scholarly journals Formation and Development of Orographic Mixed-Phase Clouds

2017 ◽  
Vol 74 (11) ◽  
pp. 3703-3724 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Henneberg ◽  
Jan Henneberger ◽  
Ulrike Lohmann
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Water ◽  
Sensitivity Study ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Mixed Phase ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Water Path ◽  
Orographic Forcing ◽  
Mixed Phase Clouds ◽  
Ice Water ◽  
Saturation Vapor

Abstract Orographic forcing can stabilize mixed-phase clouds (MPCs), which are thermodynamically unstable owing to the different saturation vapor pressure over liquid water and ice. This study presents simulations of MPCs in orographically complex terrain over the Alpine ridge with the regional model COSMO using a horizontal resolution of 1 km. Two case studies provide insights into the formation of Alpine MPCs. Trajectory studies show that the majority of the air parcels lifted by more than 600 m are predominantly in the liquid phase even if they originate from glaciated clouds. The interplay between lifted and advected air parcels is crucial for the occurrence of MPCs. Within a sensitivity study, the orography is reduced to 80%, which changed both the total barrier height and steepness. The changes in total water path (TWP), liquid water path (LWP), and ice water path (IWP) vary in sign and strength as the affected precipitation does. LWP can experience changes up to 500% resulting in a transformation from an ice-dominated MPC to a liquid-dominated MPC. In further simulations with increased steepness and maintained surface height at Jungfraujoch, TWP experiences a reduction between 25% and 40% during different time periods, which results in reduced precipitation by around 30%. An accurate representation of the steepness and the height of mountains in models is crucial for the formation and development of MPCs.

Understanding the Extratropical Liquid Water Path Feedback in Mixed-Phase Clouds with an Idealized Global Climate Model

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-48
Author(s):  
Yi Ming
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Liquid Water ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Global Climate Model ◽  
Cloud Water ◽  
Mixed Phase ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Water Path ◽  
Cloud Water Content ◽  
Mixed Phase Clouds

Abstract A negative shortwave cloud feedback associated with higher extratropical liquid water content in mixed-phase clouds is a common feature of global warming simulations, and multiple mechanisms have been hypothesized. A set of process-level experiments performed with an idealized global climate model (a dynamical core with passive water and cloud tracers and full Rotstayn-Klein single-moment microphysics) show that the common picture of the liquid water path (LWP) feedback in mixed-phase clouds being controlled by the amount of ice susceptible to phase change is not robust. Dynamic condensate processes—rather than static phase partitioning—directly change with warming, with varied impacts on liquid and ice amounts. Here, three principal mechanisms are responsible for the LWP response, namely higher adiabatic cloud water content, weaker liquid-to-ice conversion through the Bergeron-Findeisen process, and faster melting of ice and snow to rain. Only melting is accompanied by a substantial loss of ice, while the adiabatic cloud water content increase gives rise to a net increase in ice water path (IWP) such that total cloud water also increases without an accompanying decrease in precipitation efficiency. Perturbed parameter experiments with a wide range of climatological LWP and IWP demonstrate a strong dependence of the LWP feedback on the climatological LWP and independence from the climatological IWP and supercooled liquid fraction. This idealized setup allows for a clean isolation of mechanisms and paints a more nuanced picture of the extratropical mixed-phase cloud water feedback than simple phase change.

scholarly journals Arctic Mixed-Phase Cloud Properties Derived from Surface-Based Sensors at SHEBA

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 697-711 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew D. Shupe ◽  
Sergey Y. Matrosov ◽  
Taneil Uttal
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Water ◽  
Single Phase ◽  
Liquid Fraction ◽  
Microwave Radiometer ◽  
Mixed Phase ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Annual Average ◽  
Water Path ◽  
Mixed Phase Clouds ◽  
Ice Water

Abstract Arctic mixed-phase cloud macro- and microphysical properties are derived from a year of radar, lidar, microwave radiometer, and radiosonde observations made as part of the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) Program in the Beaufort Sea in 1997–98. Mixed-phase clouds occurred 41% of the time and were most frequent in the spring and fall transition seasons. These clouds often consisted of a shallow, cloud-top liquid layer from which ice particles formed and fell, although deep, multilayered mixed-phase cloud scenes were also observed. On average, individual cloud layers persisted for 12 h, while some mixed-phase cloud systems lasted for many days. Ninety percent of the observed mixed-phase clouds were 0.5–3 km thick, had a cloud base of 0–2 km, and resided at a temperature of −25° to −5°C. Under the assumption that the relatively large ice crystals dominate the radar signal, ice properties were retrieved from these clouds using radar reflectivity measurements. The annual average ice particle mean diameter, ice water content, and ice water path were 93 μm, 0.027 g m−3, and 42 g m−2, respectively. These values are all larger than those found in single-phase ice clouds at SHEBA. Vertically resolved cloud liquid properties were not retrieved; however, the annual average, microwave radiometer–derived liquid water path (LWP) in mixed-phase clouds was 61 g m−2. This value is larger than the average LWP observed in single-phase liquid clouds because the liquid water layers in the mixed-phase clouds tended to be thicker than those in all-liquid clouds. Although mixed-phase clouds were observed down to temperatures of about −40°C, the liquid fraction (ratio of LWP to total condensed water path) increased on average from zero at −24°C to one at −14°C. The observations show a range of ∼25°C at any given liquid fraction and a phase transition relationship that may change moderately with season.

Variational Assimilation of Cloud Liquid/Ice Water Path and Its Impact on NWP

2015 ◽  
Vol 54 (8) ◽  
pp. 1809-1825 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaodeng Chen ◽  
Hongli Wang ◽  
Jinzhong Min ◽  
Xiang-Yu Huang ◽  
Patrick Minnis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Assimilation ◽  
Liquid Water ◽  
Weather Prediction ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Cloud Liquid Water ◽  
Water Path ◽  
Ice Water Path ◽  
Ice Water ◽  
The Impact

AbstractAnalysis of the cloud components in numerical weather prediction models using advanced data assimilation techniques has been a prime topic in recent years. In this research, the variational data assimilation (DA) system for the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model (WRFDA) is further developed to assimilate satellite cloud products that will produce the cloud liquid water and ice water analysis. Observation operators for the cloud liquid water path and cloud ice water path are developed and incorporated into the WRFDA system. The updated system is tested by assimilating cloud liquid water path and cloud ice water path observations from Global Geostationary Gridded Cloud Products at NASA. To assess the impact of cloud liquid/ice water path data assimilation on short-term regional numerical weather prediction (NWP), 3-hourly cycling data assimilation and forecast experiments with and without the use of the cloud liquid/ice water paths are conducted. It is shown that assimilating cloud liquid/ice water paths increases the accuracy of temperature, humidity, and wind analyses at model levels between 300 and 150 hPa after 5 cycles (15 h). It is also shown that assimilating cloud liquid/ice water paths significantly reduces forecast errors in temperature and wind at model levels between 300 and 150 hPa. The precipitation forecast skills are improved as well. One reason that leads to the improved analysis and forecast is that the 3-hourly rapid update cycle carries over the impact of cloud information from the previous cycles spun up by the WRF Model.

scholarly journals The Impacts of Atmospheric and Surface Parameters on Long-Term Variations in the Planetary Albedo

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (21) ◽  
pp. 8705-8718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bida Jian ◽  
Jiming Li ◽  
Guoyin Wang ◽  
Yongli He ◽  
Ying Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Water ◽  
Surface Albedo ◽  
Cloud Fraction ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Water Path ◽  
Ice Water Path ◽  
Planetary Albedo ◽  
Ice Water ◽  
Long Term Variations

Planetary albedo (PA; shortwave broadband albedo) and its long-term variations, which are controlled in a complex way by various atmospheric and surface properties, play a key role in controlling the global and regional energy budget. This study investigates the contributions of different atmospheric and surface properties to the long-term variations of PA based on 13 years (2003–15) of albedo, cloud, and ice coverage datasets from the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) Single Scanner Footprint edition 4A product, vegetation product from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and surface albedo product from the Cloud, Albedo, and Radiation dataset, version 2 (CLARA-A2). According to the temporal correlation analysis, statistical results indicate that variations in PA are closely related to the variations of cloud properties (e.g., cloud fraction, ice water path, and liquid water path) and surface parameters (e.g., ice/snow percent coverage and normalized difference vegetation index), but their temporal relationships vary among the different regions. Generally, the stepwise multiple linear regression models can capture the observed PA anomalies for most regions. Based on the contribution calculation, cloud fraction dominates the variability of PA in the mid- and low latitudes while ice/snow percent coverage (or surface albedo) dominates the variability in the mid- and high latitudes. Changes in cloud liquid water path and ice water path are the secondary dominant factor over most regions, whereas change in vegetation cover is the least important factor over land. These results verify the effects of atmospheric and surface factors on planetary albedo changes and thus may be of benefit for improving the parameterization of the PA and determining the climate feedbacks.

scholarly journals Low-level mixed-phase clouds in a complex Arctic environment

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 3459-3481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Gierens ◽  
Stefan Kneifel ◽  
Matthew D. Shupe ◽  
Kerstin Ebell ◽  
Marion Maturilli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Local Wind ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Water Path ◽  
Local Boundary ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Ice Water Path ◽  
Mixed Phase Clouds ◽  
Ice Water ◽  
Surface Coupling

Abstract. Low-level mixed-phase clouds (MPCs) are common in the Arctic. Both local and large-scale phenomena influence the properties and lifetime of MPCs. Arctic fjords are characterized by complex terrain and large variations in surface properties. Yet, not many studies have investigated the impact of local boundary layer dynamics and their relative importance on MPCs in the fjord environment. In this work, we used a combination of ground-based remote sensing instruments, surface meteorological observations, radiosoundings, and reanalysis data to study persistent low-level MPCs at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, for a 2.5-year period. Methods to identify the cloud regime, surface coupling, and regional and local wind patterns were developed. We found that persistent low-level MPCs were most common with westerly winds, and the westerly clouds had a higher mean liquid (42 g m−2) and ice water path (16 g m−2) compared to those with easterly winds. The increased height and rarity of persistent MPCs with easterly free-tropospheric winds suggest the island and its orography have an influence on the studied clouds. Seasonal variation in the liquid water path was found to be minimal, although the occurrence of persistent MPCs, their height, and their ice water path all showed notable seasonal dependency. Most of the studied MPCs were decoupled from the surface (63 %–82 % of the time). The coupled clouds had 41 % higher liquid water path than the fully decoupled ones. Local winds in the fjord were related to the frequency of surface coupling, and we propose that katabatic winds from the glaciers in the vicinity of the station may cause clouds to decouple. We concluded that while the regional to large-scale wind direction was important for the persistent MPC occurrence and properties, the local-scale phenomena (local wind patterns in the fjord and surface coupling) also had an influence. Moreover, this suggests that local boundary layer processes should be described in models in order to present low-level MPC properties accurately.

scholarly journals Effects of model resolution on entrainment (inversion heights), cloud-radiation interactions, and cloud radiative forcing

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 20399-20425 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Guo ◽  
Y. Liu ◽  
P. H. Daum ◽  
X. Zeng ◽  
X. Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Water ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Vertical Resolution ◽  
Model Resolution ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Cloud Liquid Water ◽  
Cloud Radiative Forcing ◽  
Water Path ◽  
Cloud Liquid Water Path

Abstract. We undertook three-dimensional numerical studies of a marine stratus deck under a strong inversion using an interactive shortwave- and longwave-radiation module. A suite of sensitivity tests were conducted to address the effects of model resolution on entrainment (inversion heights), cloud-radiation interactions, and cloud radiative-forcings by varying model horizontal resolution only, varying vertical resolution only, and varying horizontal- and vertical-resolution simultaneously but with a fixed aspect ratio of 2.5. Our results showed that entrainment (inversion height) is more sensitive to vertical- than to horizontal-resolution. A vertical resolution finer than 40 m can simulate spatial- and temporal-variations in the inversion height well. The inversion height decreases with increasing vertical resolution, but tends to increase with increasing horizontal resolution. Cloud liquid water path doubles after refining both the vertical- and horizontal-resolution by a factor of four. This doubling is associated with a positive feedback between cloud water and cloud top radiative cooling, which amplifies small differences initiated by changes in the model resolution. The magnitude of the cloud radiative-forcing tends to increase with increasing model resolution, mainly attributable to the increase in the cloud liquid water path. Shortwave radiative forcing is dominant, and more sensitive to model resolution than the longwave counterpart.

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