Cloud characteristics, thermodynamic controls and radiative impacts during the Observations and Modeling of the Green Ocean Amazon (GoAmazon2014/5) experiment
Scott E. Giangrande1,Zhe Feng2,Michael P. Jensen1,Jennifer M. Comstock1,Karen L. Johnson1,Tami Toto1,Meng Wang1,Casey Burleyson2,Nitin Bharadwaj2,Fan Mei2,Luiz A. T. Machado3,Antonio O. Manzi4,Shaocheng Xie5,Shuaiqi Tang5,Maria Assuncao F. Silva Dias6,Rodrigo A. F de Souza7,Courtney Schumacher8,and Scot T. Martin9Scott E. Giangrande et al. Scott E. Giangrande1,Zhe Feng2,Michael P. Jensen1,Jennifer M. Comstock1,Karen L. Johnson1,Tami Toto1,Meng Wang1,Casey Burleyson2,Nitin Bharadwaj2,Fan Mei2,Luiz A. T. Machado3,Antonio O. Manzi4,Shaocheng Xie5,Shuaiqi Tang5,Maria Assuncao F. Silva Dias6,Rodrigo A. F de Souza7,Courtney Schumacher8,and Scot T. Martin9
1Environmental and Climate Sciences Department, Brookhaven National
Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA
2Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
3National Institute for Space Research, São José dos Campos,
Brazil
4National Institute of Amazonian Research, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
5Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
6University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Brazil
7State University of Amazonas (UEA), Meteorology, Manaus, Brazil
8Texas A&M University, College Station, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, TX, USA
9Harvard University, Cambridge, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, MA, USA
1Environmental and Climate Sciences Department, Brookhaven National
Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA
2Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
3National Institute for Space Research, São José dos Campos,
Brazil
4National Institute of Amazonian Research, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
5Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
6University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Brazil
7State University of Amazonas (UEA), Meteorology, Manaus, Brazil
8Texas A&M University, College Station, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, TX, USA
9Harvard University, Cambridge, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, MA, USA
Correspondence: Scott E. Giangrande (sgrande@bnl.gov)
Received: 12 May 2017 – Discussion started: 24 May 2017 – Revised: 30 Aug 2017 – Accepted: 11 Sep 2017 – Published: 06 Dec 2017
Abstract. Routine cloud, precipitation and thermodynamic observations collected by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Mobile Facility (AMF) and Aerial Facility (AAF) during the 2-year US Department of Energy (DOE) ARM Observations and Modeling of the Green Ocean Amazon (GoAmazon2014/5) campaign are summarized. These observations quantify the diurnal to large-scale thermodynamic regime controls on the clouds and precipitation over the undersampled, climatically important Amazon basin region. The extended ground deployment of cloud-profiling instrumentation enabled a unique look at multiple cloud regimes at high temporal and vertical resolution. This longer-term ground deployment, coupled with two short-term aircraft intensive observing periods, allowed new opportunities to better characterize cloud and thermodynamic observational constraints as well as cloud radiative impacts for modeling efforts within typical Amazon wet and dry seasons.
The Amazon forest is the largest tropical rain forest on the planet, featuring
prolific and diverse cloud conditions. The Observations and Modeling of the Green Ocean Amazon (GoAmazon2014/5) experiment was motivated by demands to gain a better understanding of aerosol and cloud interactions on climate and the global circulation. The routine DOE ARM observations from this 2-year campaign are summarized to help quantify controls on clouds and precipitation over this undersampled region.
The Amazon forest is the largest tropical rain forest on the planet, featuring
prolific and...
