Comparing microphysical/dynamical outputs by different cloud resolving models: impact on passive microwave precipitation retrieval from satellite

• Main Authors: C. M. Medaglia, C. Adamo, F. Baordo, S. Dietrich, S. Di Michele, V. Kotroni, K. Lagouvardos, A. Mugnai, S. Pinori, E. A. Smith, G. J. Tripoli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2005-01-01
• Series: Advances in Geosciences
• Online Access: http://www.adv-geosci.net/2/195/2005/adgeo-2-195-2005.pdf

Mesoscale cloud resolving models (CRM&apos;s) are often utilized to generate consistent descriptions of the microphysical structure of precipitating clouds, which are then used by physically-based algorithms for retrieving precipitation from satellite-borne microwave radiometers. However, in principle, the simulated upwelling brightness temperatures (T_B&apos;s) and derived precipitation retrievals generated by means of different CRM&apos;s with different microphysical assumptions, may be significantly different even when the models simulate well the storm dynamical and rainfall characteristics. <P style=&quot;line-height: 20px;&quot;> In this paper, we investigate this issue for two well-known models having different treatment of the bulk microphysics, i.e. the UW-NMS and the MM5. To this end, the models are used to simulate the same 24-26 November 2002 flood-producing storm over northern Italy. The model outputs that best reproduce the structure of the storm, as it was observed by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) onboard the EOS-Aqua satellite, have been used in order to compute the upwelling T_B&apos;s. Then, these T_B&apos;s have been utilized for retrieving the precipitation fields from the AMSR observations. Finally, these results are compared in order to provide an indication of the CRM-effect on precipitation retrieval.