Executive Summary
This thesis quantifies the vertical variability of liquid water content (LWC) in warm stratocumulus clouds, crucial for accurate electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation modeling. It analyzes 245 aircraft sounding profiles from four field campaigns to characterize LWC profiles. The research found that LWC profiles can be represented by a bilinear function, with implications for naval operations and radar performance.
Why It Matters
Understanding the vertical variability of liquid water content in warm clouds is critical for accurately modeling electromagnetic wave propagation, directly impacting naval operations, radar performance, and telecommunication systems.
Key Takeaways
- Accurate modeling of electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation, vital for defense applications, requires precise quantification of cloud liquid water content (LWC) as a function of height.
Source evidence · PDF page 8
The impact of clouds on electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation can only be quantified when the cloud liquid water content (LWC) is a known function of height. Past research statistically characterized LWC profiles of supercooled stratiform clouds over land. However, similar information about warm clouds is rare and yet the majority of cloud impact on EM propagation are due to warm clouds. This research aims to quantify the LWC profiles in boundary layer stratocumulus clouds to facilitate accurate EM propagation modeling.
- Stratocumulus clouds, common over oceans, significantly affect EM propagation, making their LWC profiles particularly important for naval operations and radar systems.
Source evidence · PDF page 21
For naval operations it is especially important to understand the role of stratocumulus clouds (STCU) in affecting EM propagation as they are the most common type of low-level clouds over the ocean, covering about 23% of the global ocean’s surface (Wood 2012). Understanding LWC profiles in
- The vertical LWC profile in warm stratocumulus clouds can be characterized by a bilinear function, showing a linear increase from cloud base to maximum LWC height, followed by a rapid decrease to the cloud top.
Source evidence · PDF page 74
From the general statistical representation, it was apparent that the structure of the LWC vertical profile could be represented by a bilinear function with a linear increase in LWC from the cloud base to the height of the maximum LWC and then a much more rapid decrease from that height to the top of the cloud.
Strategic Relevance
This research enhances the accuracy of electromagnetic wave propagation models, which is strategically important for military communications, radar systems, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations, especially in maritime environments.