Clear-sky Convergence and Tropical Congestus Clouds: Model and Satellite Data

Data and code from Spaulding-Astudillo and Mitchell (2023c) for analyzing clear-sky convergence and tropical congestus cloud origins. The repository includes Python code for figure generation and processed data from the Reference Forward Model (RFM), MERRA-2, ERA5, and CloudSat/CALIPSO. Francisco E. Spaulding‐Astudillo from UCLA authored this research artifact.

Use Cases

• Reproducing radiative transfer model figures based on provided RFM output data.
• Analyzing spatio-temporal climate patterns based on averaged MERRA-2, ERA5, and CloudSat/CALIPSO data.
• Studying the relationship between mid-tropospheric humidity profiles and cloud formation based on the described RFM experiment parameters.

Strengths

• Includes processed data from multiple authoritative climate sources: MERRA-2, ERA5, and CloudSat/CALIPSO.
• Provides the specific Python code used to create the figures in the associated research paper.
• Documents specific experimental parameters, such as relative humidity set at 75% at 7.5 km height.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The provided code only visualizes pre-generated RFM data; generating new RFM data requires separate software download and execution.

Provenance

Source

University of California, Los Angeles

Collection Method

Generated by the Reference Forward Model (RFM) and processed from MERRA-2, ERA5, and CloudSat/CALIPSO satellite data.

Geography

Tropical regions (implied by the study of tropical congestus clouds).