Multispectral analyses of satellite images are used to calculate the evolution of the effective radius of convective cloud particles with temperature, and to infer from that information about precipitation forming processes in the clouds. Different microphysical processes are identified at different heights. From cloud base to top, the microphysical classification includes zones of diffusional droplet growth, coalescence droplet growth, rainout, mixed-phase precipitation, and glaciation. Not all zones need appear in a given cloud system. Application to maritime clouds shows, from base to top, zones of coalescence, rainout, a shallow mixed-phase region, and glaciation starting at −10°C or even warmer. In contrast, continental clouds have a deep diffusional growth zone above their bases, followed by coalescence and mixed-phase zones, and glaciation at −15° to −20°C. Highly continental clouds have a narrow or no coalescence zone, a deep mixed-phase zone, and glaciation occurring between −20° and −30°C. Limit... Multispectral analyses of satellite images are used to calculate the evolution of the effective radius of convective cloud particles with temperature, and to infer from that information about precipitation forming processes in the clouds. Different microphysical processes are identified at different heights. From cloud base to top, the microphysical classification includes zones of diffusional droplet growth, coalescence droplet growth, rainout, mixed-phase precipitation, and glaciation. Not all zones need appear in a given cloud system. Application to maritime clouds shows, from base to top, zones of coalescence, rainout, a shallow mixed-phase region, and glaciation starting at −10°C or even warmer. In contrast, continental clouds have a deep diffusional growth zone above their bases, followed by coalescence and mixed-phase zones, and glaciation at −15° to −20°C. Highly continental clouds have a narrow or no coalescence zone, a deep mixed-phase zone, and glaciation occurring between −20° and −30°C. Limit...

A methodology for representing much of the physical information content of the METEOSAT Second Generation (MSG) geostationary satellite using red-green-blue (RGB) composites of the computed physical values of the picture elements is presented. The physical values are the solar reflectance in the solar channels and brightness temperature in the thermal channels. The main RGB compositions are (1) "Day Natural Colors", presenting vegetation in green, bare surface in brown, sea surface in black, water clouds as white, ice as magenta; (2) "Day Microphysical", presenting cloud microstructure using the solar reflectance component of the 3.9 μm, visible and thermal IR channels; (3) "Night Microphysical", also presenting clouds microstructure using the brightness temperature differences between 10.8 and 3.9 μm; (4) "Day and Night", using only thermal channels for presenting surface and cloud properties, desert dust and volcanic emissions; (5) "Air Mass", presenting mid and upper tropospheric features using thermal water vapor and ozone channels. The scientific basis for these rendering schemes is provided, with examples for the applications. The expanding use of these rendering schemes requires their proper documentation and setting as standards, which is the main objective of this publication.

A 3-minute 3-km rapid scan of the METEOSAT Second Generation geostationary satellite over southern Africa was applied to tracking the evolution of cloud top temperature (T) and particle effective radius (r_e) of convective elements. The evolution of T-r_e relations showed little dependence on time, leaving r_e to depend almost exclusively on T. Furthermore, cloud elements that fully grew to large cumulonimbus stature had the same T-r_e relations as other clouds in the same area with limited development that decayed without ever becoming a cumulonimbus. Therefore, a snap shot of T-r_e relations over a cloud field provides the same relations as composed from tracking the time evolution of T and r_e of individual clouds, and then compositing them. This is the essence of exchangeability of time and space scales, i.e., ergodicity, of the T-r_e relations for convective clouds. This property has allowed inference of the microphysical evolution of convective clouds with a snap shot from a polar orbiter. The fundamental causes for the ergodicity are suggested to be the observed stability of r_e for a given height above cloud base in a convective cloud, and the constant renewal of growing cloud tops with cloud bubbles that replace the cloud tops with fresh cloud matter from below.