OpenSSP (NASA)

NASA database of microwave single scattering properties of frozen hydrometeors

Authors

Lead Scientist: Kwo-Sen KuoContributing Scientists: Ziad S. Haddad, William S. Olson, Simone Tanelli, John KwiatkowskiWeb Developer: Matt LammersDatabase Scientist: Noppasin Niamsuwan

Link

https://storm.pps.eosdis.nasa.gov/storm/OpenSSP.jsp

Papers

Kuo, K., and Coauthors, 2016: The Microwave Radiative Properties of Falling Snow Derived from Nonspherical Ice Particle Models. Part I: An Extensive Database of Simulated Pristine Crystals and Aggregate Particles, and Their Scattering Properties. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 55, 691–708, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-15-0130.1.

Particle types

pristine and aggregates

Sizes

0.26 to 14 millimeters

Frequencies

3 to 190 GHz

Orientations

random

Temperatures

Scattering method

DDA (DDSCAT)

A 3D growth model is used to simulate pristine ice crystals, which are aggregated using a collection algorithm to create larger, multicrystal particles. The simulated crystals and aggregates have mass-versus-size and fractal properties that are consistent with field observations. The growth/collection model is used to generate a large database of snow particles, and the single-scattering properties of each particle are computed using the discrete dipole approximation to account for the nonspherical geometries of the particles.

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