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Cloud radar observations of multi-scale variability of cloud vertical structure associated with Indian summer monsoon over a tropical location

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Abstract

Tropics nurture three different types of convective clouds, i.e., shallow cumulus, cumulus congestus, and deep cumulonimbus. The vertical structure of clouds holds a crucial metric in studying tropical clouds. Ground-based high-resolution cloud radar measurements are the potential candidate in exploring the characteristics of various types of tropical clouds and their evolution. Quality-controlled cloud radar data containing a total of five million vertical profiles of equivalent reflectivity factor (VPR) are used to examine the intra-seasonal variation of cloud vertical structure (VSC) during the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) over Mandhardev (18.04° N, 73.87° E, and ~ 1.3 km AMSL) in the Indian Western Ghats. The cumulus congestus (Cc) in the transition of shallow to deep clouds is investigated for the first time using the hourly VPR data for 60 consecutive ISM days. Mid-level moistening plays a vital role in this non-precipitating shallow to precipitating congestus transformation and increment of the rain accumulation. Low cloud reflectivity distribution can distinguish precipitating and non-precipitating clouds that help to classify the observed monsoon as normal or below normal. More than 150 mm of rain accumulation during ISM is associated with more than 22% of high clouds. This particular aspect indicates that cold rain processes are essential to assess the ISM over the observational site. FFT analysis on the time series of low-, mid-, and high-level cloud regions with the VPR shows prominent intra-seasonal variability of 5–10, 10–20, and 30–60 days periodicities. This study highlights the significance of VSC over tropics pertinent to the monsoon large scale atmospheric condition.

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Fig. 1

Source Figure: Johnson et al. (1999). Further, the macro (micro)-physical sub-division levels/estates are namely low (warm), mid (mixed) and high (ice)-cloud regions. Two overlays dashed lines correspond to the altitude at 0° and – 40 °C over the Western Ghats

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Acknowledgements

IITM is an autonomous organization that is fully funded by MOES, Govt. of India. Authors are grateful to Director, IITM, not only for his wholehearted support for strengthening the radar program but also for monitoring and acting as a source of inspiration to promote the radar research to the next heights. The authors are thankful to G. Pandithurai for encouraging discussions on the work and grateful to all those involved and helped in setting up and running the IITM's Cloud Radar Facility. The ERA-Interim data from the ECMWF (https://apps.ecmwf.int/datasets/). Authors also acknowledge Soumyajit Bose and Utsav Bhowmik for helping in analyzing massive radar and reanalysis data, respectively. The data supporting this article may be requested to the IITM radar data portal or corresponding author (kalapureddy1@gmail.com).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune, 411008, India

    Patra Sukanya & M. C. R. Kalapureddy

  2. Atmospheric and Space Science Division, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, 411007, India

    Patra Sukanya & M. C. R. Kalapureddy

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  1. Patra Sukanya
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  2. M. C. R. Kalapureddy
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Correspondence to M. C. R. Kalapureddy.

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Sukanya, P., Kalapureddy, M.C.R. Cloud radar observations of multi-scale variability of cloud vertical structure associated with Indian summer monsoon over a tropical location. Clim Dyn 56, 1055–1081 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-020-05520-y

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