Multisensor Characterization of Mammatus

Abstract

Multisensor observations of anvil mammatus are analyzed in order to gain a more detailed understanding of their spatiotemporal structure and microphysical characterization. Remarkable polarimetric radar signatures are detected for the Pentecost 2014 supercell in Northrhine Westfalia, Germany, and severe storms in Oklahoma along their mammatus-bearing anvil bases. Radar reflectivity at horizontal polarization ZH and cross-correlation coefficient ρHV decrease downward toward the bottom of the anvil while differential reflectivity ZDR rapidly increases, consistent with the signature of crystal depositional growth. The differential reflectivity ZDR within mammatus exceeds 2 dB in the Pentecost storm and in several Oklahoma severe convective storms examined for this paper. Observations from a zenith-pointing Ka-band cloud radar and a Doppler wind lidar during the Pentecost storm indicate the presence of a supercooled liquid layer of at least 200–300-m depth near the anvil base at temperatures between −15° and −30°C. These liquid drops, which are presumably generated in localized areas of vertical velocities of up to 1.5 m s−1, coexist with ice particles identified by cloud radar. The authors hypothesize that pristine crystals grow rapidly within these layers of supercooled water, and that oriented planar ice crystals falling from the liquid layers lead to high ZDR at precipitation radar frequencies. A mammatus detection strategy using precipitation radar observations is presented, based on a methodology so far mainly used for the detection of updrafts in convective storms. Owing to the presence of a supercooled liquid layer detected above the mammatus lobes, the new detection strategy might also be relevant for aviation safety.