Is contact nucleation caused by pressure perturbation?

The reason why ice nucleation is more efficient by contact nucleation than by immersion nucleation has been elusive for over half a century. Six proposed mechanisms are summarized in this study. Among them, the pressure perturbation hypothesis, which arose from recent experiments, can qualitatively explain nearly all existing results relevant to contact nucleation. To explore the plausibility of this hypothesis in a more quantitative fashion and to guide future investigations, this study assessed the magnitude of pressure perturbation needed to cause contact nucleation and the associated spatial scales. The pressure perturbations needed were estimated using measured contact nucleation efficiencies for illite and kaolinite, obtained from previous experiments, and immersion freezing temperatures, obtained from well-established parameterizations. Pressure perturbations were obtained by assuming a constant pressure perturbation or a Gaussian distribution of the pressure perturbation. The magnitudes of the pressure perturbations needed were found to be physically reasonable, being achievable through possible mechanisms, including bubble formation and breakup, Laplace pressure arising from the distorted contact line, and shear. The pressure perturbation hypothesis provides a physically based and experimentally constrainable foundation for parameterizing contact nucleation that may be useful in future cloud-resolving models

Scaling of drizzle virga depth with cloud thickness for marine stratocumulus clouds

Drizzle is frequently observed in marine stratocumulus clouds and plays a crucial role in cloud lifetime and the radiation budget. Most drizzling stratocumulus clouds form drizzle virga below cloud base, where subcloud scavenging and evaporative cooling are important. We use unique ground‐based cloud radar observations (1) to examine the statistical properties of drizzle frequency and virga depth and (2) to test a simple analytical relationship derived between drizzle virga thickness (Hv) and cloud thickness (Hc). Observations show that 83% of marine stratocumulus clouds are drizzling although only 31% generate surface precipitation. The analytical expression for Hv is derived as a function of Hc and subcloud relative humidity considering in‐cloud accretion and subcloud evaporation of drizzle drops. The derived third‐order power law relationship,, shows good agreement with long‐term observational data. Our formula provides a simple parameterization for drizzle virga of stratocumulus clouds suitable for use in models

Large-Eddy Simulations of a Convection Cloud Chamber: Sensitivity to Bin Microphysics and Advection

Bin microphysics schemes are useful tools for cloud simulations and are often considered to provide a benchmark for model intercomparison. However, they may experience issues with numerical diffusion, which are not well quantified, and the transport of hydrometeors depends on the choice of advection scheme, which can also change cloud simulation results. Here, an atmospheric large-eddy simulation model is adapted to simulate a statistically steady-state cloud in a convection cloud chamber under well-constrained conditions. Two bin microphysics schemes, a spectral bin method and the method of moments, as well as several advection methods for the transport of the microphysical variables are employed for model intercomparison. Results show that different combinations of microphysics and advection schemes can lead to considerable differences in simulated cloud properties, such as cloud droplet number concentration. We find that simulations using the advection scheme that suffers more from numerical diffusion tends to have a smaller droplet number concentration and liquid water content, while simulation with the microphysics scheme that suffers more from numerical diffusion tends to have a broader size distribution and thus larger mean droplet sizes. Sensitivities of simulations to bin resolution, spatial resolution, and temporal resolution are also tested. We find that refining the microphysical bin resolution leads to a broader cloud droplet size distribution due to the advection of hydrometeors. Our results provide insight for using different advection and microphysics schemes in cloud chamber simulations, which might also help understand the uncertainties of the schemes used in atmospheric cloud simulations

Observed impacts of vertical velocity on cloud microphysics and implications for aerosol indirect effects

[1] The simultaneous measurements of vertical velocity and cloud droplet size distributions in cumuli collected during the RACORO field campaign over the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program's Southern Great Plains site near Lamont, Oklahoma, US, are analyzed to determine the effects of vertical velocity on droplet number concentration, relative dispersion (the ratio of standard deviation to mean radius), and their relationship. The results show that with increasing vertical velocity the droplet number concentration increases while the relative dispersion decreases. The data also exhibit a negative correlation between relative dispersion and droplet number concentration. These empirical relationships can be fitted well with power law functions. This observational study confirms the theoretical and numerical expectations of the effects of vertical velocity on cloud microphysics by analyzing the data of vertical velocity directly. The effects of vertical velocity on relative dispersion and its relationship with droplet number concentration are opposite to that associated with aerosol loading, posing a confounding challenge for separating aerosol indirect effects from dynamical effects. Citation: Lu, C., Y. Liu, S. Niu, and A. M. Vogelmann (2012), Observed impacts of vertical velocity on cloud microphysics and implications for aerosol indirect effects

Marine Boundary Layer Cloud Properties From AMF Point Reyes Satellite Observations

Cloud Diameter, C(sub D), offers a simple measure of Marine Boundary Layer (MBL) cloud organization. The diurnal cycle of cloud-physical properties and C(sub D) at Pt Reyes are consistent with previous work. The time series of C(sub D) can be used to identify distinct mesoscale organization regimes within the Pt. Reyes observation period

ACE-ASIA - Regional climatic and atmospheric chemical effects of Asian dust and pollution

Although continental-scale plumes of Asian dust and pollution reduce the amount of solar radiation reaching the earth's surface and perturb the chemistry of the atmosphere, our ability to quantify these effects has been limited by a lack of critical observations, particularly of layers above the surface. Comprehensive surface, airborne, shipboard, and satellite measurements of Asian aerosol chemical composition, size, optical properties, and radiative impacts were performed during the Asian Pacific Regional Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE-Asia) study. Measurements within a massive Chinese dust storm at numerous widely spaced sampling locations revealed the highly complex structure of the atmosphere, in which layers of dust, urban pollution, and biomass-burning smoke may be transported long distances as distinct entities or mixed together. The data allow a first-time assessment of the regional climatic and atmospheric chemical effects of a continental-scale mixture of dust and pollution. Our results show that radiative flux reductions during such episodes are sufficient to cause regional climate change

Processing of Ice Cloud In-Situ Data Collected by Bulk Water, Scattering, and Imaging Probes: Fundamentals, Uncertainties and Efforts towards Consistency

In-situ observations of cloud properties made by airborne probes play a critical role in ice cloud research through their role in process studies, parameterization development, and evaluation of simulations and remote sensing retrievals. To determine how cloud properties vary with environmental conditions, in-situ data collected during different field projects processed by different groups must be used. However, due to the diverse algorithms and codes that are used to process measurements, it can be challenging to compare the results. Therefore it is vital to understand both the limitations of specific probes and uncertainties introduced by processing algorithms. Since there is currently no universally accepted framework regarding how in-situ measurements should be processed, there is a need for a general reference that describes the most commonly applied algorithms along with their strengths and weaknesses. Methods used to process data from bulk water probes, single particle light scattering spectrometers and cloud imaging probes are reviewed herein, with emphasis on measurements of the ice phase. Particular attention is paid to how uncertainties, caveats and assumptions in processing algorithms affect derived products since there is currently no consensus on the optimal way of analyzing data. Recommendations for improving the analysis and interpretation of in-situ data include the following: establishment of a common reference library of individual processing algorithms; better documentation of assumptions used in these algorithms; development and maintenance of sustainable community software for processing in-situ observations; and more studies that compare different algorithms with the same benchmark data sets

RACORO continental boundary layer cloud investigations. 2. Large-eddy simulations of cumulus clouds and evaluation with in-situ and ground-based observations

A 60-hour case study of continental boundary layer cumulus clouds is examined using two large-eddy simulation (LES) models. The case is based on observations obtained during the RACORO Campaign (Routine Atmospheric Radiation Measurement [ARM] Aerial Facility [AAF] Clouds with Low Optical Water Depths [CLOWD] Optical Radiative Observations) at the ARM Climate Research Facility's Southern Great Plains site. The LES models are driven by continuous large-scale and surface forcings, and are constrained by multi-modal and temporally varying aerosol number size distribution profiles derived from aircraft observations. We compare simulated cloud macrophysical and microphysical properties with ground-based remote sensing and aircraft observations. The LES simulations capture the observed transitions of the evolving cumulus-topped boundary layers during the three daytime periods, and generally reproduce variations of droplet number concentration with liquid water content (LWC), corresponding to the gradient between the cloud centers and cloud edges at given heights. The observed LWC values fall within the range of simulated values; the observed droplet number concentrations are commonly higher than simulated, but differences remain on par with potential estimation errors in the aircraft measurements. Sensitivity studies examine the influences of bin microphysics versus bulk microphysics, aerosol advection, supersaturation treatment, and aerosol hygroscopicity. Simulated macrophysical cloud properties are found to be insensitive in this non-precipitating case, but microphysical properties are especially sensitive to bulk microphysics supersaturation treatment and aerosol hygroscopicity.The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2014JD022525A 60 h case study of continental boundary layer cumulus clouds is examined using two large-eddy simulation (LES) models. The case is based on observations obtained during the RACORO Campaign (Routine Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Aerial Facility (AAF) Clouds with Low Optical Water Depths (CLOWD) Optical Radiative Observations) at the ARM Climate Research Facility’s Southern Great Plains site. The LES models are driven by continuous large-scale and surface forcings and are constrained by multimodal and temporally varying aerosol number size distribution profiles derived from aircraft observations. We compare simulated cloud macrophysical and microphysical properties with ground-based remote sensing and aircraft observations. The LES simulations capture the observed transitions of the evolving cumulus-topped boundary layers during the three daytime periods and generally reproduce variations of droplet number concentration with liquid water content (LWC), corresponding to the gradient between the cloud centers and cloud edges at given heights. The observed LWC values fall within the range of simulated values; the observed droplet number concentrations are commonly higher than simulated, but differences remain on par with potential estimation errors in the aircraft measurements. Sensitivity studies examine the influences of bin microphysics versus bulk microphysics, aerosol advection, supersaturation treatment, and aerosol hygroscopicity. Simulated macrophysical cloud properties are found to be insensitive in this nonprecipitating case, but microphysical properties are especially sensitive to bulk microphysics supersaturation treatment and aerosol hygroscopicity.USDOE Office of Science (SC)SC00112704This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Science Office of Biological and Environmental Research Program under the Earth System Modeling Program via the FASTER Project (http://www.bnl.gov/ faster/) and the Atmospheric System Research Program via DE-SC00112704

Sensitivity of Idealized Squall-Line Simulations to the Level of Complexity Used in Two-Moment Bulk Microphysics Schemes

This paper investigates the level of complexity that is needed within bulk microphysics schemes to represent the essential features associated with deep convection. To do so, the sensitivity of surface precipitation is evaluated in two-dimensional idealized squall-line simulations with respect to the level of complexity in the bulk microphysics schemes of H. Morrison et al. and of J. A. Milbrandt and M. K. Yau. Factors examined include the number of predicted moments for each of the precipitating hydrometeors, the number and nature of ice categories, and the conversion term formulations. First, it is shown that simulations of surface precipitation and cold pools are not only a two-moment representation of rain, as suggested by previous research, but also by two-moment representations for all precipitating hydrometeors. Cold pools weakened when both rain and graupel number concentrations were predicted, because size sorting led to larger graupel particles that melted into larger raindrops and caused less evaporative cooling. Second, surface precipitation was found to be less sensitive to the nature of the rimed ice species (hail or graupel). Production of hail in experiments including both graupel and hail strongly depends on an unphysical threshold that converts small hail back to graupel, indicating the need for a more physical treatment of the graupel-to-hail conversion. Third, it was shown that the differences in precipitation extremes between the two-moment microphysics schemes are mainly related to the treatment of drop breakup. It was also shown that, although the H. Morrison et al. scheme is dominated by deposition growth and low precipitation efficiency, the J. A. Milbrandt and M. K. Yau scheme is dominated by riming processes and high precipitation efficiency