Particle size distribution characteristics of different ice species in the Gamma phase space

• Grant number: 18/09082-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: July 01, 2018
• End date: December 11, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Meteorology
• Principal Investigator: Maria Assunção Faus da Silva Dias
• Grantee: Micael Amore Cecchini
• Supervisor: Andrew Heymsfield
• Host Institution: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 17/04654-6 - Studying macro and microphysical phase spaces in thunderstorm clouds: insights for nowcasting techniques, BP.PD

Abstract

This BEPE proposal has the aim of filling the conceptual gap of the associated domestic project. The latter is focused on studying macro- and microphysical aspects of rain as seen by a X-band radar. Given that a significant portion of the rain that reaches the surface is created by ice and mixed processes, there is a need to further study those aspects. The proposed activities of this BEPE will be developed under Prof. Dr. Andrew Heymsfield supervision during a 6-month visit to the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) at Boulder, CO, USA. The postdoctoral fellow will study ice particles size distributions (PSDs) of different types of cloud systems in different parts of the world. The PSD measurements were collected by past aircraft-based campaigns with NCAR participation. The Gamma function will be used to interpret PSD variation in the so-called Gamma phase space, where characteristics of different PSDs can be readily observed and compared. The statistical and physical natures of PSD variation in the Gamma phase space will be explored to describe the dominant microphysical processes occurring. The overall aim of this BEPE is to increase the conceptual knowledge of ice and mixed processes in order to further comprehend rain formation in convective systems.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CECCHINI, MICAEL A.; HEYMSFIELD, ANDREW J.; HONEYAGER, RYAN; FIELD, PAUL; MACHADO, LUIZ A. T.; DA SILVA DIAS, MARIA A. F.. Revisiting the Hail Radar Reflectivity-Kinetic Energy Flux Relation by Combining T-Matrix and Discrete Dipole Approximation Calculations to Size Distribution Observations. JOURNAL OF THE ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, v. 79, n. 7, p. 14-pg., 2022-07-01. (20/13273-9, 17/17047-0, 15/14497-0, 18/09082-3, 17/04654-6)