scholarly journals Aircraft observations of aerosol, cloud, precipitation, and boundary layer properties in pockets of open cells over the southeast Pacific

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 8071-8088 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. R. Terai ◽  
C. S. Bretherton ◽  
R. Wood ◽  
G. Painter
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Cloud Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Cloud Droplet ◽  
Cloud Base ◽  
Cold Pool ◽  
Accumulation Mode ◽  
Aerosol Cloud ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Southeast Pacific

Abstract. Five pockets of open cells (POCs) are studied using aircraft flights from the VOCALS Regional Experiment (VOCALS-REx), conducted in October and November 2008 over the southeast Pacific Ocean. Satellite imagery from the geostationary satellite GOES-10 is used to distinguish POC areas, and measurements from the aircraft flights are used to compare aerosol, cloud, precipitation, and boundary layer conditions inside and outside of POCs. Conditions observed across individual POC cases are also compared. POCs are observed in boundary layers with a wide range of inversion heights (1250 to 1600 m) and surface wind speeds (5 to 11 m s−1) and show no remarkable difference from the observed surface and free-tropospheric conditions during the two months of the field campaign. In all cases, compared to the surrounding overcast region the POC boundary layer is more decoupled, supporting both thin stratiform and deeper cumulus clouds. Although cloud-base precipitation rates are higher in the POC than the overcast region in each case, a threshold precipitation rate that differentiates POC precipitation from overcast precipitation does not exist. Mean cloud-base precipitation rates in POCs can range from 1.7 to 5.8 mm d−1 across different POC cases. The occurrence of heavy drizzle (> 0 dBZ) lower in the boundary layer better differentiates POC precipitation from overcast precipitation, likely leading to the more active cold pool formation in POCs. Cloud droplet number concentration is at least a factor of 8 smaller in the POC clouds, and the ratio of drizzle water to cloud water in POC clouds is over an order of magnitude larger than that in overcast clouds, indicating an enhancement of collision–coalescence processes in POC clouds. Despite large variations in the accumulation-mode aerosol concentrations observed in the surrounding overcast region (65 to 324 cm−3), the accumulation-mode aerosol concentrations observed in the subcloud layer of all five POCs exhibit a much narrower range (24 to 40 cm−3), and cloud droplet concentrations within the cumulus updrafts originating in this layer reflect this limited variability. Above the POC subcloud layer exists an ultraclean layer with accumulation-mode aerosol concentrations < 5 cm−3, demonstrating that in-cloud collision–coalescence processes efficiently remove aerosols. The existence of the ultraclean layer also suggests that the major source of accumulation-mode aerosols, and hence of cloud condensation nuclei in POCs, is the ocean surface, while entrainment of free-tropospheric aerosols is weak. The measurements also suggest that at approximately 30 cm−3 a balance of surface source and coalescence scavenging sinks of accumulation-mode aerosols maintain the narrow range of observed subcloud aerosol concentrations.

scholarly journals Aircraft observations of five pockets of open cells sampled during VOCALS REx

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 8287-8332 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. R. Terai ◽  
C.S. Bretherton ◽  
R. Wood ◽  
G. Painter
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Cloud Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Cloud Droplet ◽  
Cloud Base ◽  
Cold Pool ◽  
Surface Source ◽  
Accumulation Mode ◽  
Tropospheric Aerosol ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract. Five pockets of open cells (POCs) are studied using aircraft flights from the VOCALS Regional Experiment, conducted in October and November 2008 over the southeast Pacific Ocean. Satellite imagery from the geostationary satellite GOES-10 is used to distinguish POC areas and measurements from the aircraft flights are used to compare cloud, aerosol, and boundary layer conditions inside and outside of POCs and conditions found across individual POC cases. POCs are observed in boundary layers with a wide range of inversion heights (1250 to 1600 m) and surface wind speeds (5 to 11 m s−1) and show no remarkable difference from the observed surface and free tropospheric conditions during the two months of the field campaign. In all cases, compared to the surrounding overcast region the POC boundary layer is more decoupled, supporting both thin stratiform and deeper cumulus clouds. Although cloud-base precipitation rates are higher in the POC than the overcast region in each case, a threshold precipitation rate that differentiates POC precipitation from that in overcast precipitation does not exist. Mean cloud-base precipitation rates in POCs can range from 1.7 to 5.8 mm d−1 across different POC cases. The occurrence of heavy drizzle (> 0 dBZ) lower in the boundary layer better differentiates POC precipitation from precipitation in the surrounding overcast regions, likely leading to the more active cold pool formation in POCs. Cloud droplet number concentration is at least a factor of eight smaller in the POC clouds, and the ratio of drizzle water to cloud water in POC clouds is over an order of magnitude larger than that in overcast clouds, indicating an enhancement of collision coalescence processes in POC clouds. Despite large variations in the accumulation-mode aerosol concentrations (65 to 324 cm−3) observed in the surrounding overcast region, the accumulation-mode aerosol concentrations observed in the subcloud layer of all five POCs exhibit a much narrower range (24 to 40 cm−3), and cloud droplet concentrations within the cumulus updrafts originating in this layer reflect this limited variability. Above the POC subcloud layer exists an ultraclean layer with accumulation-mode aerosol concentrations < 5 cm−3, demonstrating that in-cloud collision coalescence processes efficiently remove aerosols. It also suggests that the major source of accumulation-mode aerosols, and hence of cloud condensation nuclei in POCs, is the ocean surface, while entrainment of free tropospheric aerosol is weak. The measurements also suggest that at approximately 30 cm−3 a balance of surface source and coalescence scavenging sinks of accumulation-mode aerosols maintain the narrow range of observed subcloud aerosol concentrations.

scholarly journals The challenge of simulating the sensitivity of the Amazonian clouds microstructure to cloud condensation nuclei number concentrations

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascal Polonik ◽  
Christoph Knote ◽  
Tobias Zinner ◽  
Florian Ewald ◽  
Tobias Kölling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Cloud Droplet ◽  
Number Concentration ◽  
Effective Radius ◽  
Cloud Base ◽  
Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Aerosol Cloud ◽  
Microphysical Properties

Abstract. The realistic representation of cloud-aerosol interactions is of primary importance for accurate climate model projections. The investigation of these interactions in strongly contrasting clean and polluted atmospheric conditions in the Amazon area has been one of the motivations for several field observations, including the airborne Aerosol, Cloud, Precipitation, and Radiation Interactions and DynamIcs of CONvective cloud systems – Cloud Processes of the Main Precipitation Systems in Brazil: A Contribution to Cloud Resolving Modeling and to the GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement) (ACRIDICON-CHUVA) campaign based in Manaus, Brazil in September 2014. In this work we combine in situ and remotely sensed aerosol, cloud, and atmospheric radiation data collected during ACRIDICON-CHUVA with regional, online-coupled chemistry-transport simulations to evaluate the model’s ability to represent the indirect effects of biomass burning aerosol on cloud microphysical properties (droplet number concentration and effective radius). We found agreement between modeled and observed median cloud droplet number concentrations (CDNC) for low values of CDNC, i.e., low levels of pollution. In general, a linear relationship between modeled and observed CDNC with a slope of two was found, which means a systematic underestimation of modeled CDNC as compared to measurements. Variability in cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentrations and cloud droplet effective radii (reff) was also underestimated by the model. Modeled effective radius profiles began to saturate around 500 CCN per cm3 at cloud base, indicating an upper limit for the model sensitivity well below CCN concentrations reached during the burning season in the Amazon Basin. Regional background aerosol concentrations were sufficiently high such that the additional CCN emitted from local fires did not cause a notable change in modelled cloud microphysical properties. In addition, we evaluate a parameterization of CDNC at cloud base using more readily available cloud microphysical properties, aimed at in situ observations and satellite retrievals. Our study casts doubt on the validity of regional scale modeling studies of the cloud albedo effect in convective situations for polluted situations where the number concentration of CCN is greater than 500 cm−3.

scholarly journals The challenge of simulating the sensitivity of the Amazonian cloud microstructure to cloud condensation nuclei number concentrations

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 1591-1605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascal Polonik ◽  
Christoph Knote ◽  
Tobias Zinner ◽  
Florian Ewald ◽  
Tobias Kölling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Cloud Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Cloud Droplet ◽  
Number Concentration ◽  
Effective Radius ◽  
Cloud Base ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Aerosol Cloud

Abstract. The realistic representation of aerosol–cloud interactions is of primary importance for accurate climate model projections. The investigation of these interactions in strongly contrasting clean and polluted atmospheric conditions in the Amazon region has been one of the motivations for several field campaigns, including the airborne “Aerosol, Cloud, Precipitation, and Radiation Interactions and Dynamics of Convective Cloud Systems–Cloud Processes of the Main Precipitation Systems in Brazil: A Contribution to Cloud Resolving Modeling and to the GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement) (ACRIDICON-CHUVA)” campaign based in Manaus, Brazil, in September 2014. In this work we combine in situ and remotely sensed aerosol, cloud, and atmospheric radiation data collected during ACRIDICON-CHUVA with regional, online-coupled chemistry-transport simulations to evaluate the model's ability to represent the indirect effects of biomass burning aerosol on cloud microphysical and optical properties (droplet number concentration and effective radius). We found agreement between the modeled and observed median cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC) for low values of CDNC, i.e., low levels of pollution. In general, a linear relationship between modeled and observed CDNC with a slope of 0.3 was found, which implies a systematic underestimation of modeled CDNC when compared to measurements. Variability in cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentrations was also underestimated, and cloud droplet effective radii (reff) were overestimated by the model. Modeled effective radius profiles began to saturate around 500 CCN cm−3 at cloud base, indicating an upper limit for the model sensitivity well below CCN concentrations reached during the burning season in the Amazon Basin. Additional CCN emitted from local fires did not cause a notable change in modeled cloud droplet effective radii. Finally, we also evaluate a parameterization of CDNC at cloud base using more readily available cloud microphysical properties, showing that we are able to derive CDNC at cloud base from cloud-side remote-sensing observations.

scholarly journals Assessing regional scale predictions of aerosols, marine stratocumulus, and their interactions during VOCALS-REx using WRF-Chem

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (23) ◽  
pp. 11951-11975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Q. Yang ◽  
J. D. Fast ◽  
H. Wang ◽  
R. C. Easter ◽  
H. Morrison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Optical Properties ◽  
Cloud Droplet ◽  
Energy Fluxes ◽  
Microphysics Scheme ◽  
Marine Stratocumulus ◽  
Aerosol Cloud ◽  
Southeast Pacific ◽  
Temperature And Humidity ◽  
Stratocumulus Clouds

Abstract. This study assesses the ability of the recent chemistry version (v3.3) of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-Chem) model to simulate boundary layer structure, aerosols, stratocumulus clouds, and energy fluxes over the Southeast Pacific Ocean. Measurements from the VAMOS Ocean-Cloud-Atmosphere-Land Study Regional Experiment (VOCALS-REx) and satellite retrievals (i.e., products from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES), and GOES-10) are used for this assessment. The Morrison double-moment microphysics scheme is newly coupled with interactive aerosols in the model. The 31-day (15 October–16 November 2008) WRF-Chem simulation with aerosol-cloud interactions (AERO hereafter) is also compared to a simulation (MET hereafter) with fixed cloud droplet number concentrations in the microphysics scheme and simplified cloud and aerosol treatments in the radiation scheme. The well-simulated aerosol quantities (aerosol number, mass composition and optical properties), and the inclusion of full aerosol-cloud couplings lead to significant improvements in many features of the simulated stratocumulus clouds: cloud optical properties and microphysical properties such as cloud top effective radius, cloud water path, and cloud optical thickness. In addition to accounting for the aerosol direct and semi-direct effects, these improvements feed back to the simulation of boundary-layer characteristics and energy budgets. Particularly, inclusion of interactive aerosols in AERO strengthens the temperature and humidity gradients within the capping inversion layer and lowers the marine boundary layer (MBL) depth by 130 m from that of the MET simulation. These differences are associated with weaker entrainment and stronger mean subsidence at the top of the MBL in AERO. Mean top-of-atmosphere outgoing shortwave fluxes, surface latent heat, and surface downwelling longwave fluxes are in better agreement with observations in AERO, compared to the MET simulation. Nevertheless, biases in some of the simulated meteorological quantities (e.g., MBL temperature and humidity) and aerosol quantities (e.g., underestimations of accumulation mode aerosol number) might affect simulated stratocumulus and energy fluxes over the Southeastern Pacific, and require further investigation. The well-simulated timing and outflow patterns of polluted and clean episodes demonstrate the model's ability to capture daily/synoptic scale variations of aerosol and cloud properties, and suggest that the model is suitable for studying atmospheric processes associated with pollution outflow over the ocean. The overall performance of the regional model in simulating mesoscale clouds and boundary layer properties is encouraging and suggests that reproducing gradients of aerosol and cloud droplet concentrations and coupling cloud-aerosol-radiation processes are important when simulating marine stratocumulus over the Southeast Pacific.

scholarly journals Satellite retrieval of cloud condensation nuclei concentrations by using clouds as CCN chambers

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (21) ◽  
pp. 5828-5834 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Rosenfeld ◽  
Youtong Zheng ◽  
Eyal Hashimshoni ◽  
Mira L. Pöhlker ◽  
Anne Jefferson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Cloud Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Cloud Base ◽  
Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Anthropogenic Aerosol ◽  
Convective Clouds ◽  
Aerosol Cloud ◽  
High Uncertainty

Quantifying the aerosol/cloud-mediated radiative effect at a global scale requires simultaneous satellite retrievals of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations and cloud base updraft velocities (Wb). Hitherto, the inability to do so has been a major cause of high uncertainty regarding anthropogenic aerosol/cloud-mediated radiative forcing. This can be addressed by the emerging capability of estimating CCN and Wb of boundary layer convective clouds from an operational polar orbiting weather satellite. Our methodology uses such clouds as an effective analog for CCN chambers. The cloud base supersaturation (S) is determined by Wb and the satellite-retrieved cloud base drop concentrations (Ndb), which is the same as CCN(S). Validation against ground-based CCN instruments at Oklahoma, at Manaus, and onboard a ship in the northeast Pacific showed a retrieval accuracy of ±25% to ±30% for individual satellite overpasses. The methodology is presently limited to boundary layer not raining convective clouds of at least 1 km depth that are not obscured by upper layer clouds, including semitransparent cirrus. The limitation for small solar backscattering angles of <25° restricts the satellite coverage to ∼25% of the world area in a single day.

scholarly journals Global and regional modeling of clouds and aerosols in the marine boundary layer during VOCALS: the VOCA intercomparison

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Wyant ◽  
C. S. Bretherton ◽  
R. Wood ◽  
G. R. Carmichael ◽  
A. Clarke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Quantitative Estimation ◽  
Cloud Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Cloud Droplet ◽  
General Circulation Models ◽  
Free Troposphere ◽  
Aerosol Cloud ◽  
Aerosol Cloud Interactions

Abstract. A diverse collection of models are used to simulate the marine boundary layer in the southeast Pacific region during the period of the October–November 2008 VOCALS REx (VAMOS Ocean Cloud Atmosphere Land Study Regional Experiment) field campaign. Regional models simulate the period continuously in boundary-forced free-running mode, while global forecast models and GCMs (general circulation models) are run in forecast mode. The models are compared to extensive observations along a line at 20° S extending westward from the South American coast. Most of the models simulate cloud and aerosol characteristics and gradients across the region that are recognizably similar to observations, despite the complex interaction of processes involved in the problem, many of which are parameterized or poorly resolved. Some models simulate the regional low cloud cover well, though many models underestimate MBL (marine boundary layer) depth near the coast. Most models qualitatively simulate the observed offshore gradients of SO2, sulfate aerosol, CCN (cloud condensation nuclei) concentration in the MBL as well as differences in concentration between the MBL and the free troposphere. Most models also qualitatively capture the decrease in cloud droplet number away from the coast. However, there are large quantitative intermodel differences in both means and gradients of these quantities. Many models are able to represent episodic offshore increases in cloud droplet number and aerosol concentrations associated with periods of offshore flow. Most models underestimate CCN (at 0.1% supersaturation) in the MBL and free troposphere. The GCMs also have difficulty simulating coastal gradients in CCN and cloud droplet number concentration near the coast. The overall performance of the models demonstrates their potential utility in simulating aerosol–cloud interactions in the MBL, though quantitative estimation of aerosol–cloud interactions and aerosol indirect effects of MBL clouds with these models remains uncertain.

scholarly journals Ultraclean Layers and Optically Thin Clouds in the Stratocumulus-to-Cumulus Transition. Part II: Depletion of Cloud Droplets and Cloud Condensation Nuclei through Collision–Coalescence

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 1653-1673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuan-Ting O ◽  
Robert Wood ◽  
Christopher S. Bretherton
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Cloud Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Cloud Droplet ◽  
Liquid Water Content ◽  
Cloud Base ◽  
Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Cloud Droplets ◽  
Droplet Concentration ◽  
Cloud Thickness

In Part I, aircraft observations are used to show that ultraclean layers (UCLs) in the marine boundary layer (MBL) are a common feature of the stratocumulus-to-cumulus transition (SCT) region over the northeast Pacific. The ultraclean layers are defined as layers of either cloud or clear air in which the concentration of particles with diameter larger than 0.1 μm is below 10 cm−3. Here, idealized microphysical parcel modeling shows that in the cumulus regime, collision–coalescence can strongly deplete cloud droplet concentration in cumulus (Cu) updrafts, thereby removing cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) from the atmosphere, suggesting that collision scavenging is likely the key process causing the low particle concentration in UCLs. Furthermore, the model results suggest that the stratocumulus regime is typically not favorable for UCL formation, because condensate amounts are generally not large enough to deplete drops in the time it takes to loft air to the upper planetary boundary layer (PBL). A bulk parameterization of the coalescence-scavenging rate is derived based on in situ measurements. The fractional coalescence-scavenging rate is found to be strongly dependent upon liquid water content (LWC) and, hence, the height above cloud base, indicating that a higher cloud top and thus a greater cloud thickness in a Cu updraft is an important factor accounting for the observed sharp rise of UCL coverage in the SCT region. An important implication is that PBL height, which controls maximum cloud thickness, and therefore LWC in updrafts, could be a crucial factor constraining coalescence scavenging and thus the formation of UCLs in the MBL.

scholarly journals Aitken mode particles as CCN in aerosol- and updraft-sensitive regimes of cloud droplet formation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mira L. Pöhlker ◽  
Minghui Zhang ◽  
Ramon Campos Braga ◽  
Ovid O. Krüger ◽  
Ulrich Pöschl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Cloud Droplet ◽  
Threshold Level ◽  
Droplet Formation ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Number Concentration ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Accumulation Mode ◽  
Aerosol Cloud ◽  
Aitken Mode

Abstract. The high variability of aerosol particle concentrations, sizes and chemical composition makes their description challenging in atmospheric models. Aerosol-cloud interaction studies are usually focused on the activation of accumulation mode particles as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). However, under specific conditions also Aitken mode particles can contribute to the number concentration of cloud droplets (Nd), leading to large uncertainties in predicted cloud properties on a global scale. We perform sensitivity studies with an adiabatic cloud parcel model to constrain conditions, under which Aitken mode particles contribute to Nd. The simulations cover wide ranges of aerosol properties, such as total particle number concentration, hygroscopicity (κ) and mode diameters for accumulation and Aitken mode particles. Building upon the previously suggested concept of updraft (w)- and aerosol-limited regimes of cloud droplet formation, we show that activation of Aitken mode particles does not occur in w-limited regimes of accumulation mode particles. The transitional range between the regimes is broadened when Aitken mode particles contribute to Nd as aerosol-limitation requires much higher w than for aerosol size distributions with accumulation mode particles only. In the transitional regime, Nd is similarly dependent on w and κ. Therefore, we analyze the sensitivity of Nd to κ, ξ(κ), as a function of w to identify the value combinations, above which Aitken mode particles can affect Nd. As ξ(κ) shows a minimum when the smallest activated particle size is in the range of the Hoppel minimum (0.06 μm ≤ Dmin ≤ 0.08 μm), the corresponding (w,κ) pairs can be considered a threshold level, above which Aitken mode particles have significant impact on Nd. This threshold is largely determined by the number concentration of accumulation mode particles and by the Aitken mode diameter. Our analysis of these thresholds results in a simple parametric framework and criterion to identify aerosol and updraft conditions, under which Aitken mode particles are expected to affect aerosol-cloud interactions. Our results confirm that Aitken mode particles likely do not contribute to Nd in polluted air masses (urban, biomass burning) at moderate updraft velocities (w ≤ 3 m s−1), but may be important in deep convective clouds. Under clean conditions, such as in the Amazon, the Arctic, and remote ocean regions, hygroscopic Aitken mode particles can act as CCN at updrafts of w 

scholarly journals Aerosol and dynamic effects on the formation and evolution of pyro-clouds

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 7777-7822 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Chang ◽  
Y. Cheng ◽  
P. Reutter ◽  
J. Trentmann ◽  
S. Burrows ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Model Simulation ◽  
Cloud Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Cloud Droplet ◽  
Atmospheric Model ◽  
Cloud Base ◽  
Dynamic Effects ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Negative Effect

Abstract. A recent parcel model study (Reutter et al., 2009) showed three deterministic regimes of initial cloud droplet formation, characterized by different ratios of aerosol concentrations (NCN) to updraft velocities. This analysis, however, did not reveal how these regimes evolve during the subsequent cloud development. To address this issue, we employed the Active Tracer High Resolution Atmospheric Model (ATHAM) with full microphysics and extended the model simulation from the cloud base to the entire column of a single pyro-convective mixed-phase cloud. A series of 2-D simulations (over 1000) were performed over a wide range of NCN and dynamic conditions. The integrated concentration of hydrometeors over the full spatial and temporal scales was used to evaluate the aerosol and dynamic effects. The results show that: (1) the three regimes for cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activation in the parcel model (namely aerosol-limited, updraft-limited, and transitional regimes) still exist within our simulations, but net production of raindrops and frozen particles occurs mostly within the updraft-limited regime. (2) Generally, elevated aerosols enhance the formation of cloud droplets and frozen particles. The response of raindrops and precipitation to aerosols is more complex and can be either positive or negative as a function of aerosol concentrations. The most negative effect was found for values of NCN of ∼1000 to 3000 cm−3. (3) The involvement of nonlinear (dynamic and microphysical) processes leads to a more complicated and unstable response of clouds to aerosol perturbation compared with the parcel model results. Therefore, conclusions drawn from limited case studies might require caveats regarding their representativeness, and high-resolution sensitivity studies over a wide range of aerosol concentrations and updraft velocities are strongly recommended.

scholarly journals Aerosol- and updraft-limited regimes of cloud droplet formation: influence of particle number, size and hygroscopicity on the activation of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN)

2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 8635-8665 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Reutter ◽  
J. Trentmann ◽  
H. Su ◽  
M. Simmel ◽  
D. Rose ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particle Number ◽  
Cloud Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Aerosol Particles ◽  
Cloud Droplet ◽  
Condensation Nucleus ◽  
Droplet Formation ◽  
Cloud Condensation Nucleus ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Cloud Base ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract. We have investigated the formation of cloud droplets under (pyro-)convective conditions using a cloud parcel model with detailed spectral microphysics and with the κ-Köhler model approach for efficient and realistic description of the cloud condensation nucleus (CCN) activity of aerosol particles. Assuming a typical biomass burning aerosol size distribution (accumulation mode centred at 120 nm), we have calculated initial cloud droplet number concentrations (NCD) for a wide range of updraft velocities (w=0.5–20 m s−1) and aerosol particle number concentrations (NCN=103–105 cm−3) at the cloud base. Depending on the ratio between updraft velocity and particle number concentration (w/NCN), we found three distinctly different regimes of CCN activation and cloud droplet formation: 1. An aerosol-limited regime that is characterized by high w/NCN ratios (>≈10−3 m s−1 cm3), high maximum values of water vapour supersaturation (Smax>≈0.5%), and high activated fractions of aerosol particles (NCD/NCN>≈90%). In this regime NCD is directly proportional to NCN and practically independent of w. 2. An updraft-limited regime that is characterized by low w/NCN ratios (

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