generation (MSG), B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 83, 977–992, 2002. Tupper, A., Oswalt, J. S., and Rosenfeld, D.: Satellite and radar analysis of the "volcanic" thunderstorms at Mt Pinatubo, Philippines, 1991, J. Geophys. Res., 110, D09204, doi:10.1029/2004JD005499, 2004. Williams, E., Rosenfeld, D., and Madden, M.: Contrasting convective regimes over the Amazon: Implications for cloud electrification, J. Geophys. Res., 107(D20), 8082, doi:10.1029/2001JD000380, 2002. Woodley, W. L., Rosenfeld, D., and Strautins, A.: Identification of a seeding signature in Texas using multi-spectral satellite imagery, J. Weather Mod., 32, 37–52, 2000.