MRI: Development of A Novel Instrument that Minimizes Uncertainties in Airborne Measurements of Precipitation

MRI：开发一种新型仪器，最大限度地减少机载降水测量的不确定性

• 批准号: 1828565
• 负责人: Andrew Heymsfield
• 金额: $ 99.18万
• 依托单位: University Corporation For Atmospheric Res
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-10-01 至 2022-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1828565&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Development; Novel; Instrument; Minimizes

Weather radar, satellites, and numerical models all require accurate knowledge of the properties of cloud and precipitation particles. The atmospheric science field has spent decades conducting airborne field measurement campaigns with the goal of collecting as much data as possible to characterize the distribution of droplet and crystal sizes and shapes. However, fundamental limitations of aircraft probes have left many unanswered questions and uncertainties. This award is for the development of a new airborne probe that will enhance the observational research community's efforts to characterize cloud and precipitation particles. The potential societal impacts of this award will be through more accurate precipitation measurements from radar and satellites, and improvements in inputs to weather and climate models. This Major Research Instrumentation development award is for the design and construction of the fourth generation High Volume Precipitation Spectrometer (HVPS-4) for measurement of cloud and precipitation particles. The HVPS-4 will provide orthogonal digital images of cloud and precipitation particles at 50 and 150-micron pixel resolution. The orthogonal views will reduce uncertainties in particle shape, aspect ratio, volume, and mass. The HVPS-4 could be mounted on the NCAR G-V and C-130 research aircraft, or other aircraft that regularly carry particle probes. The instrument has the potential to: 1) Lead to better understanding of cloud microphysical processes and improved estimates of ice and liquid water content in clouds and precipitation, 2) Improve remote retrievals from ground and space-based radar, and 3) Improve microphysical and hydrological parameterizations in weather and climate models.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

天气雷达、卫星和数值模型都需要准确了解云和降水粒子的特性。 大气科学领域花费了数十年的时间进行机载现场测量活动，目的是收集尽可能多的数据来表征液滴和晶体尺寸和形状的分布。 然而，飞机探测器的根本局限性留下了许多未解答的问题和不确定性。 该奖项用于奖励新型机载探测器的开发，该探测器将增强观测研究界在描述云和降水颗粒特征方面的努力。 该奖项的潜在社会影响将通过雷达和卫星更准确的降水测量以及天气和气候模型输入的改进来实现。 该重大研究仪器开发奖旨在奖励用于测量云和降水颗粒的第四代大容量降水光谱仪 (HVPS-4) 的设计和建造。 HVPS-4 将提供像素分辨率为 50 和 150 微米的云和降水粒子的正交数字图像。 正交视图将减少颗粒形状、纵横比、体积和质量的不确定性。 HVPS-4 可以安装在 NCAR G-V 和 C-130 研究飞机或其他定期携带粒子探测器的飞机上。该仪器具有以下潜力：1) 更好地了解云的微物理过程并改进对云和降水中冰和液态水含量的估计，2) 改进地面和天基雷达的远程检索，以及 3) 改进微物理和天气和气候模型中的水文参数化。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。