Vertical variation of ice particle size in convective cloud tops

Diedenhoven, Bastiaan van; Fridlind, A. M.; Cairns, Brian; Ackerman, A. S.; Yorks, John E.

doi:10.1002/2016gl068548

Cited by 31 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 60 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Additionally, the results also confirm that although retrievals of effective radius using multi near-infrared wavelengths result in particle sizes from different cloud altitudes, this conventional retrieval technique only provides information on the cloud-top effective radius. This is due to the fact, that the retrieved r eff represents a vertically weighted value where cloud top layers are weighted at most, which is in agreement with analyses reported by Chang and Li (2002), Chang and Li (2003), Zhang et al (2010), King and Vaughan (2012), , King et al (2013), and van Diedenhoven et al (2016. Table 4 summarizes the mean ± standard deviation η of effective radius from r eff and r * eff,w , and the weighting-altitude z * w for multi near-infrared wavelengths between 1240 nm -3700 nm.…”

supporting

confidence: 75%

“…For non precipitating ice 25 clouds, ice crystal sizes typically decrease as a function of altitude (van Diedenhoven et al, 2016;Heymsfield et al, 2017).…”

Section: Forward Simulation Of Vertically Inhomogeneous Cloudsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…CC BY 4.0 License. cates that more homogeneous particle sizes lie in the higher cloud layers, while mixture particle sizes are located in the lower cloud layers due to size sorting and the increased fall speeds of larger particles in ice clouds (van Diedenhoven et al, 2016).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Comparing Airborne and Satellite Retrievals of Optical and Microphysical Properties of Cirrus and Deep Convective Clouds using a Radiance Ratio Technique

Krisna

Wendisch

Ehrlich

et al. 2017

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Solar radiation reflected by cirrus and deep convective clouds (DCCs) was measured by the Spectral Modular Airborne Radiation Measurement System (SMART) installed on the German HALO (High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft) during the ML-CIRRUS and the ACRIDICON-CHUVA campaigns. In particular flights, HALO performed closely collocated measurements with overpasses of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board of Aqua satellite. Based on the nadir upward radiance, the optical thickness τ and bulk particle effective radius r eff of cirrus and DCC 5 are retrieved using a radiance ratio algorithm which considers the cloud thermodynamic phase, the cloud vertical profile, multi layer clouds, and heterogeneity of the surface albedo. For the cirrus case, the comparison of τ ci and r eff,ci retrieved on the basis of SMART and MODIS upward radiances yields a normalized mean absolute deviation of 0.5 % for τ ci and 2.5 % for r eff,ci . While for the DCC case, the respective deviation is 5.9 % for τ dcc and 13.2 % for r eff,dcc . The larger deviations in case of DCC are mainly attributed to the fast cloud evolution and three-dimensional radiative effects. Measurements of spectral 10 radiance at near-infrared wavelengths with different absorption by cloud particles are employed to investigate the vertical profile of cirrus effective radius. The retrieved values of cirrus effective radius are further compared with corresponding in situ measurements using a vertical weighting method. Compared to the MODIS observation, spectral measurements of SMART provide an increased amount of information on the vertical distribution of particle sizes at cloud top, and therefore allow to reconstruct the profile of effective radius at cloud top. The retrieved effective radius differs to in situ measurements with 15 a normalized mean absolute deviation between 4 − 19 %, depending on the wavelength chosen in the retrieval algorithm.While, the MODIS cloud product underestimates the in situ measurements by 48 %. The presence of liquid water clouds below Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi

show abstract

supporting

confidence: 75%

“…For non precipitating ice 25 clouds, ice crystal sizes typically decrease as a function of altitude (van Diedenhoven et al, 2016;Heymsfield et al, 2017).…”

Section: Forward Simulation Of Vertically Inhomogeneous Cloudsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Comparing Airborne and Satellite Retrievals of Optical and Microphysical Properties of Cirrus and Deep Convective Clouds using a Radiance Ratio Technique

Krisna

Wendisch

Ehrlich

et al. 2017

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Except for CWP=0 and RR=0, a consistent increase in r ei is found for increasing T ci . A flattening in the reduction in r ei for T cld <210K occurs and is similar to the results of van Diedenhoven et al (2016). While this region is sensitive to the 6 K cut-off used to filter questionable retrievals near the tropopause, the profile in Fig.…”

Section: Differences In R Ei Between Opaque and Transparent Cloudssupporting

confidence: 63%

“…Using a simultaneous retrieval of ice cloud properties from the MODIS and POLDER 20 instruments, van Diedenhoven et al (2014) found that r ei is larger in stronger convective events compared to others at a given cloud top pressure. van Diedenhoven et al (2016) used in situ aircraft observations to show that r ei decreases with height, reaches a minimum around 14 km, and may subsequently increase at higher altitudes. Barahona et al (2014) obtained an increase of a few µm for clouds colder than 195 K with GEOS-5 and Hong and Liu (2015) show similar results with DARDAR data for the thickest convective clouds above 10 km.…”

Section: Insight Into Convective Processes With Amsrmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ice cloud microphysical trends observed by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder

Kahn¹,

Takahashi²,

Stephens³

et al. 2018

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. We use the AIRS version 6 ice cloud property and thermodynamic phase retrievals to quantify variability and 14-year trends in ice cloud frequency, ice cloud top temperature (T ci ), ice optical thickness (τ i ) and ice effective radius (r ei ). The trends in ice cloud properties are shown to be independent of trends in information content and χ 2 . Statistically significant decreases in ice frequency, τ i , and ice water path (IWP) are found in the SH and NH extratropics, but trends are much 15 smaller and statistically insignificant in the tropics. However, statistically significant increases in r ei are found in all three latitude bands. Perturbation experiments consistent with estimates of AIRS radiometric stability fall significantly short of explaining the observed trends in ice properties, averaging kernels, and χ 2 trends. Values of r ei are larger at the tops of opaque clouds and exhibit strong dependence on surface wind speed, column water vapour (CWV) and surface temperature (T sfc ) with changes up to 10-12 µm. Transparent clouds exhibit a much smaller change in r ei for CWV, while none is 20 observed for T sfc . Comparisons between DARDAR and AIRS suggest that r ei is smallest for single-layer cirrus, larger for cirrus above weak convection, and largest for cirrus above strong convection at the same cloud top temperature. This behaviour is consistent with enhanced particle growth from radiative cooling above convection or large particle lofting from strong convection.

show abstract

Comparisons of Ice Water Path in Deep Convective Systems Among Ground‐Based, GOES, and CERES‐MODIS Retrievals

Tian

Dong

et al. 2018

JGR Atmospheres

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Retrievals of convective cloud microphysical properties based on passive satellite imagery are difficult. To help quantify their uncertainties, ice water paths (IWPs) retrieved from the NASA Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System project using Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) and Terra/Aqua MODerate‐resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer observations are compared with IWPs retrieved from Next‐Generation Radar (NEXRAD) observations over a large domain (32°N to 40°N and 105°W to 91°W) during the 2011 Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment field campaign. Based on comparisons of pixel‐level (4 km × 4 km) daytime IWP retrievals from NEXRAD and GOES, it is found that NEXRAD‐ and GOES‐retrieved mean IWPs are 2.03 and 1.83 kg m−2, respectively, for ice‐phase cloud in thick anvil area. Their mean difference of 0.20 kg m−2 (with 95% confidence interval: 0.14–0.26 kg m−2) is within the uncertainty of NEXRAD retrievals. However, the low correlation between pixel‐to‐pixel comparisons indicates a large variation in GOES‐retrieved IWP. For mixed‐phase clouds in thick anvil areas, in addition to IWPs, total water paths (TWPs, sum of ice and liquid water path) are estimated with aid of aircraft measurements for NEXRAD retrievals and corrected using a TWP parameterization for GOES retrievals. The mean values of estimated TWPs from NEXRAD (corrected using aircraft in situ measurements) and GOES are similar. GOES and Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System‐MODerate‐resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer‐retrieved IWPs/TWPs generally do not exceed 5 kg m−2. Large differences and low correlations exist between satellite and NEXRAD retrievals in stratiform rain areas. Possible reasons for the differences between retrievals are discussed.

show abstract

Vertical variation of ice particle size in convective cloud tops

Cited by 31 publications

References 60 publications

Comparing Airborne and Satellite Retrievals of Optical and Microphysical Properties of Cirrus and Deep Convective Clouds using a Radiance Ratio Technique

Comparing Airborne and Satellite Retrievals of Optical and Microphysical Properties of Cirrus and Deep Convective Clouds using a Radiance Ratio Technique

Ice cloud microphysical trends observed by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder

Comparisons of Ice Water Path in Deep Convective Systems Among Ground‐Based, GOES, and CERES‐MODIS Retrievals

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About