Identification

Title

Determination of cirrus occurrence and distribution characteristics over the Tibetan Plateau based on the SWOP campaign

Abstract

Balloon sounding with the Compact Optical Backscatter Aerosol Detector (COBALD) and Frost Point hygrometers (FPs) provides in situ data for a better understanding of the vertical distribution of cirrus clouds. In this study, eight summer balloon-borne measurements in Kunming (2012, 2014, 2015, and 2017) and Lhasa (2013, 2016, 2018, and 2020) over the Tibetan Plateau were used to show the distribution characteristics of cirrus clouds. Differences of cirrus occurrence were compared by different indices: the backscatter ratio (BSR) at a 455 nm/940 nm wavelength (BSR455 > 1.2/BSR940 > 2), the color index (CI > 7), and the relative humidity with respect to ice (RHice > 70%). Analysis of the profiles indicated that BSR455 > 1.2 was the optimal criterion to identify the cirrus layer and depict the distribution of the CI and RHice within cirrus clouds. The results showed that the median CI (RHice) within the cirrus clouds at both sites was mostly in the 18-20 (90%-110%) range at pressures below 120 hPa. Furthermore, the balloon-borne measurements combined with Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) measurements indicated a high frequency of cirrus occurrence near the tropopause in Kunming and Lhasa. The top height of cirrus occurrence at both sites was above the cold point tropopause and the lapse rate tropopause. Both Kunming and Lhasa had the highest frequency of thin cirrus clouds in the 0-0.4 km vertical cirrus thickness range.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7pv6qbd

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

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South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2023-04-27T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

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Conformity

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version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact