Abstract. We perform a model intercomparison of summertime high Arctic (> 80∘ N) clouds observed during the 2008 Arctic Summer Cloud Ocean Study (ASCOS) campaign, when observed cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations fell below 1 cm−3. Previous analyses have suggested that at these low CCN concentrations the liquid water content (LWC) and radiative properties of the clouds are determined primarily by the CCN concentrations, conditions that have previously been referred to as the tenuous cloud regime. The intercomparison includes results from three large eddy simulation models (UCLALES-SALSA, COSMO-LES, and MIMICA) and three numerical weather prediction models (COSMO-NWP, WRF, and UM-CASIM). We test the sensitivities of the model results to different treatments of cloud droplet activation, including prescribed cloud droplet number concentrations (CDNCs) and diagnostic CCN activation based on either fixed aerosol concentrations or prognostic aerosol with in-cloud processing. There remains considerable diversity even in experiments with prescribed CDNCs and prescribed ice crystal number concentrations (ICNC). The sensitivity of mixed-phase Arctic cloud properties to changes in CDNC depends on the representation of the cloud droplet size distribution within each model, which impacts autoconversion rates. Our results therefore suggest that properly estimating aerosol–cloud interactions requires an appropriate treatment of the cloud droplet size distribution within models, as well as in situ observations of hydrometeor size distributions to constrain them. The results strongly support the hypothesis that the liquid water content of these clouds is CCN limited. For the observed meteorological conditions, the cloud generally did not collapse when the CCN concentration was held constant at the relatively high CCN concentrations measured during the cloudy period, but the cloud thins or collapses as the CCN concentration is reduced. The CCN concentration at which collapse occurs varies substantially between models. Only one model predicts complete dissipation of the cloud due to glaciation, and this occurs only for the largest prescribed ICNC tested in this study. Global and regional models with either prescribed CDNCs or prescribed aerosol concentrations would not reproduce these dissipation events. Additionally, future increases in Arctic aerosol concentrations would be expected to decrease the frequency of occurrence of such cloud dissipation events, with implications for the radiative balance at the surface. Our results also show that cooling of the sea-ice surface following cloud dissipation increases atmospheric stability near the surface, further suppressing cloud formation. Therefore, this suggests that linkages between aerosol and clouds, as well as linkages between clouds, surface temperatures, and atmospheric stability need to be considered for weather and climate predictions in this region.

Abstract. The formation and persistence of low-lying mixed-phase clouds (MPCs) in the Arctic depends on a multitude of processes, such as surface conditions, the environmental state, air mass advection, and the ambient aerosol concentration. In this study, we focus on the relative importance of different instantaneous aerosol perturbations (cloud condensation nuclei and ice-nucleating particles; CCN and INPs, respectively) on MPC properties in the European Arctic. To address this topic, we performed high-resolution large-eddy simulation (LES) experiments using the Consortium for Small-scale Modeling (COSMO) model and designed a case study for the Aerosol-Cloud Coupling and Climate Interactions in the Arctic (ACCACIA) campaign in March 2013. Motivated by ongoing sea ice retreat, we performed all sensitivity studies over open ocean and sea ice to investigate the effect of changing surface conditions. We find that surface conditions highly impact cloud dynamics, consistent with the ACCACIA observations: over sea ice, a rather homogeneous, optically thin, mixed-phase stratus cloud forms. In contrast, the MPC over the open ocean has a stratocumulus-like cloud structure. With cumuli feeding moisture into the stratus layer, the cloud over the open ocean features a higher liquid (LWP) and ice water path (IWP) and has a lifted cloud base and cloud top compared to the cloud over sea ice. Furthermore, we analyzed the aerosol impact on the sea ice and open ocean cloud regime. Perturbation aerosol concentrations relevant for CCN activation were increased to a range between 100 and 1000 cm−3 and ice-nucleating particle perturbations were increased by 100 % and 300 % compared to the background concentration (at every grid point and at all levels). The perturbations are prognostic to allow for fully interactive aerosol–cloud interactions. Perturbations in the INP concentration increase IWP and decrease LWP consistently in both regimes. The cloud microphysical response to potential CCN perturbations occurs faster in the stratocumulus regime over the ocean, where the increased moisture flux favors rapid cloud droplet formation and growth, leading to an increase in LWP following the aerosol injection. In addition, IWP increases through new ice crystal formation by increased immersion freezing, cloud top rise, and subsequent growth by deposition. Over sea ice, the maximum response in LWP and IWP is delayed and weakened compared to the response over the open ocean surface. Additionally, we find the long-term response to aerosol perturbations to be highly dependent on the cloud regime. Over the open ocean, LWP perturbations are efficiently buffered after 18 h simulation time. Increased ice and precipitation formation relax the LWP back to its unperturbed range. On the contrary, over sea ice the cloud evolution remains substantially perturbed with CCN perturbations ranging from 200 to 1000 CCN cm−3.

Stratocumulus clouds around the globe tend to organize into cellular patterns, a phenomenon that has been primarily studied for the subtropical trade wind region. However, stratocumulus are also prevalent in high latitudes, where they often occur as mixed-phase clouds. Yet little research has been conducted regarding mechanisms of cloud organization in the mixed-phase regime. In cloud-resolving model simulations we investigate the processes driving organization in open-cell mixed-phase stratocumuli. Similar to warm-phase clouds, mixed-phase clouds develop a subcloud circulation of evaporated/sublimated precipitation, cold pool formation, and consecutive updrafts driving new convective cells. For a larger ice to liquid water ratio, we find locally stronger precipitation and larger cloud cells. Hence, a higher concentration of ice nucleating particles can induce a breakup of the stratocumulus organization, with implications for the radiative balance at the surface. A decrease in cloud condensation nuclei concentration is also found to intensify precipitation and impact cloud organization.Plain Language Summary Low-lying clouds have been found to organize into honeycomb-like spatial patterns. This has been primarily studied for liquid clouds in the subtropical regions but has remained unexplored in the high latitudes. Previous studies focusing on precipitating open-cell clouds have found that below cloud base a continuous cycle of evaporation and subsequent latent cooling, sinking, and lateral spreading of the air mass can be observed. Colliding air masses push the air upward which leads to localized updrafts and new cloud formation. In this study, we explore the organization of open-cell polar clouds, which consist of both liquid cloud droplets and ice crystals (so-called mixed-phase clouds).We show that open-cell mixed-phase clouds also form honeycomb-like spatial patterns following the same mechanism as liquid clouds. However, the spatial extent of cloud patterns changes with the amount of cloud ice. Clouds that contain ice produce precipitation earlier and more intensively. As a result, the cooling below cloud base is strengthened and the cloud cells grow larger. This has implications for the radiative balance at the surface. The stronger growth of ice-containing clouds leads to a breakup of the organized structures, which increases the amount of outgoing radiation.

. Previous analyses have suggested that at these low CCN concentrations the liquid water content (LWC) and radiative properties of the clouds are determined primarily by the CCN concentrations, conditions that have previously been referred to as the tenuous cloud regime. The intercomparison includes results from three large eddy simulation models (UCLALES-SALSA, 5 COSMO-LES, and MIMICA) and three numerical weather prediction models (COSMO-NWP, WRF, and UM-CASIM). We test the sensitivities of the model results to different treatments of cloud droplet activation, including prescribed cloud droplet number concentrations (CDNC) and diagnostic CCN activation based on either fixed aerosol concentrations or prognostic aerosol with in-cloud processing.There remains considerable diversity even in experiments with prescribed CDNCs and prescribed ice crystal number concen-10 trations (ICNC). The sensitivity of mixed-phase Arctic cloud properties to changes in CDNC depends on the representation of the cloud droplet size distribution within each model, which impacts on autoconversion rates. Our results therefore suggest that properly estimating aerosol-cloud interactions requires an appropriate treatment of the cloud droplet size distribution within models, as well as in-situ observations of hydrometeor size distributions to constrain them.The results strongly support the hypothesis that the liquid water content of these clouds is CCN-limited. For the observed 15 meteorological conditions, the cloud generally did not collapse when the CCN concentration was held constant at the relatively high CCN concentrations measured during the cloudy period, but the cloud thins or collapses as the CCN concentration is reduced. The CCN concentration at which collapse occurs varies substantially between models. Only one model predicts complete dissipation of the cloud due to glaciation, and this occurs only for the largest prescribed ICNC tested in this study. Global and regional models with either prescribed CDNCs or prescribed aerosol concentrations would not reproduce these dissipation events. Additionally, future increases in Arctic aerosol concentrations would be expected to decrease the frequency of occurrence of such cloud dissipation events, with implications for the radiative balance at the surface. Our results also show that cooling of the sea-ice surface following cloud dissipation increases atmospheric stability near the surface, further suppressing cloud formation. Therefore, this suggests that linkages between aerosol and clouds, as well as linkages between 5 clouds, surface temperatures and atmospheric stability need to be considered for weather and climate predictions in this region.

No abstract

The Arctic is known to be particularly sensitive to climate change. This Arctic amplification has partially been attributed to poleward atmospheric heat transport in the form of air mass intrusions. Locally, such air mass intrusions can introduce moisture and temperature perturbations. The effect of air mass perturbations on boundary layer and cloud changes and their impact on the surface radiative balance has received increased attention, especially over sea ice with regard to sea ice melt. Utilizing cloud-resolving model simulations, this study addresses the impact of air mass perturbations occurring at different altitudes on stratocumulus clouds for open ocean conditions. It is shown that warm and moist air mass perturbations substantially affect the boundary layer and cloud properties, even for the relatively moist environmental conditions over the open ocean. The cloud response is driven by temperature inversion adjustments and strongly depends on the perturbation height. Boundary layer perturbations weaken and raise the inversion, which destabilizes the lower troposphere and involves a transition from stratocumulus to cumulus clouds. In contrast, perturbations occurring in the lower free troposphere lead to a lowering, but strengthening of the temperature inversion, with no impact on cloud fraction. In simulations where free tropospheric specific humidity is further increased, multi-layer mixed-phase clouds form. Regarding energy balance changes, substantial surface longwave cooling arises out of the stratocumulus break-up simulated for boundary layer perturbations. Meanwhile, the net surface longwave warming increases resulting from thicker clouds for air mass perturbations occurring in the lower free troposphere.

Changes in the ambient aerosol concentration are known to affect the microphysical properties of clouds. Especially regarding precipitation formation, increasing aerosol concentrations are assumed to delay the precipitation onset, but may increase precipitation rates via convective invigoration and orographic spillover further downstream. In this study, we analyse the effect of increased aerosol concentrations on a heavy precipitation event observed in summer 2017 over northeastern Switzerland, an event which was considerably underestimated by the operational weather forecast model. Preceding the precipitation event, Saharan dust was advected towards the Alps, which could have contributed to increased precipitation rates north of the Alpine ridge. To investigate the potential impact of the increased ambient aerosol concentrations on surface precipitation, we perform a series of sensitivity simulations using the Consortium for Small‐scale Modeling (COSMO) model with different microphysical parametrizations and prognostic aerosol perturbations. The results show that the choice of the microphysical parametrization scheme in terms of a one‐ or two‐moment scheme has the relatively largest impact on surface precipitation rates. In the one‐moment scheme, surface precipitation is strongly reduced over the Alpine ridge and increased further downstream. Simulated changes in surface precipitation in response to aerosol perturbations remain smaller in contrast to the impact of the microphysics scheme. Elevated cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations lead to increased cloud water and decreased cloud ice mass, especially in regions of high convective activity south of the Alps. These altered cloud properties indeed increase surface precipitation further downstream, but the simulated change is too small to explain the observed heavy precipitation event. Additional ice‐nucleating particles (INPs) increase cloud ice mass, but only trigger local changes in downstream surface precipitation. Thus, increased aerosol number concentrations during the Saharan dust outbreak are unlikely to have caused the heavy precipitation event in summer 2017.

No abstract