On the Estimation of In-Cloud Vertical Air Motion Using Radar Doppler Spectra

Measurements of in-cloud vertical air motion are key to quantitatively describe cloud dynamics and their role in cloud microphysics. Here, a retrieval technique for estimating the in-cloud vertical air motion using the upward edge of the radar Doppler spectrum is presented. An additional broadening correction factor that depends on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is introduced. A variety of independent measurements are used to assess the performance of the new technique. The vertical air motion is unbiased with an uncertainty of 0.2 m s⁻¹ for SNR <30. The properties of in-cloud vertical air motion are investigated from 1 year of ground-based observations of warm marine boundary layer clouds. Clouds with higher LWP are characterized by stronger vertical air motions compared to those having lower LWP values.