Abstract. An artificial neural network cloud classification scheme is combined with A-train observations to characterize the physical properties and radiative effects of marine low clouds based on their morphology and type of mesoscale cellular convection (MCC) on a global scale. The cloud morphological categories are (i) organized closed MCC, (ii) organized open MCC and (iii) cellular but disorganized MCC.Global distributions of the frequency of occurrence of MCC types show clear regional signatures. Organized closed and open MCCs are most frequently found in subtropical regions and in midlatitude storm tracks of both hemispheres. Cellular but disorganized MCC are the predominant type of marine low clouds in regions with warmer sea surface temperature such as in the tropics and trade wind zones. All MCC types exhibit a pronounced seasonal cycle.The physical properties of MCCs such as cloud fraction, radar reflectivity, drizzle rates and cloud top heights as well as the radiative effects of MCCs are found highly variable and a function of the type of MCC. On a global scale, the cloud fraction is largest for closed MCC with mean cloud fractions of about 90 %, whereas cloud fractions of open and cellular but disorganized MCC are only about 51 % and 40 %, respectively. Probability density functions (PDFs) of cloud fractions are heavily skewed and exhibit modest regional variability.PDFs of column maximum radar reflectivities and inferred cloud base drizzle rates indicate fundamental differences in the cloud and precipitation characteristics of different MCC types. Similarly, the radiative effects of MCCs differ substantially from each other in terms of shortwave reflectance and transmissivity. These differences highlight the importance of low-cloud morphologies and their associated cloudiness on the shortwave cloud forcing.

In situ microphysical observations of midlatitude cirrus collected during the Department of Energy Small Particles in Cirrus (SPARTICUS) field campaign are combined with an atmospheric state classification for the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) site to understand statistical relationships between cirrus microphysics and the large‐scale meteorology. The atmospheric state classification is informed about the large‐scale meteorology and state of cloudiness at the ARM SGP site by combining ECMWF ERA‐Interim reanalysis data with 14 years of continuous observations from the millimeter‐wavelength cloud radar. Almost half of the cirrus cloud occurrences in the vicinity of the ARM SGP site during SPARTICUS can be explained by three distinct synoptic conditions, namely, upper level ridges, midlatitude cyclones with frontal systems, and subtropical flows. Probability density functions (PDFs) of cirrus microphysical properties such as particle size distributions (PSDs), ice number concentrations, and ice water content (IWC) are examined and exhibit striking differences among the different synoptic regimes. Generally, narrower PSDs with lower IWC but higher ice number concentrations are found in cirrus sampled in upper level ridges, whereas cirrus sampled in subtropical flows, fronts, and aged anvils show broader PSDs with considerably lower ice number concentrations but higher IWC. Despite striking contrasts in the cirrus microphysics for different large‐scale environments, the PDFs of vertical velocity are not different, suggesting that vertical velocity PDFs are a poor predictor for explaining the microphysical variability in cirrus. Instead, cirrus microphysical contrasts may be driven by differences in ice supersaturations or aerosols.

Abstract. A cloud-resolving model (CRM) coupled to a new intermediate-complexity bulk aerosol scheme is used to study aerosol–boundary-layer–cloud–precipitation interactions and the development of pockets of open cells (POCs) in subtropical stratocumulus cloud layers. The aerosol scheme prognoses mass and number concentration of a single lognormal accumulation mode with surface and entrainment sources, evolving subject to processing of activated aerosol and scavenging of dry aerosol by clouds and rain. The CRM with the aerosol scheme is applied to a range of steadily forced cases idealized from a well-observed POC. The long-term system evolution is explored with extended two-dimensional (2-D) simulations of up to 20 days, mostly with diurnally averaged insolation and 24 km wide domains, and one 10 day three-dimensional (3-D) simulation. Both 2-D and 3-D simulations support the Baker–Charlson hypothesis of two distinct aerosol–cloud "regimes" (deep/high-aerosol/non-drizzling and shallow/low-aerosol/drizzling) that persist for days; transitions between these regimes, driven by either precipitation scavenging or aerosol entrainment from the free-troposphere (FT), occur on a timescale of ten hours. The system is analyzed using a two-dimensional phase plane with inversion height and boundary layer average aerosol concentrations as state variables; depending on the specified subsidence rate and availability of FT aerosol, these regimes are either stable equilibria or distinct legs of a slow limit cycle. The same steadily forced modeling framework is applied to the coupled development and evolution of a POC and the surrounding overcast boundary layer in a larger 192 km wide domain. An initial 50% aerosol reduction is applied to half of the model domain. This has little effect until the stratocumulus thickens enough to drizzle, at which time the low-aerosol portion transitions into open-cell convection, forming a POC. Reduced entrainment in the POC induces a negative feedback between the areal fraction covered by the POC and boundary layer depth changes. This stabilizes the system by controlling liquid water path and precipitation sinks of aerosol number in the overcast region, while also preventing boundary layer collapse within the POC, allowing the POC and overcast to coexist indefinitely in a quasi-steady equilibrium.

Aerosols serve as a source of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and influence the microphysical properties of clouds. In the case of orographic clouds, it is suspected that aerosol-cloud interactions reduce the amount of precipitation on the upslope side of the mountain and enhance the precipitation on the downslope side when the number of aerosols is increased. The net effect may lead to a shift of the precipitation distribution toward the leeward side of mountain ranges, which affects the hydrological cycle on the local scale.In this study aerosol-cloud interactions in warm-phase clouds and the possible impact on the orographic precipitation distribution are investigated. Herein, simulations of moist orographic flow over topography are conducted and the influence of anthropogenic aerosols on the orographic precipitation formation is analyzed. The degree of aerosol pollution is prescribed by different aerosol spectra that are representative for central Switzerland. The simulations are performed with the Consortium for Small-Scale Modeling's mesoscale nonhydrostatic limited-area weather prediction model (COSMO) with a horizontal grid spacing of 2 km and a fully coupled aerosol-cloud parameterization.It is found that an increase in the aerosol load leads to a downstream shift of the orographic precipitation distribution and to an increase in the spillover factor. A reduction of warm-phase orographic precipitation is observed at the upslope side of the mountain. The downslope precipitation enhancement depends critically on the width of the mountain and on the flow dynamics. In the case of orographic precipitation induced by stably stratified unblocked flow, the loss in upslope precipitation is not compensated by leeward precipitation enhancement. In contrast, flow blocking may lead to leeward precipitation enhancement and eventually to a compensation of the upslope precipitation loss. The simulations also indicate that latent heat effects induced by aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions may considerably affect the orographic flow dynamics and consequently feed back on the orographic precipitation development.

Anthropogenic aerosols serve as a source of both cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice nuclei (IN) and affect microphysical properties of clouds. Increasing aerosol number concentration is assumed to retard the cloud droplet coalescence and the riming process in mixed-phase orographic clouds, thereby decreasing orographic precipitation. In this study, idealized 3D simulations are conducted to investigate aerosol–cloud interactions in mixed-phase orographic clouds and the possible impact of anthropogenic and natural aerosols on orographic precipitation. Two different types of aerosol anomalies are considered: naturally occurring mineral dust and anthropogenic black carbon. In the simulations with a dust aerosol anomaly, the dust aerosols serve as efficient ice nuclei in the contact mode, leading to an early initiation of the ice phase in the orographic cloud. As a consequence, the riming rates in the cloud are increased, leading to increased precipitation efficiency and enhancement of orographic precipitation. The simulations with an anthropogenic aerosol anomaly suggest that the mixing state of the aerosols plays a crucial role because coating and mixing may cause the aerosols to initiate freezing in the less efficient immersion mode rather than by contact nucleation. It is found that externally mixed black carbon aerosols increase riming in orographic clouds and enhance orographic precipitation. In contrast, internally mixed black carbon aerosols decrease the riming rates, leading in turn to a decrease in orographic precipitation.