Project Status: Year 1 (now):

1. Project Title:Long-term Regional Cloud Vertical Distribution over the ARM SitesPrincipal Investigator:S.A. McFarlane (sally.mcfarlane@pnl.gov) Science Issue: Improve understanding of vertical distribution of cloud properties and radiative heating profiles using high vertical resolution data. Approach: Develop optimal estimation retrieval, which provides error bars on cloud properties. Process multiple years of data at ARM tropical and mid-latitude site. Satellite-based data: Comparisons to TRMM, CloudSat, SARB products. Other data: ARM Study Particulars: ARM data at TWP (1999-2007) and SGP (1997-2007) • Project Status: • Year 1 (now): • Begin comparisons to TRMM/CloudSat with current cloud property and heating rate datasets • Gather long-term ARM datasets and identify issues. • Begin development of optimal estimation retrieval. • Year 2: • Continue development of OE retrieval; focus on MJO and comparisons to TRMM and CloudSat • Year 3: • Run OE retrieval at all sites; add comparisons to SARB product; regime analysis NEWS linkages: (pull, push, collaborate, external) Provide radiative heating profiles at tropical sites to L’Ecuyer for TRMM comparisons Start discussions with Kato, Weilicki to assess SARB surface/atmosphere products at ARM sites Collaborate with L’Ecuyer, Olson on comparing tropical diabatic heating profiles from ARM/TRMM/CloudSat Linkages to ARM, CloudSat, TRMM Initial comparison of average radiative heating rate profiles for Jan 2007 from CloudSat (CS) and ARM over Manus island site.