Impacts of Secondary Ice Production on Arctic Mixed-Phase Clouds based on ARM Observations and CESM2

Abstract. For decades, measured ice crystal number concentrations have been found to be orders of magnitude higher than measured ice nucleating particles in moderately cold clouds. This observed discrepancy reveals the existence of secondary ice production (SIP) in addition to the primary ice nucleation. However, the importance of SIP relative to primary ice nucleation remains highly unclear. Furthermore, most weather and climate models do not represent well the SIP processes, leading to large biases in simulated cloud properties. This study demonstrates a first attempt to represent different SIP mechanisms (frozen raindrop shattering, ice-ice collisional break-up, and rime splintering) in a global climate model (GCM). The model is run in the single column mode to facilitate comparisons with the Department of Energy (DOE)'s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (M-PACE) observations. We show the SIP importance in the four types of clouds during M-PACE (i.e., multilayer, and single-layer stratus, transition, and front clouds), with the maximum enhancement in ice crystal number concentration by up to 4 orders of magnitude in the moderately-cold clouds. We reveal that SIP is the dominant source of ice crystals near the cloud base for the long-lived Arctic single-layer mixed-phase clouds. The model with SIP improves the occurrence and phase partitioning of the mixed-phase clouds, reverses the vertical distribution pattern of ice number concentration, and provides a better agreement with observations. The findings of this study highlight the importance of considering the SIP in GCMs.

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Impacts of secondary ice production on Arctic mixed-phase clouds based on ARM observations and CAM6 single-column model simulations

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-21-5685-2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (7) ◽

pp. 5685-5703

Author(s):

Xi Zhao ◽

Xiaohong Liu ◽

Vaughan T. J. Phillips ◽

Sachin Patade

Keyword(s):

Global Climate Model ◽

Single Layer ◽

Ice Nucleation ◽

Mixed Phase ◽

Department Of Energy ◽

Cloud Base ◽

Ice Crystal ◽

Single Column ◽

Ice Production ◽

Mixed Phase Clouds

Abstract. For decades, measured ice crystal number concentrations have been found to be orders of magnitude higher than measured ice-nucleating particle number concentrations in moderately cold clouds. This observed discrepancy reveals the existence of secondary ice production (SIP) in addition to the primary ice nucleation. However, the importance of SIP relative to primary ice nucleation remains highly unclear. Furthermore, most weather and climate models do not represent SIP processes well, leading to large biases in simulated cloud properties. This study demonstrates a first attempt to represent different SIP mechanisms (frozen raindrop shattering, ice–ice collisional breakup, and rime splintering) in a global climate model (GCM). The model is run in the single column mode to facilitate comparisons with the Department of Energy (DOE)'s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (M-PACE) observations. We show the important role of SIP in four types of clouds during M-PACE (i.e., multilayer, single-layer stratus, transition, and frontal clouds), with the maximum enhancement in ice crystal number concentrations up to 4 orders of magnitude in moderately supercooled clouds. We reveal that SIP is the dominant source of ice crystals near the cloud base for the long-lived Arctic single-layer mixed-phase clouds. The model with SIP improves the occurrence and phase partitioning of the mixed-phase clouds, reverses the vertical distribution pattern of ice number concentrations, and provides a better agreement with observations. The findings of this study highlight the importance of considering SIP in GCMs.

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Relative importance and interactions of primary and secondary ice production in the Arctic mixed-phase clouds

10.5194/acp-2021-686 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Xi Zhao ◽

Xiaohong Liu

Keyword(s):

Single Layer ◽

Ice Nucleation ◽

Mixed Phase ◽

The Arctic ◽

Pure Liquid ◽

Relative Importance ◽

Model Experiments ◽

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement ◽

Ice Production ◽

Mixed Phase Clouds

Abstract. A discrepancy of up to 5 orders of magnitude between ice crystal and ice nucleating particle (INP) number concentrations was found in the measurements, indicating the potential important role of secondary ice production (SIP) in the clouds. However, the relative importance and interactions between primary and SIP processes remain unexplored. In this study, we implement five different ice nucleation schemes as well as physical representations of SIP processes (i.e., droplet shattering during rain freezing, ice-ice collisional break-up, and rime splintering) in the Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2). We run CESM2 in the single column mode for model comparisons with the DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (M-PACE) observations. We find that the model experiments with aerosol-aware ice nucleation schemes and SIP processes yield the best simulation results for the M-PACE single-layer mixed-phase clouds. We further investigate the relative importance of ice nucleation and SIP to ice number and cloud phase as well as interactions between ice nucleation and SIP in the M-PACE single-layer mixed-phase clouds. Our results show that SIP contributes 80 % to the total ice formation and transforms ~ 30 % of pure liquid-phase clouds simulated in the model experiments without considering SIP into mixed-phase clouds. We find that SIP is not only a result of ice crystals produced from ice nucleation, but also competes with the ice nucleation. Conversely, strong ice nucleation also suppresses SIP by glaciating mixed-phase clouds.

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Comparing model and measured ice crystal concentrations in orographic clouds during the INUPIAQ campaign

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-16-4945-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 16 (8) ◽

pp. 4945-4966 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Robert J. Farrington ◽

Paul J. Connolly ◽

Gary Lloyd ◽

Keith N. Bower ◽

Michael J. Flynn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Wrf Model ◽

Liquid Water Content ◽

Mixed Phase ◽

Ice Crystal ◽

Field Campaign ◽

Orographic Clouds ◽

Ice Multiplication ◽

Ice Production ◽

Surface Ice ◽

Mixed Phase Clouds

Abstract. This paper assesses the reasons for high ice number concentrations observed in orographic clouds by comparing in situ measurements from the Ice NUcleation Process Investigation And Quantification field campaign (INUPIAQ) at Jungfraujoch, Switzerland (3570 m a.s.l.) with the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) simulations over real terrain surrounding Jungfraujoch. During the 2014 winter field campaign, between 20 January and 28 February, the model simulations regularly underpredicted the observed ice number concentration by 103 L−1. Previous literature has proposed several processes for the high ice number concentrations in orographic clouds, including an increased ice nucleating particle (INP) concentration, secondary ice multiplication and the advection of surface ice crystals into orographic clouds. We find that increasing INP concentrations in the model prevents the simulation of the mixed-phase clouds that were witnessed during the INUPIAQ campaign at Jungfraujoch. Additionally, the inclusion of secondary ice production upwind of Jungfraujoch into the WRF simulations cannot consistently produce enough ice splinters to match the observed concentrations. A flux of surface hoar crystals was included in the WRF model, which simulated ice concentrations comparable to the measured ice number concentrations, without depleting the liquid water content (LWC) simulated in the model. Our simulations therefore suggest that high ice concentrations observed in mixed-phase clouds at Jungfraujoch are caused by a flux of surface hoar crystals into the orographic clouds.

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Observed aerosol suppression of cloud ice in low-level Arctic mixed-phase clouds

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-18-13345-2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 18 (18) ◽

pp. 13345-13361 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Matthew S. Norgren ◽

Gijs de Boer ◽

Matthew D. Shupe

Keyword(s):

Mixed Phase ◽

Crystal Nucleation ◽

Cloud Base ◽

Low Level ◽

Aerosol State ◽

Earth’S Climate ◽

Ice Production ◽

Mixed Phase Clouds ◽

Ice Water ◽

The Impact

Abstract. The interactions that occur between aerosols and a mixed-phase cloud system, and the subsequent alteration of the microphysical state of such clouds, are a problem that has yet to be well constrained. Advancing our understanding of aerosol–ice processes is necessary to determine the impact of natural and anthropogenic emissions on Earth's climate and to improve our capability to predict future climate states. This paper deals specifically with how aerosols influence ice mass production in low-level Arctic mixed-phase clouds. In this study, a 9-year record of aerosol, cloud and atmospheric state properties is used to quantify aerosol influence on ice production in mixed-phase clouds. It is found that mixed-phase clouds present in a clean aerosol state have higher ice water content (IWC) by a factor of 1.22 to 1.63 at cloud base than do similar clouds in cases with higher aerosol loading. We additionally analyze radar-derived mean Doppler velocities to better understand the drivers behind this relationship, and we conclude that aerosol induced reduction of the ice crystal nucleation rate, together with decreased riming rates in polluted clouds, are likely influences on the observed reductions in IWC.

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Implementation of a comprehensive ice crystal formation parameterization for cirrus and mixed-phase clouds in the EMAC model (based on MESSy 2.53)

Geoscientific Model Development ◽

10.5194/gmd-11-4021-2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (10) ◽

pp. 4021-4041 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Sara Bacer ◽

Sylvia C. Sullivan ◽

Vlassis A. Karydis ◽

Donifan Barahona ◽

Martina Krämer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Model ◽

Ice Nucleation ◽

Cirrus Clouds ◽

Mixed Phase ◽

Ice Crystals ◽

Dust Particles ◽

Crystal Formation ◽

Ice Crystal ◽

Upper Troposphere ◽

Mixed Phase Clouds

Abstract. A comprehensive ice nucleation parameterization has been implemented in the global chemistry-climate model EMAC to improve the representation of ice crystal number concentrations (ICNCs). The parameterization of Barahona and Nenes (2009, hereafter BN09) allows for the treatment of ice nucleation taking into account the competition for water vapour between homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation in cirrus clouds. Furthermore, the influence of chemically heterogeneous, polydisperse aerosols is considered by applying one of the multiple ice nucleating particle parameterizations which are included in BN09 to compute the heterogeneously formed ice crystals. BN09 has been modified in order to consider the pre-existing ice crystal effect and implemented to operate both in the cirrus and in the mixed-phase regimes. Compared to the standard EMAC parameterizations, BN09 produces fewer ice crystals in the upper troposphere but higher ICNCs in the middle troposphere, especially in the Northern Hemisphere where ice nucleating mineral dust particles are relatively abundant. Overall, ICNCs agree well with the observations, especially in cold cirrus clouds (at temperatures below 205 K), although they are underestimated between 200 and 220 K. As BN09 takes into account processes which were previously neglected by the standard version of the model, it is recommended for future EMAC simulations.

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Secondary Ice Production – development of a new experimental set-up

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-11327 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Susan Hartmann ◽

Alice Keinert ◽

Alexei Kiselev ◽

Frank Stratmann

Keyword(s):

Particle Number ◽

Number Concentration ◽

Mixed Phase ◽

Sugar Solution ◽

Particle Number Concentration ◽

Ice Particles ◽

Thin Carbon ◽

Set Up ◽

Ice Production ◽

Mixed Phase Clouds

Mixed-phase clouds are essential elements in Earth&#8217;s weather and climate system. Aircraft measurements of mixed-phase clouds demonstrated a strong discrepancy between the observed ice particle and ice nucleating particle number concentration of one to four orders of magnitude [1-4]. Different secondary ice production (SIP) mechanisms have been hypothesized which can increase the total ice particle number concentration by multiplication of primary ice particles and hence might explain the observed discrepancy [5-7].In a joint project of KIT and Tropos, we focus on the investigation two SIP processes: shattering of large freezing droplets (KIT) and SIP as a result of droplet-ice collisions (Tropos), commonly known as Hallett-Mossop [9] or rime-splintering process. Thereby, we aim at a quantitative understanding of the SIP underlying physical mechanisms, utilizing a newly developed experimental set-up (Ice Droplets splintEring on FreezIng eXperiment, IDEFIX). &#160;IDEFIX is based on a modular concept and consists of three modules, i.e., the SIP chamber, the growth section, and the ice particle detector. We developed two different versions of the SIP chamber: in the KIT-SIP chamber a freezing drizzle droplet is levitated in electrodynamic balance; and in the TROPOS-SIP chamber quasi-monodisperse droplets collide with an ice particle which is fixed on thin carbon fibers. IDEFIX is designed to match realistic fall or impact velocities and collision rates of the droplets with the ice particle. The SIP process will be observed with high-speed video microscopy and an infrared measuring system. In the growth section, which features supersaturated conditions with respect to ice, the presumably small secondarily produced ice particles will be grown to detectable sizes. Finally, to count the number of secondarily produced ice particles either an optical particle spectrometer will be used for distinguishing between droplets and ice particles, or the ice particles will be impacted on a metastable sugar solution. Currently, we characterize velocity, temperature and humidity fields of the TROPOS-collision chamber and determine droplet-ice particle collision rates.

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Simulating mixed-phase Arctic stratus clouds: sensitivity to ice initiation mechanisms

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-9-4747-2009 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 9 (14) ◽

pp. 4747-4773 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

I. Sednev ◽

S. Menon ◽

G. McFarquhar

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Single Layer ◽

Mixed Phase ◽

The Arctic ◽

Ice Crystal ◽

The North ◽

North Slope Of Alaska ◽

Aerosol Cloud Interactions ◽

Mixed Phase Clouds ◽

Ice Initiation

Abstract. The importance of Arctic mixed-phase clouds on radiation and the Arctic climate is well known. However, the development of mixed-phase cloud parameterization for use in large scale models is limited by lack of both related observations and numerical studies using multidimensional models with advanced microphysics that provide the basis for understanding the relative importance of different microphysical processes that take place in mixed-phase clouds. To improve the representation of mixed-phase cloud processes in the GISS GCM we use the GISS single-column model coupled to a bin resolved microphysics (BRM) scheme that was specially designed to simulate mixed-phase clouds and aerosol-cloud interactions. Using this model with the microphysical measurements obtained from the DOE ARM Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (MPACE) campaign in October 2004 at the North Slope of Alaska, we investigate the effect of ice initiation processes and Bergeron-Findeisen process (BFP) on glaciation time and longevity of single-layer stratiform mixed-phase clouds. We focus on observations taken during 9–10 October, which indicated the presence of a single-layer mixed-phase clouds. We performed several sets of 12-h simulations to examine model sensitivity to different ice initiation mechanisms and evaluate model output (hydrometeors' concentrations, contents, effective radii, precipitation fluxes, and radar reflectivity) against measurements from the MPACE Intensive Observing Period. Overall, the model qualitatively simulates ice crystal concentration and hydrometeors content, but it fails to predict quantitatively the effective radii of ice particles and their vertical profiles. In particular, the ice effective radii are overestimated by at least 50%. However, using the same definition as used for observations, the effective radii simulated and that observed were more comparable. We find that for the single-layer stratiform mixed-phase clouds simulated, process of ice phase initiation due to freezing of supercooled water in both saturated and subsaturated (w.r.t. water) environments is as important as primary ice crystal origination from water vapor. We also find that the BFP is a process mainly responsible for the rates of glaciation of simulated clouds. These glaciation rates cannot be adequately represented by a water-ice saturation adjustment scheme that only depends on temperature and liquid and solid hydrometeors' contents as is widely used in bulk microphysics schemes and are better represented by processes that also account for supersaturation changes as the hydrometeors grow.

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Implementation of a comprehensive ice crystal formation parameterization for cirrus and mixed-phase clouds into the EMAC model (based on MESSy 2.53)

10.5194/gmd-2018-62 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sara Bacer ◽

Sylvia C. Sullivan ◽

Vlassis A. Karydis ◽

Donifan Barahona ◽

Martina Krämer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Model ◽

Ice Nucleation ◽

Mixed Phase ◽

Ice Crystals ◽

Dust Particles ◽

Crystal Formation ◽

Ice Crystal ◽

Data Set ◽

Particle Spectra ◽

Mixed Phase Clouds

Abstract. A comprehensive ice nucleation parameterization has been implemented in the global chemistry-climate model EMAC to realistically represent ice crystal number concentrations. The parameterization of Barahona and Nenes (2009, hereafter BN09) allows the treatment of ice nucleation, taking into account the competition for water vapour between homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation and pre-existing ice crystals in cold clouds. Furthermore, the influence of chemically-heterogeneous, polydisperse aerosols is considered via multiple ice nucleating particle spectra, which are included in the parameterization to compute the heterogeneously formed ice crystals. BN09 has been implemented to operate both in the cirrus and in the mixed-phase regimes. Compared to the standard EMAC results, BN09 produces fewer ice crystals in the upper troposphere but higher ice crystal number concentrations in the middle troposphere, especially in the Northern Hemisphere where ice nucleating mineral dust particles are relatively abundant. The comparison with a climatological data set of aircraft measurements shows that BN09 used in the cirrus regime improves the model results and, therefore, is recommended for future EMAC simulations.

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Relationships between Immersion Freezing and Crystal Habit for Arctic Mixed-Phase Clouds—A Numerical Study

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences ◽

10.1175/jas-d-20-0078.1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 77 (7) ◽

pp. 2411-2438

Author(s):

Tempei Hashino ◽

Gijs de Boer ◽

Hajime Okamoto ◽

Gregory J. Tripoli

Keyword(s):

Aerosol Particles ◽

Number Concentration ◽

Mixed Phase ◽

Freezing Rate ◽

Nucleation Theory ◽

Crystal Habit ◽

Cloud Base ◽

Axis Ratio ◽

Immersion Freezing ◽

Mixed Phase Clouds

AbstractThe number concentration of ice particles in Arctic mixed-phase clouds is a major controlling factor of cloud lifetime. The relationships between ice nucleation mode and ice crystal habit development are not yet constrained by observations. This study uses a habit-predicting microphysical scheme within a 3D large-eddy simulation model to evaluate the relationship between immersion freezing and ice habit in a simulated Arctic mixed-phase cloud case. Three immersion freezing parameterizations are considered: a volume-dependent freezing scheme (VF), a parameterization limited to activated droplets (C-AC), and a parameterization limited to coarse aerosol particles (C-CM). Both C-AC and C-CM are based on classical nucleation theory. The freezing rate with VF is found to be greater in downdraft regions than in updraft regions due to the downdraft having a higher number concentration of large droplets. The C-AC cases show active freezing of small droplets near cloud top, whereas in the C-CM cases, mainly the 8–32-μm-sized droplets freeze in updraft regions near the cloud base. Because the initial crystal size is assumed to affect the axis ratio of hexagonal plates, the VF cases produce crystals with larger axis ratios, resulting in smaller mode radii than the C-AC cases. In all cases, irregular polycrystals dominate near cloud top and a band-like structure develops within the cloud, which qualitatively agrees with previous observations. In the VF and C-CM cases, unactivated large droplets arising from coarse-mode aerosol particles contributed significantly to the freezing rate, producing an important influence on crystal habit.

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Simulating mixed-phase Arctic stratus clouds: sensitivity to ice initiation mechanisms

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-8-11755-2008 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 11755-11819 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

I. Sednev ◽

S. Menon ◽

G. McFarquhar

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Single Layer ◽

Mixed Phase ◽

The Arctic ◽

Ice Crystal ◽

The North ◽

North Slope Of Alaska ◽

Aerosol Cloud Interactions ◽

Mixed Phase Clouds ◽

Ice Initiation

Abstract. The importance of Arctic mixed-phase clouds on radiation and the Arctic climate is well known. However, the development of mixed-phase cloud parameterization for use in large scale models is limited by lack of both related observations and numerical studies using multidimensional models with advanced microphysics that provide the basis for understanding the relative importance of different microphysical processes that take place in mixed-phase clouds. To improve the representation of mixed-phase cloud processes in the GISS GCM we use the GISS single-column model coupled to a bin resolved microphysics (BRM) scheme that was specially designed to simulate mixed-phase clouds and aerosol-cloud interactions. Using this model with the microphysical measurements obtained from the DOE ARM Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (MPACE) campaign in October 2004 at the North Slope of Alaska, we investigate the effect of ice initiation processes and Bergeron-Findeisen process (BFP) on glaciation time and longevity of single-layer stratiform mixed-phase clouds. We focus on observations taken during 9th–10th October, which indicated the presence of a single-layer mixed-phase clouds. We performed several sets of 12-h simulations to examine model sensitivity to different ice initiation mechanisms and evaluate model output (hydrometeors' concentrations, contents, effective radii, precipitation fluxes, and radar reflectivity) against measurements from the MPACE Intensive Observing Period. Overall, the model qualitatively simulates ice crystal concentration and hydrometeors content, but it fails to predict quantitatively the effective radii of ice particles and their vertical profiles. In particular, the ice effective radii are overestimated by at least 50%. However, using the same definition as used for observations, the effective radii simulated and that observed were more comparable. We find that for the single-layer stratiform mixed-phase clouds simulated, process of ice phase initiation due to freezing of supercooled water in both saturated and undersaturated (w.r.t. water) environments is as important as primary ice crystal origination from water vapor. We also find that the BFP is a process mainly responsible for the rates of glaciation of simulated clouds. These glaciation rates cannot be adequately represented by a water-ice saturation adjustment scheme that only depends on temperature and liquid and solid hydrometeors' contents as is widely used in bulk microphysics schemes and are better represented by processes that also account for supersaturation changes as the hydrometeors grow.

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