The dependence of cirrus gamma size distributions expressed as volumes in N0‐λ‐μ phase space and bulk cloud properties on environmental conditions: Results from the Small Ice Particles in Cirrus Experiment (SPARTICUS)

Jackson, Robert; McFarquhar, Greg M.; Fridlind, A. M.; Atlas, R.

doi:10.1002/2015jd023492

Cited by 37 publications

(83 citation statements)

References 71 publications

(230 reference statements)

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“…A scan of the literature surrounding cirrus clouds shows that classification schemes based on large-scale dynamics or meteorology are commonly used, (e.g., Sassen, 2002;Heymsfield et al, 2002;Lynch et al, 2002;Muhlbauer et al, 2014;Jackson et al, 2015). Typically, the cirrus clouds are classified as "synoptic" or "convective", or they are classified based on more specific meteorology.…”

Section: A E Luebke Et Al: Cirrus Originsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The origin of midlatitude ice clouds and the resulting influence on their microphysical properties

Luebke¹,

Afchine²,

Costa³

et al. 2016

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

105

175

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Abstract. The radiative role of ice clouds in the atmosphere is known to be important, but uncertainties remain concerning the magnitude and net effects. However, through measurements of the microphysical properties of cirrus clouds, we can better characterize them, which can ultimately allow for their radiative properties to be more accurately ascertained. Recently, two types of cirrus clouds differing by formation mechanism and microphysical properties have been classified -in situ and liquid origin cirrus. In this study, we present observational evidence to show that two distinct types of cirrus do exist. Airborne, in situ measurements of cloud ice water content (IWC), ice crystal concentration (N ice ), and ice crystal size from the 2014 ML-CIRRUS campaign provide cloud samples that have been divided according to their origin type. The key features that set liquid origin cirrus apart from the in situ origin cirrus are higher frequencies of high IWC ( > 100 ppmv), higher N ice values, and larger ice crystals. A vertical distribution of N ice shows that the in situ origin cirrus clouds exhibit a median value of around 0.1 cm −3 , while the liquid origin concentrations are slightly, but notably higher. The median sizes of the crystals contributing the most mass are less than 200 µm for in situ origin cirrus, with some of the largest crystals reaching 550 µm in size. The liquid origin cirrus, on the other hand, were observed to have median diameters greater than 200 µm, and crystals that were up to 750 µm. An examination of these characteristics in relation to each other and their relationship to temperature provides strong evidence that these differences arise from the dynamics and conditions in which the ice crystals formed. Additionally, the existence of these two groups in cirrus cloud populations may explain why a bimodal distribution in the IWC-temperature relationship has been observed. We hypothesize that the low IWC mode is the result of in situ origin cirrus and the high IWC mode is the result of liquid origin cirrus.

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Section: A E Luebke Et Al: Cirrus Originsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The origin of midlatitude ice clouds and the resulting influence on their microphysical properties

Luebke¹,

Afchine²,

Costa³

et al. 2016

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

105

175

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Sassen, 2002;Heymsfield et al, 2002b;Muhlbauer et al, 2014;Jackson et al, 2015). Here we intend to compare our findings of the two in situ origin types and the liquid origin cirrus with the present classifications.…”

Section: Comparison With Other Cirrus Classificationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The study is based on cirrus cloud observations during the field campaign SPARTI-CUS in 2010 (see also Jackson et al, 2015) in the vicinity of the ARM SGP site (Atmospheric Radiation Measurement, Southern Great Plains) and analysis of atmospheric states using a combination of ECMWF ERA-Interim reanalysis data with continuous observations from a millimeter-wavelength cloud radar.…”

Section: Comparison With Other Cirrus Classificationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A microphysics guide to cirrus clouds – Part 1: Cirrus types

Krämer¹,

Rolf²,

et al. 2016

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Abstract. The microphysical and radiative properties of cirrus clouds continue to be beyond understanding and thus still represent one of the largest uncertainties in the prediction of the Earth's climate (IPCC, 2013). Our study aims to provide a guide to cirrus microphysics, which is compiled from an extensive set of model simulations, covering the broad range of atmospheric conditions for cirrus formation and evolution. The model results are portrayed in the same parameter space as field measurements, i.e., in the Ice Water ContentTemperature (IWC-T) parameter space. We validate this cirrus analysis approach by evaluating cirrus data sets from 17 aircraft campaigns, conducted in the last 15 years, spending about 94 h in cirrus over Europe, Australia, Brazil as well as South and North America. Altogether, the approach of this study is to track cirrus IWC development with temperature by means of model simulations, compare with observations and then assign, to a certain degree, cirrus microphysics to the observations. Indeed, the field observations show characteristics expected from the simulated Cirrus Guide. For example, high (low) IWCs are found together with high (low) ice crystal concentrations N ice .An important finding from our study is the classification of two types of cirrus with differing formation mechanisms and microphysical properties: the first cirrus type forms directly as ice (in situ origin cirrus) and splits in two subclasses, depending on the prevailing strength of the updraft: in slow updrafts these cirrus are rather thin with lower IWCs, while in fast updrafts thicker cirrus with higher IWCs can form. The second type consists predominantly of thick cirrus originating from mixed phase clouds (i.e., via freezing of liquid droplets -liquid origin cirrus), which are completely glaciated while lifting to the cirrus formation temperature region (< 235 K). In the European field campaigns, slow updraft in situ origin cirrus occur frequently in low-and high-pressure systems, while fast updraft in situ cirrus appear in conjunction with jet streams or gravity waves. Also, liquid origin cirrus mostly related to warm conveyor belts are found. In the US and tropical campaigns, thick liquid origin cirrus which are formed in large convective systems are detected more frequently.

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“…Its instrumentation involved the 2D-S probe for particle size measurement. A Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probe (FSSP) was also available during the campaign but its measurements are not included here due to likely contamination by shattering (Field et al, 2003;McFarquhar et al, 2007;Jackson et al, 2015). An advantage of SPARTICUS for this study is that it contains numerous coincident flights with the A-Train, as detailed in Deng et al (2012).…”

Section: In Situ Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ice crystal number concentration estimates from lidar-radar satellite remote sensing. Part 1: Method and evaluation

Sourdeval¹,

Gryspeerdt²,

Krämer³

et al. 2018

Preprint

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Abstract. The number concentration of cloud particles is a key quantity for understanding aerosol-cloud interactions and describing clouds in climate and numerical weather prediction models. In contrast with recent advances for liquid clouds, few observational constraints exist on the ice crystal number concentration (N i ). This study investigates how combined lidar-radar measurements can be used to provide satellite estimates of N i , using a methodology that constrains moments of a parameterized particle size distribution (PSD). The operational liDAR-raDAR (DARDAR) product serves as an existing base for this method, 5 which focuses on ice clouds with temperatures T c < -30°C.Theoretical considerations demonstrate the capability for accurate retrievals of N i , apart from a possible bias in the concentration in small crystals when T c -50°C, due to the assumption of a monomodal PSD shape in the current method. This is verified by comparing satellite estimates to co-incident in situ measurements, which additionally demonstrates the sufficient sensitivity of lidar-radar observations to N i . Following these results, satellite estimates of N i are evaluated in the context of a 10 case study and a preliminary climatological analysis based on 10 years of global data. Despite of a lack of other large-scale references, this evaluation shows a reasonable physical consistency in N i spatial distribution patterns. Notably, increases in N i are found towards cold temperatures and, more significantly, in the presence of strong updraughts, such as those related to convective or orographic uplifts. Further evaluation and improvements of this method are necessary but these results already constitute a first encouraging step towards large-scale observational constraints for N i . Part two of this series uses this new 15 dataset to examine the controls on N i .

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The dependence of cirrus gamma size distributions expressed as volumes in N₀‐λ‐μ phase space and bulk cloud properties on environmental conditions: Results from the Small Ice Particles in Cirrus Experiment (SPARTICUS)

Cited by 37 publications

References 71 publications

The origin of midlatitude ice clouds and the resulting influence on their microphysical properties

The origin of midlatitude ice clouds and the resulting influence on their microphysical properties

A microphysics guide to cirrus clouds – Part 1: Cirrus types

Ice crystal number concentration estimates from lidar-radar satellite remote sensing. Part 1: Method and evaluation

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