Observed aerosol suppression of cloud ice in low-level Arctic mixed-phase clouds

The interactions that occur between aerosols and a mixed-phase cloud system, and the subsequent alteration of the microphysical state of such clouds, are a problem that has yet to be well constrained. Advancing our understanding of aerosol–ice processes is necessary to determine the impact of natura...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Atmospheric chemistry and physics 2018-09, Vol.18 (18), p.13345-13361
Main Authors: Norgren, Matthew S, de Boer, Gijs, Shupe, Matthew D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aerosols
Anthropogenic factors
Climate
Cloud systems
Clouds
Clouds (Meteorology)
Doppler sonar
Earth
Environmental aspects
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Future climates
Human influences
Ice
Ice crystals
Interactions
Levels
Mass production
Moisture content
Natural history
Observations
Polar environments
Pollution control
Radar
Water content
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Summary:The interactions that occur between aerosols and a mixed-phase cloud system, and the subsequent alteration of the microphysical state of such clouds, are a problem that has yet to be well constrained. Advancing our understanding of aerosol–ice processes is necessary to determine the impact of natural and anthropogenic emissions on Earth's climate and to improve our capability to predict future climate states. This paper deals specifically with how aerosols influence ice mass production in low-level Arctic mixed-phase clouds. In this study, a 9-year record of aerosol, cloud and atmospheric state properties is used to quantify aerosol influence on ice production in mixed-phase clouds. It is found that mixed-phase clouds present in a clean aerosol state have higher ice water content (IWC) by a factor of 1.22 to 1.63 at cloud base than do similar clouds in cases with higher aerosol loading. We additionally analyze radar-derived mean Doppler velocities to better understand the drivers behind this relationship, and we conclude that aerosol induced reduction of the ice crystal nucleation rate, together with decreased riming rates in polluted clouds, are likely influences on the observed reductions in IWC.
ISSN:1680-7324
1680-7316
1680-7324
DOI:10.5194/acp-18-13345-2018