# Presentation: 664582

## Virtual SupersiteConcept 

- Martin Hagen
- Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre
- DLR Oberpfaffenhofen
- Germany

- 2nd International GPM GV Workshop, Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 2005

## GPM Ground Validation

- Goal of ground validation (very, very short summary):
- validation of GPM precipitation estimates
- provide 3-D atmospheric background for retrieval algorithm development,validation and refinement
- improve the understanding of microphysics and dynamics of precipitation,
- provide error structure of precipitationand the underlying physical quantities.

- 2nd International GPM GV Workshop, Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 2005

## GPM Validation Strategy

- Basic Rainfall Validation
- Rain gauge networks
- Radar networks (2-D data), national or international
- Supersites (Routine Product Site, RPS)
- Research radar sites, polarimetric radars preferred
- soundings, profilers, cloud radars, microwave radiometers ...
- Field Campaigns (Focused Observational Program, FPO)
- Research radar sites
- Aircraft
- Related to other projects

- 2nd International GPM GV Workshop, Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 2005

## GPM Validation Strategy

|  | Quality of products | Areal coverage | Representivity |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Gauges +2-D radar networks | limited value for GV | large areas (continental scale) | huge sample of different weather situations |
| Virtual supersites | high value for GV | large areas | large sample of different weather situations |

- GPM Validation Strategy

| Supersites
(RPS) | high value for GV | maybe 30 stations worldwide | proper selection of sites necessary to cover a large variety of weather situations |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Field campaigns
(FPO) | highest value for GV | targeted regions | only for selected weather events |

- 2nd International GPM GV Workshop, Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 2005

## 	  Europe

- 	  Europe

- Different Precipitation Regimes
- Various National Weather Services
- National Radar Networks
- Numerous Research Organizations
- Several Sites are candidates for Ground Validation

- 2nd International GPM GV Workshop, Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 2005

## Precipitation in Europe

- Each site can represent a sub-sample of the precipitation systems:
-   High Latitude Snow
-   Mid-Latitude      Continental
-   Frontal systems
-   Stratiform
-   Convective
-   Coastal
-   Mountainous

**Sodankylä**

**Chilbolton**

**Cabouw**

**Bonn**

**Palaiseau**

**Oberpfaffenhofen**

**Rome**

**Catalunya**

**Graz**

**Cevennes-****Vivarais **

**Lindenberg**

**Helsinki**

- 2nd International GPM GV Workshop, Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 2005

## GV in Snow Regions

- Snow is the dominant precipitation in
- Northern Scandinavia,
- The Alps.
- Accumulated snow is a major resource for fresh water + hydro-powerthroughout all seasons and for wide areas.
- No previous experience with snow retrieval from TRMM.
- Scattering properties:
- Raindrop shape is well (?) known,  = 1 g/cm3
- Snow has irregular shape,  = 0.05 – 1 g/cm3

**Finland**

**Alps**

- 2nd International GPM GV Workshop, Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 2005

## Basic rainfall validation

-     Dense rain gauge networks
- 	 				   Example: gauges available for the 				   Mesoscale Alpine Project (MAP) 				   1999
- 					Radar networks (schematic)

- Baltrad

- 2nd International GPM GV Workshop, Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 2005

## Germany

- Different precipitation systems observed.
- 3 sites have potential to act for GV:
-  Lindenberg   (DWD)
-  Bonn   (University)
-  Oberpfaffenhofen   (DLR)

- 2nd International GPM GV Workshop, Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 2005

## Operational networks in Germany

**range=130 km**

**Doppler-Radar**

**C-band Doppler radar network**

**rain gauge network**

**about 4000 stations with 24h-accumulated precipitation measurements**

- 2nd International GPM GV Workshop, Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 2005

## Instrumentation of Supersites

- The proposed supersites have excellent instrumentation and are well experienced in the development and operation of the systems and the organization of field campaigns.
-  	Radar systems (C, X, Ka, W - Band), scanning & vertical pointing
-  	Multi-frequency radiometer systems
-  	Lidar systems, ceilometers
-  	Windprofiler, RASS, Sodar
-  	Surface observations
-  	Disdrometers, rain gauges
-  	Rain gauge networks
-  	Operational radio sondes nearby
-  	Lightning detection systems
-  	Research aircraft
-  	...

- 2nd International GPM GV Workshop, Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 2005

## Dense observation network

3 Doppler radars(2 polarimetric)
Rain gauges
Radiosondes

Meteorologicalinstitutions in:
Munich
Oberpfaffenhofen
Hohenpeißenberg
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Zugspitze

**Dense observation network**
- 3 Doppler radars(2 polarimetric)
- Rain gauges
- Radiosondes
- Meteorologicalinstitutions in:
- Munich
- Oberpfaffenhofen
- Hohenpeißenberg
- Garmisch-Partenkirchen
- Zugspitze

-      Southern Germany

- 2nd International GPM GV Workshop, Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 2005

## OberpfaffenhofenDLR research site580 m MSL

HohenpeißenbergDWD radar&precip.research site988 m MSL

ZugspitzeGAW environmentalresearch site2960 m MSL

- HohenpeißenbergDWD radar&precip.research site988 m MSL
- ZugspitzeGAW environmentalresearch site2960 m MSL

- 	Munich-Alpine site

- 2nd International GPM GV Workshop, Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 2005

## Current Networking in Europe

- Radar networks and rain gauge networks operated by
- National weather services,
- Regional weather services.
- International Networking through
- WMO,
- Network of European weather services EUMETNET,
- Network of European operational radar systems OPERA.
- Potential supersites are currently operated by
- national research organizations,
- some in cooperation with national weather services.
- Networking of supersites currently through
- Common EU projects likeCLIWANET, EuroTRMM, CLOUDMAP, ...

- 2nd International GPM GV Workshop, Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 2005

## Concept of a distributed or virtual Supersite

- A distributed or virtual »supersite« will consist of:
- Supersites in different climate regions,
- linked together by
- National weather radar networks.
- Benefits of a distributed or virtual supersite:
- Synergy through different instrument set-up. Sites have different scientific background.
- Economic benefits, reduction of costs.
- Supersites will also allow for the assessment of the error structure of operational radar networks.
- Recommendations for radar – gauge adjustment by weather services and users.

- 2nd International GPM GV Workshop, Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 2005

## Concept of a distributed or virtual Supersite

- The concept is based on a networking infrastructure, both physical and organisational.
- Physical networking consists of the exchange of data, instruments and routines.
- Exchange of instruments for calibration and intercomparison campaigns.
- Mobile instruments for focus observation campaigns at any of the existing sites or in other regions of interest.
- Organisational networking is a structure where the participating site mangers, the national weather services and GPM representatives will be presented.

- 2nd International GPM GV Workshop, Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 2005

## Concept of a distributed or virtual Supersite

- The concept of a distributed or virtual supersite will increase the observational area and thus increasing the number of satellite overpasses for various regions and precipitation systems.
- Through the networking activities it will be possible to provide a maximum of information even though not all sites are fully instrumented.
- Still many open questions:  . . . . some will be addressed at working group # 1

- 2nd International GPM GV Workshop, Taipei, Taiwan, Sept. 2005