Cloud Life Cycle Studied by Using Frequent Observations by the Himawari-8

Abstract

The geostationary satellite Himawari-8 provides us significantly improved observational capabilities with multiple spectral bands and higher spatial and temporal resolutions, which enable us to estimate macroscopic and microphysical properties of cloud with high accuracy. The frequent observations by Himawari-8 are useful to study life cycle of cloud-precipitation system. This paper introduces the features of the methods for estimating various cloud properties from the Himawari-8 observation data and analyzing cloud evolution by tracking cloud clusters of interest, with an example of application to a large-scale tropical mesoscale convective system.