Full publication list - William B. Rossow

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2024

G. Tselioudis, W. B. Rossow; Remillard, J.

Oceanic cloud trends during the satellite era and their radiative signatures Journal Article

In: Climate Dynamics, vol. 62, pp. 9319-9332, 2024, ([Accessed 22-01-2025]).

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: ANALYSIS, CLOUD PROPERTIES, ISCCP, Radiation

@article{springerOceanicCloud,

title = {Oceanic cloud trends during the satellite era and their radiative signatures },

author = {Tselioudis, G., W.B. Rossow, F. Bender, L. Oreopoulos and J. Remillard},

url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00382-024-07396-8undefined,

https://www.williambrossow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2024_Tselioudisetal24.pdf},

doi = {10.1007/s00382-024-07396-8},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-08-18},

urldate = {2024-08-18},

journal = {Climate Dynamics},

volume = {62},

pages = {9319-9332},

abstract = {The present study analyzes zonal mean cloud and radiation trends over the global oceans for the past 35 years from a suite of satellite datasets covering two periods. In the longer period (1984\textendash2018) cloud properties come from the ISCCP-H, CLARA-A3, and PATMOS-x datasets and radiative properties from the ISCCP-FH dataset, while for the shorter period (2000\textendash2018) cloud data from MODIS and CloudSat/CALIPSO and radiative fluxes from CERES-EBAF are added. Zonal mean total cloud cover (TCC) trend plots show an expansion of the subtropical dry zone, a poleward displacement of the midlatitude storm zone and a narrowing of the tropical intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) region over the 1984\textendash2018 period. This expansion of the ‘low cloud cover curtain’ and the contraction of the ITCZ rearrange the boundaries and extents of all major climate zones, producing a more poleward and narrower midlatitude storm zone and a wider subtropical zone. Zonal mean oceanic cloud cover trends are examined for three latitude zones, two poleward of 50 ° and one bounded within 50oS and 50oN, and show upward or near-zero cloud cover trends in the high latitude zones and consistent downward trends in the low latitude zone. The latter dominate in the global average resulting in TCC decreases that range from 0.72% per decade to 0.17% per decade depending on dataset and period. These contrasting cloud cover changes between the high and low latitude zones produce contrasting low latitude cloud radiative warming and high latitude cloud radiative cooling effects, present in both the ISCCP-FH and CERES-EBAF datasets. The global ocean mean trend of the short wave cloud radiative effect (SWCRE) depends on the balance between these contrasting trends, which in the CERES dataset materializes as a SW cloud radiative warming trend of 0.12 W/m2/decade coming from the dominance of the low-latitude positive SWCRE trends while in the ISCCP-FH dataset it manifests as a 0.3 W/m2/decade SW cloud radiative cooling trend coming from the dominance of the high latitude negative SWCRE trends. The CERES cloud radiative warming trend doubles in magnitude to 0.24 W/m2/decade when the period is extended from 2016 to 2022, implying a strong cloud radiative heating in the past 6 years coming from the low latitude zone.},

howpublished = {urlhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00382-024-07396-8},

note = {[Accessed 22-01-2025]},

keywords = {ANALYSIS, CLOUD PROPERTIES, ISCCP, Radiation},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

The present study analyzes zonal mean cloud and radiation trends over the global oceans for the past 35 years from a suite of satellite datasets covering two periods. In the longer period (1984–2018) cloud properties come from the ISCCP-H, CLARA-A3, and PATMOS-x datasets and radiative properties from the ISCCP-FH dataset, while for the shorter period (2000–2018) cloud data from MODIS and CloudSat/CALIPSO and radiative fluxes from CERES-EBAF are added. Zonal mean total cloud cover (TCC) trend plots show an expansion of the subtropical dry zone, a poleward displacement of the midlatitude storm zone and a narrowing of the tropical intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) region over the 1984–2018 period. This expansion of the ‘low cloud cover curtain’ and the contraction of the ITCZ rearrange the boundaries and extents of all major climate zones, producing a more poleward and narrower midlatitude storm zone and a wider subtropical zone. Zonal mean oceanic cloud cover trends are examined for three latitude zones, two poleward of 50 ° and one bounded within 50oS and 50oN, and show upward or near-zero cloud cover trends in the high latitude zones and consistent downward trends in the low latitude zone. The latter dominate in the global average resulting in TCC decreases that range from 0.72% per decade to 0.17% per decade depending on dataset and period. These contrasting cloud cover changes between the high and low latitude zones produce contrasting low latitude cloud radiative warming and high latitude cloud radiative cooling effects, present in both the ISCCP-FH and CERES-EBAF datasets. The global ocean mean trend of the short wave cloud radiative effect (SWCRE) depends on the balance between these contrasting trends, which in the CERES dataset materializes as a SW cloud radiative warming trend of 0.12 W/m2/decade coming from the dominance of the low-latitude positive SWCRE trends while in the ISCCP-FH dataset it manifests as a 0.3 W/m2/decade SW cloud radiative cooling trend coming from the dominance of the high latitude negative SWCRE trends. The CERES cloud radiative warming trend doubles in magnitude to 0.24 W/m2/decade when the period is extended from 2016 to 2022, implying a strong cloud radiative heating in the past 6 years coming from the low latitude zone.

Stubenrauch, Claudia J.; Kinne, Stefan; Mandorli, Giulio; Rossow, William B.; Winker, David M.; Ackerman, Steven A.; Chepfer, Helene; Di Girolamo, Larry; Garnier, Anne; Heidinger, Andrew; Karlsson, Karl-Göran; Meyer, Kerry; Minnis, Patrick; Platnick, Steven; Stengel, Martin; Sun-Mack, Szedung; Veglio, Paolo; Walther, Andi; Cai, Xia; Young, Alisa H.; Zhao, Guangyu

Lessons Learned from the Updated GEWEX Cloud Assessment Database Journal Article

In: Surveys in Geophysics, 2024, ISBN: 1573-0956.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: ANALYSIS, CLOUD PROPERTIES, GEWEX, ISCCP, RADIATION EXCHANGES

@article{nokey,

title = {Lessons Learned from the Updated GEWEX Cloud Assessment Database },

author = {Stubenrauch, Claudia J. and Kinne, Stefan and Mandorli, Giulio and Rossow, William B. and Winker, David M. and Ackerman, Steven A. and Chepfer, Helene and Di Girolamo, Larry and Garnier, Anne and Heidinger, Andrew and Karlsson, Karl-G\"{o}ran and Meyer, Kerry and Minnis, Patrick and Platnick, Steven and Stengel, Martin and Sun-Mack, Szedung and Veglio, Paolo and Walther, Andi and Cai, Xia and Young, Alisa H. and Zhao, Guangyu},

url = {https://www.williambrossow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024_Stubenrauch_et_al-2024-Surveys_in_Geophysics.pdf},

doi = {10.1007/s10712-024-09824-0},

isbn = {1573-0956},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-02-09},

journal = {Surveys in Geophysics},

abstract = {Since the first Global Energy and Water Exchanges cloud assessment a decade ago, existing cloud property retrievals have been revised and new retrievals have been developed. The new global long-term cloud datasets show, in general, similar results to those of the previous assessment. A notable exception is the reduced cloud amount provided by the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) Science Team, resulting from an improved aerosol\textendashcloud distinction. Height, opacity and thermodynamic phase determine the radiative effect of clouds. Their distributions as well as relative occurrences of cloud types distinguished by height and optical depth are discussed. The similar results of the two assessments indicate that further improvement, in particular on vertical cloud layering, can only be achieved by combining complementary information. We suggest such combination methods to estimate the amount of all clouds within the atmospheric column, including those hidden by clouds aloft. The results compare well with those from CloudSat-CALIPSO radar\textendashlidar geometrical profiles as well as with results from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) corrected by the cloud vertical layer model, which is used for the computation of the ISCCP-derived radiative fluxes. Furthermore, we highlight studies on cloud monitoring using the information from the histograms of the database and give guidelines for: (1) the use of satellite-retrieved cloud properties in climate studies and climate model evaluation and (2) improved retrieval strategies.},

keywords = {ANALYSIS, CLOUD PROPERTIES, GEWEX, ISCCP, RADIATION EXCHANGES},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

2016

Polly, James B; Rossow, William B

Cloud radiative effects and precipitation in extratropical cyclones Journal Article

In: J. Clim., vol. 29, no. 18, pp. 6483–6507, 2016.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: CLOUD PROPERTIES, midlatitude storms

@article{Polly2016-mr,

title = {Cloud radiative effects and precipitation in extratropical  cyclones},

author = {James B Polly and William B Rossow},

url = {https://www.williambrossow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/15200442-Journal-of-Climate-Cloud-Radiative-Effects-and-Precipitation-in-Extratropical-Cyclones.pdf, Download file},

doi = {10.1175/jcli-d-15-0857.1},

year  = {2016},

date = {2016-09-01},

urldate = {2016-09-01},

journal = {J. Clim.},

volume = {29},

number = {18},

pages = {6483--6507},

publisher = {\"{A}merican Meteorological Society},

abstract = {\"{A}bstract Clouds associated with extratropical cyclones 

 complicate the well-developed theory of dry baroclinic waves 

 through feedback on their dynamics by precipitation and 

 cloud-altered radiative heating. The relationships between 

 cyclone characteristics and the diabatic heating associated with 

 cloud radiative effects (CREs) and latent heat release remain 

 unclear. A cyclone tracking algorithm [NASA's Modeling, 

 Analysis, and Prediction (MAP) Climatology of Midlatitude 

 Storminess (MCMS)] is used to identify over 106 cyclones in 33 

 years of the ERA-Interim and collect the properties of each 

 disturbance. Considering storm intensity as related to wind 

 speeds, which depend on the pressure gradient, the distribution 

 of cyclone properties is investigated using groups defined by 

 their depth (local pressure anomaly) and the radius of the 

 region within closed pressure contours to investigate variations 

 with longitude (especially ocean and land), hemisphere, and 

 season. Using global data products of cloud radiative effects on 

 in-atmosphere net radiation [the ISCCP radiative flux profile 

 dataset (ISCCP-FD)] and precipitation (GPCP), composites are 

 assembled for each cyclone group and for ``nonstormy'' 

 locations. On average, the precipitation rate and the CRE are 

 approximately the same among all cyclone groups and do not 

 strongly differ from nonstormy conditions. The variance of both 

 precipitation and CRE increases with cyclone size and depth. In 

 larger, deeper storms, maximum precipitation and CRE increase, 

 but so do the amounts of nonprecipitating and clear-sky 

 conditions."},

keywords = {CLOUD PROPERTIES, midlatitude storms},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

Vant-Hull, Brian; Rossow, William; Pearl, C.

Global comparisons of regional life cycle properties and motion of multiday convective systems: Tropical and midlatitude land and ocean Journal Article

In: J. Clim., vol. 29, no. 16, pp. 5837–5858, 2016.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: CLOUD PROPERTIES

@article{Vant-Hull2016-gf,

title = {Global comparisons of regional life cycle properties and motion  of multiday convective systems: Tropical and midlatitude land  and ocean},

author = {Brian Vant-Hull and William Rossow and Pearl, C.},

url = {https://www.williambrossow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/15200442-Journal-of-Climate-Global-Comparisons-of-Regional-Life-Cycle-Properties-and-Motion-of-Multiday-Convective-Systems_-Tropical-and-Midlatitude-Land-and-Ocean.pdf, Download file},

doi = {10.1175/jcli-d-15-0698.1},

year  = {2016},

date = {2016-08-01},

urldate = {2016-08-01},

journal = {J. Clim.},

volume = {29},

number = {16},

pages = {5837--5858},

publisher = {\"{A}merican Meteorological Society},

abstract = {\"{A}bstract Tracking of convective cloud systems (cloud-top 

 temperature \<245 K) in geosynchronous satellite images at 3-h 

 intervals is used to determine life cycle statistics of 

 convective systems in four regimes: tropical land and ocean and 

 midlatitude land and ocean, including seasonal comparisons. The 

 ISCCP tracking dataset covers the period 1984--2006. Only 

 systems with lifetimes greater than or equal to 1 day that were 

 moving predominantly eastward or westward are considered, with 

 splits and merges combined into larger extended convective 

 systems. The life cycle variables are lifetime (duration), 

 maximum area, and minimum cloud-top temperature. These are 

 compared to each other and to the speed of longitudinal motion. 

 Distributions and relationships between the life cycle variables 

 are similar to previous studies based on single-day lifetimes, 

 but the current study is globally extensive (all longitudes at 

 lower and middle latitudes) and multidecadal, which allows 

 extension of such results to rarer, larger, and longer-lived 

 convective systems than previous work. Velocity distributions 

 were monomodal with tails skewed in the direction of the zonal 

 mean wind, being almost purely eastward in the midlatitudes but 

 nearly symmetric in both directions with a small westward bias 

 in the tropics. Representative life cycles for each geographical 

 region are formed by averaging together systems with similar 

 lifetimes. These composite life cycles show that, except for the 

 first and last days, the daily evolution of most system 

 variables exhibits little variation during the average multiday 

 convective life cycle, although the cloud area goes through one 

 cycle of expansion and contraction in a lifetime."},

keywords = {CLOUD PROPERTIES},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

2015

Li, J.; Carlson, B. E.; Rossow, W. B.; Lacis, A. A.; Zhang, Y. -C.

An intercomparison of the spatio-temporal variability of satellite- and ground-based cloud datasets using spectral analysis techniques Journal Article

In: J. Climate, vol. 28, no. 14, pp. 5716–5736, 2015.

William B. Rossow

Publications

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