Cloud and precipitation studies using millimeter-wavelength radars

这项发现资助计划的奖金将帮助PI建立他的研究计划，并由学生和博士后使用麦吉尔大学大气与海洋科学系的新云和降水实验室。该奖项支持的学生将使用最先进的仪器和技术进行观测，并将涉及云和降水观测和简单模型的分析和解释。这些仪器是毫米波长（3mm和8.6 mm，对应94 ghz和35 ghz的频率）雷达和其他辅助仪器（如微波辐射计、激光雷达）。我们的科学目标是：(1)提高我们对混合相云的微物理和动力结构的认识；(2)表征层状雨中小尺度垂直速度和雨滴大小分布的垂直结构，并研究融化层动力学对层状降水中观测到的最终雨滴大小分布的作用。从长期来看，目标是在大尺度和全球气候模式中改进对云及其相关过程和反馈的处理。这可以减少关于云的作用及其在气候变化中的反馈的不确定性，从而在地方和全球范围内促进更好的政策制定和经济规划。该奖项将为PI的研究实验室工作提供稳定性和连续性，并将使经验丰富的实验室成员能够顺利过渡和指导。PI也是麦吉尔大学新成立的地球系统科学项目的成员，因此该奖项将支持研究，以提高我们对地球水文循环的大气成分的理解。水文循环是一个关键的跨学科物理过程，它连接了地球系统的所有领域，因此，学生将获得一个地球系统的视角。

This award from the Discovery Grants Program will help the PI to establish his research program and the use of the new cloud and precipitation laboratory in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at McGill University by students and post-docs. The students supported by this award will engage in the use of state-of-the-art instruments and techniques for making observations, and will involve with the analysis and interpretation of clouds and precipitation observations and simple models. Such instruments are millimeter-wavelength (3 mm and 8.6 mm, corresponding to frequencies of 94-GHz and 35-GHz) radars and other auxiliary instruments (e.g., microwave radiometers, lidars).Our scientific objectives are 1) to improve our understanding on the microphysical and dynamical structure of mixed-phase clouds and 2) to characterize the vertical structure of the small-scale vertical velocity and drop size distributions in stratiform rain and examine the role of melting level dynamics on the final raindrop size distribution observed in stratifrom precipitation. On the long term, the goal is to contribute toward an improvement of the treatment of cloud and their associated processes and feedbacks in large-scale and global climate models. This can reduce the uncertainty regarding the role of clouds and their feedbacks in a changing climate and thus result to better policy making and economic planning at the local and global scale.The award will provide stability and continuity in the PI's research laboratory efforts and will enable a smooth transition and mentoring from more-experienced to less-experienced lab members. The PI is also member of the new Earth System Science program at McGill University and thus the award will supports research that will improve our understanding on the atmospheric component of Earth's hydrological cycle. The hydrological cycle is a key interdisciplinary physical process that links all spheres of the Earth system and thus, the students will obtain an Earth system perspective.