Fine-scale Description of Shallow Atmospheric Boundaries during International Water Vapor Project (IHOP)

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The International Water Vapor (H2O) Project (IHOP) is a large multi-agency, multi-investigator project that focuses on the measurement of water vapor and water vapor variability. The goal of the project is to improve understanding of convective initiation and to increase short-term precipitation forecast skills. The researcher will employ the Wyoming Cloud Radar system (WCR), in situ data from the University of Wyoming King Air research aircraft (UWYKA), and ancillary IHOP data to describe in unprecedented detail, the vertical structure and evolution of radar "fine-lines", such as outflow boundaries and drylines, and to interpret their ability to trigger deep convection. The UWYKA is equipped with an array of atmospheric sensors to measure temperature, humidity, winds, and their fluxes, as well as cloud and radiation probes. The combination of UWYKA and WCR data along stepped traverses will allow (a) a description of the kinematic and thermodynamic vertical structure of shallow convergence zones; and (b) an estimation of the variation of the boundary layer precipitable water, convection parameters, and moisture convergence across fine-lines.The key hypotheses to be tested are:1. The WCR data are sufficiently sensitive and detailed to describe various details of boundary layer structures2. The WCR data allow a detailed and accurate description of the airflow in vertical sections across radar-detected fine-lines3. Analysis of combined WCR, UWYKA, and ancillary IHOP data, in particular DIAL water vapor profiles will show that the variability of precipitable water in a 'well-mixed' convective boundary layer is significant.