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Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
An interactive open-access journal of the European Geosciences Union
Journal topic
- About
- Editorial board
- Articles
- Special issues
- Highlight articles
- Manuscript tracking
- Subscribe to alerts
- Peer review
- For authors
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IF5.414
IF 5-year
5.958
5.958
CiteScore
9.7
9.7
SNIP1.517
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SJR2.601
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index191
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Abstracted/indexed
Volume 17, issue 15
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 9451–9468, 2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9451-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9451-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 9451–9468, 2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9451-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9451-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article 07 Aug 2017
Research article | 07 Aug 2017
An A-train and MERRA view of cloud, thermodynamic, and dynamic variability within the subtropical marine boundary layer
Brian H. Kahn et al.
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Concentrations of water vapor in the atmosphere vary dramatically over space and time. Mapping this variability can provide insights into atmospheric processes that help us understand atmospheric processes in the Earth system. Here we use a new measurement strategy based on imaging spectroscopy to map atmospheric water vapor concentrations at very small spatial scales. Experiments demonstrate the accuracy of this technique and some initial results from an airborne remote sensing experiment.
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A method is described to classify cloud mixtures of cloud top types, termed cloud scenes, using cloud type classification derived from the CloudSat radar. The scale dependence of the cloud scenes is quantified. The cloud scenes are used to assess the characteristics of spatially collocated Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) thermodynamic-phase and ice cloud property retrievals within scenes of varying cloud type complexity.
Daniel T. McCoy, Paul R. Field, Gregory S. Elsaesser, Alejandro Bodas-Salcedo, Brian H. Kahn, Mark D. Zelinka, Chihiro Kodama, Thorsten Mauritsen, Benoit Vanniere, Malcolm Roberts, Pier L. Vidale, David Saint-Martin, Aurore Voldoire, Rein Haarsma, Adrian Hill, Ben Shipway, and Jonathan Wilkinson
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The largest single source of uncertainty in the climate sensitivity predicted by global climate models is how much low-altitude clouds change as the climate warms. Models predict that the amount of liquid within and the brightness of low-altitude clouds increase in the extratropics with warming. We show that increased fluxes of moisture into extratropical storms in the midlatitudes explain the majority of the observed trend and the modeled increase in liquid water within these storms.
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The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) satellite instrument shows statistically significant global trends in ice cloud properties between September 2002 and August 2016. The trends are not explained by known AIRS instrument limitations. Significant differences in the ice cloud particle size is found between convective clouds and thin ice clouds in the tropics. These results will be a useful benchmark for other studies of global ice cloud properties.
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Fredrick W. Irion, Brian H. Kahn, Mathias M. Schreier, Eric J. Fetzer, Evan Fishbein, Dejian Fu, Peter Kalmus, R. Chris Wilson, Sun Wong, and Qing Yue
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 971–995, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-971-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-971-2018, 2018
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We describe a new algorithm for the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) that uses its thermal infrared spectra directly rather than using “cloud-clearing.” By additionally modelling clouds within an AIRS field-of-view, we retrieve temperature and water vapor profiles on the AIRS ~13.5 km horizontal footprint (at nadir) rather than the ~45 km footprint of cloud-cleared spectra. Initial validation is presented, and avenues for future development are discussed.
L. Wu, H. Su, R. G. Fovell, T. J. Dunkerton, Z. Wang, and B. H. Kahn
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 14041–14053, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-14041-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-14041-2015, 2015
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Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 3573–3587, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-3573-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-3573-2014, 2014
B. H. Kahn, F. W. Irion, V. T. Dang, E. M. Manning, S. L. Nasiri, C. M. Naud, J. M. Blaisdell, M. M. Schreier, Q. Yue, K. W. Bowman, E. J. Fetzer, G. C. Hulley, K. N. Liou, D. Lubin, S. C. Ou, J. Susskind, Y. Takano, B. Tian, and J. R. Worden
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Mark Richardson, Matthew D. Lebsock, James McDuffie, and Graeme L. Stephens
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 4947–4961, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-4947-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-4947-2020, 2020
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We previously combined CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation) lidar data and reflected-sunlight measurements from OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2) for information about low clouds over oceans. The satellites are no longer formation-flying, so this work is a step towards getting new information about these clouds using only OCO-2. We can rapidly and accurately identify liquid oceanic clouds and obtain their height better than a widely used passive sensor.
David R. Thompson, Brian H. Kahn, Philip G. Brodrick, Matthew D. Lebsock, Mark Richardson, and Robert O. Green
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2020-346, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2020-346, 2020
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Concentrations of water vapor in the atmosphere vary dramatically over space and time. Mapping this variability can provide insights into atmospheric processes that help us understand atmospheric processes in the Earth system. Here we use a new measurement strategy based on imaging spectroscopy to map atmospheric water vapor concentrations at very small spatial scales. Experiments demonstrate the accuracy of this technique and some initial results from an airborne remote sensing experiment.
Miguel Nogueira, Clément Albergel, Souhail Boussetta, Frederico Johannsen, Isabel F. Trigo, Sofia L. Ermida, João P. A. Martins, and Emanuel Dutra
Geosci. Model Dev., 13, 3975–3993, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-3975-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-3975-2020, 2020
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Geosci. Model Dev., 13, 3731–3768, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-3731-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-3731-2020, 2020
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We executed a global aerosol model over 3 years with the finest grid size in the world. The results elucidated that global annual averages of parameters associated with the aerosols were generally comparable to those obtained from a low-resolution model (LRM), but spatiotemporal variabilities of the aerosol components and their associated parameters provided better results closer to the observations than those from the LRM. This study clarified the advantages of the high-resolution model.
Luis Millán, Richard Roy, and Matthew Lebsock
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2020-97, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2020-97, 2020
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This paper describes the feasibility of using a differential absorption radar technique for the remote sensing of total column water vapor from a spaceborne platform.
Macey W. Sandford, David R. Thompson, Robert O. Green, Brian H. Kahn, Raffaele Vitulli, Steve Chien, Amruta Yelamanchili, and Winston Olson-Duvall
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2020-139, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2020-139, 2020
Revised manuscript accepted for AMT
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We demonstrate an onboard cloud screening approach to significantly reduce the amount of cloud-contaminated data transmitted from orbit. We have produced location-specific models that improve performance by taking into account the unique cloud statistics in different latitudes. We have shown that screening clouds based on their location or surface type will improve the ability for a cloud-screening tool to improve the volume of usable science data.
Takuro Michibata, Kentaroh Suzuki, and Toshihiko Takemura
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2020-232, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2020-232, 2020
Revised manuscript under review for ACP
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This work reveals that prognostic precipitation significantly reduces the magnitude of aerosol–cloud interactions (ERFaci), mainly due to the collection process associated with snowflakes and underlying cloud droplets. This precipitation-driven buffering effect, which is missing in traditional GCMs, can explain the model–observation discrepancy in ERFaci. These results underscore the necessity for a prognostic precipitation framework in GCMs for more reliable climate simulations.
Thomas J. Fauchez, Martin Turbet, Eric T. Wolf, Ian Boutle, Michael J. Way, Anthony D. Del Genio, Nathan J. Mayne, Konstantinos Tsigaridis, Ravi K. Kopparapu, Jun Yang, Francois Forget, Avi Mandell, and Shawn D. Domagal Goldman
Geosci. Model Dev., 13, 707–716, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-707-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-707-2020, 2020
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Atmospheric characterization of rocky exoplanets orbiting within the habitable zone of nearby M dwarf stars is around the corner with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), expected to be launch in 2021.
Global climate models (GCMs) are powerful tools to model exoplanet atmospheres and to predict their habitability. However, intrinsic differences between the models can lead to various predictions. This paper presents an experiment protocol to evaluate these differences.
Siraput Jongaramrungruang, Christian Frankenberg, Georgios Matheou, Andrew K. Thorpe, David R. Thompson, Le Kuai, and Riley M. Duren
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 6667–6681, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-6667-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-6667-2019, 2019
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This paper demonstrates the use of high-resolution 2-D plume imagery from airborne remote sensing retrievals to quantify methane point-source emissions. It shows significant improvements on the flux estimates without the need for direct wind speed measurements. This paves the way for enhanced flux estimates in future field campaign and space-based observations to better understand the magnitude and distribution of various point sources of methane.
Takuro Michibata, Kentaroh Suzuki, Tomoo Ogura, and Xianwen Jing
Geosci. Model Dev., 12, 4297–4307, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-4297-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-4297-2019, 2019
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A new diagnostic tool for cloud and precipitation microphysics has been added to the latest version of the Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project Observational Simulator Package (COSP2). The tool generates warm rain process statistics from several instrument simulators online during the COSP execution. This online diagnostic is intended to serve as a tool that facilitates efficient model development and the evaluation of multiple climate models.
Alexandre Guillaume, Brian H. Kahn, Eric J. Fetzer, Qing Yue, Gerald J. Manipon, Brian D. Wilson, and Hook Hua
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 4361–4377, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4361-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4361-2019, 2019
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A method is described to classify cloud mixtures of cloud top types, termed cloud scenes, using cloud type classification derived from the CloudSat radar. The scale dependence of the cloud scenes is quantified. The cloud scenes are used to assess the characteristics of spatially collocated Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) thermodynamic-phase and ice cloud property retrievals within scenes of varying cloud type complexity.
Christoph Heinze, Veronika Eyring, Pierre Friedlingstein, Colin Jones, Yves Balkanski, William Collins, Thierry Fichefet, Shuang Gao, Alex Hall, Detelina Ivanova, Wolfgang Knorr, Reto Knutti, Alexander Löw, Michael Ponater, Martin G. Schultz, Michael Schulz, Pier Siebesma, Joao Teixeira, George Tselioudis, and Martin Vancoppenolle
Earth Syst. Dynam., 10, 379–452, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-10-379-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-10-379-2019, 2019
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Earth system models for producing climate projections under given forcings include additional processes and feedbacks that traditional physical climate models do not consider. We present an overview of climate feedbacks for key Earth system components and discuss the evaluation of these feedbacks. The target group for this article includes generalists with a background in natural sciences and an interest in climate change as well as experts working in interdisciplinary climate research.
Luis F. Millán, Matthew D. Lebsock, and Joao Teixeira
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 8491–8502, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-8491-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-8491-2019, 2019
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The synergy of the collocated Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provides daily global estimates of marine boundary layer water vapor. AMSR provides the total column water vapor, while MODIS provides the water vapor above the cloud layers. The difference between the two gives the vapor between the surface and the cloud top, which may be interpreted as the boundary layer water vapor.
Jui-Lin Frank Li, Mark Richardson, Wei-Liang Lee, Eric Fetzer, Graeme Stephens, Jonathan Jiang, Yulan Hong, Yi-Hui Wang, Jia-Yuh Yu, and Yinghui Liu
The Cryosphere, 13, 969–980, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-969-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-969-2019, 2019
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Observed summer Arctic sea ice retreat has been faster than simulated by the average CMIP5 models, most of which exclude falling ice particles from their radiative calculations.
We use controlled CESM1-CAM5 simulations to show for the first time that snowflakes' radiative effects can accelerate sea ice retreat. September retreat rates are doubled above current CO2 levels, highlighting falling ice radiative effects as a high priority for inclusion in future modelling of the Arctic.
Daniel T. McCoy, Paul R. Field, Gregory S. Elsaesser, Alejandro Bodas-Salcedo, Brian H. Kahn, Mark D. Zelinka, Chihiro Kodama, Thorsten Mauritsen, Benoit Vanniere, Malcolm Roberts, Pier L. Vidale, David Saint-Martin, Aurore Voldoire, Rein Haarsma, Adrian Hill, Ben Shipway, and Jonathan Wilkinson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 1147–1172, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-1147-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-1147-2019, 2019
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The largest single source of uncertainty in the climate sensitivity predicted by global climate models is how much low-altitude clouds change as the climate warms. Models predict that the amount of liquid within and the brightness of low-altitude clouds increase in the extratropics with warming. We show that increased fluxes of moisture into extratropical storms in the midlatitudes explain the majority of the observed trend and the modeled increase in liquid water within these storms.
Richard J. Roy, Matthew Lebsock, Luis Millán, Robert Dengler, Raquel Rodriguez Monje, Jose V. Siles, and Ken B. Cooper
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 6511–6523, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-6511-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-6511-2018, 2018
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The measurement of water vapor profiles inside clouds with high spatial resolution represents an outstanding problem in atmospheric remote sensing. Here we present measurements from a proof-of-concept millimeter-wave (170 GHz) cloud radar aimed at filling this observational gap, and demonstrate the ability to retrieve in-cloud water vapor profiles with high precision and resolution. This technology could meaningfully impact future satellite-based measurements of water vapor.
Dejian Fu, Susan S. Kulawik, Kazuyuki Miyazaki, Kevin W. Bowman, John R. Worden, Annmarie Eldering, Nathaniel J. Livesey, Joao Teixeira, Fredrick W. Irion, Robert L. Herman, Gregory B. Osterman, Xiong Liu, Pieternel F. Levelt, Anne M. Thompson, and Ming Luo
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 5587–5605, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5587-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5587-2018, 2018
Jussi Leinonen, Matthew D. Lebsock, Simone Tanelli, Ousmane O. Sy, Brenda Dolan, Randy J. Chase, Joseph A. Finlon, Annakaisa von Lerber, and Dmitri Moisseev
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 5471–5488, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5471-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5471-2018, 2018
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We developed a technique for inferring the physical properties (amount, size and density) of falling snow from radar observations made using multiple different frequencies. We tested this method using measurements from airborne radar and compared the results to direct measurements from another aircraft, as well as ground-based radar. The results demonstrate that multifrequency radars have significant advantages over those with a single frequency in determining the snow size and density.
Thomas Fauchez, Steven Platnick, Tamás Várnai, Kerry Meyer, Céline Cornet, and Frédéric Szczap
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 12105–12121, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-12105-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-12105-2018, 2018
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This paper presents the impact of cirrus cloud heterogeneities and 3-D effects on TOA solar reflectances from 50 m to 10 km spatial resolutions. We have shown that these effects are strongly dependent on spatial resolution as well as solar and viewing geometries and that it is difficult to find an optimal spatial resolution minimizing these various effects.
Brian H. Kahn, Hanii Takahashi, Graeme L. Stephens, Qing Yue, Julien Delanoë, Gerald Manipon, Evan M. Manning, and Andrew J. Heymsfield
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 10715–10739, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10715-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10715-2018, 2018
Short summary
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The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) satellite instrument shows statistically significant global trends in ice cloud properties between September 2002 and August 2016. The trends are not explained by known AIRS instrument limitations. Significant differences in the ice cloud particle size is found between convective clouds and thin ice clouds in the tropics. These results will be a useful benchmark for other studies of global ice cloud properties.
Jesse Dorrestijn, Brian H. Kahn, João Teixeira, and Fredrick W. Irion
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 2717–2733, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-2717-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-2717-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) satellite observations are used to quantify the scale-dependent variance of temperature and water vapor in the atmosphere. The scale dependence is much more variable than previously thought, using a new methodology based on individual satellite swaths. A break in the scale dependence is found to vary from less than 100 to greater than 1000 km. These new variance scaling results are of high importance for improving climate GCM subgrid parameterizations.
David R. Thompson, Brian H. Kahn, Robert O. Green, Steve A. Chien, Elizabeth M. Middleton, and Daniel Q. Tran
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 1019–1030, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-1019-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-1019-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The distribution of ice and liquid particles in clouds (i.e., their thermodynamic phase) has a large impact on Earth's climate. We report a global high spatial resolution survey of cloud phase based on a decade of data from the Hyperion orbital imaging spectrometer. Seasonal and latitudinal trends corroborate observations by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). Most variance observed at climate model grid scales of 100 km is explained by spatial structure at finer spatial resolutions.
Fredrick W. Irion, Brian H. Kahn, Mathias M. Schreier, Eric J. Fetzer, Evan Fishbein, Dejian Fu, Peter Kalmus, R. Chris Wilson, Sun Wong, and Qing Yue
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 971–995, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-971-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-971-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We describe a new algorithm for the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) that uses its thermal infrared spectra directly rather than using “cloud-clearing.” By additionally modelling clouds within an AIRS field-of-view, we retrieve temperature and water vapor profiles on the AIRS ~13.5 km horizontal footprint (at nadir) rather than the ~45 km footprint of cloud-cleared spectra. Initial validation is presented, and avenues for future development are discussed.
Yoko Tsushima, Florent Brient, Stephen A. Klein, Dimitra Konsta, Christine C. Nam, Xin Qu, Keith D. Williams, Steven C. Sherwood, Kentaroh Suzuki, and Mark D. Zelinka
Geosci. Model Dev., 10, 4285–4305, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-4285-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-4285-2017, 2017
Short summary
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Cloud feedback is the largest uncertainty associated with estimates of climate sensitivity. Diagnostics have been developed to evaluate cloud processes in climate models. For this understanding to be reflected in better estimates of cloud feedbacks, it is vital to continue to develop such tools and to exploit them fully during the model development process. Code repositories have been created to store and document the programs which will allow climate modellers to compute these diagnostics.
Thomas Fauchez, Steven Platnick, Kerry Meyer, Céline Cornet, Frédéric Szczap, and Tamás Várnai
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 8489–8508, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8489-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8489-2017, 2017
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This study presents impact of cirrus cloud horizontal heterogeneity on simulated thermal infrared brightness temperatures at the top of the atmosphere for spatial resolutions ranging from 50 m to 10 km. The cirrus is generated by the 3DCLOUD code and the radiative transfer by the 3DMCPOL code. Brightness temperatures are mostly impacted by the horizontal transport effect and plane-parallel bias at high and coarse spatial resolutions, respectively, with a minimum around 100 m–250 m.
Takuro Michibata, Kentaroh Suzuki, Yousuke Sato, and Toshihiko Takemura
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 15413–15424, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-15413-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-15413-2016, 2016
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This study identifies a fundamental flaw of a GCM in aerosol–cloud–precipitation interactions. The model predicts a monotonic increase in the LWP in response to increased aerosols, which is in stark contrast to satellite retrievals that show a regional variation in the sign of the LWP response. The model also fails to represent the observed dependency of the LWP response on macrophysical regimes. The model biases are attributed to the autoconversion process, with a lack of buffering mechanisms.
Luis Millán, Matthew Lebsock, Nathaniel Livesey, and Simone Tanelli
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 2633–2646, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-2633-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-2633-2016, 2016
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We discuss the theoretical capabilities of a radar technique to measure profiles of water vapor in cloudy/precipitating areas. The method uses two radar pulses at different frequencies near the 183 GHz H2O absorption line to determine water vapor profiles by measuring the differential absorption on and off the line. Results of inverting synthetic data assuming a satellite radar are presented.
Isaac Moradi, Philip Arkin, Ralph Ferraro, Patrick Eriksson, and Eric Fetzer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 6913–6929, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-6913-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-6913-2016, 2016
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Measurements from the SAPHIR onboard Megha-Tropiques are used to evaluate the diurnal cycle of tropospheric humidity in the tropical region. The results show a large inhomogeneity in the amplitude and peak time of tropospheric humidity. The diurnal amplitude tends to be larger over convective regions than over subsidence regions. An early morning peak time is observed over most regions but there are substantial regions where the diurnal peak occurs at the other times of day.
Huikyo Lee, Olga V. Kalashnikova, Kentaroh Suzuki, Amy Braverman, Michael J. Garay, and Ralph A. Kahn
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 6627–6640, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-6627-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-6627-2016, 2016
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The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) on NASA's TERRA satellite has provided a global distribution of aerosol amount and type information for each month over 16+ years since March 2000. This study analyzes, for the first time, characteristics of observed and simulated distributions of aerosols for three broad classes of aerosols: spherical nonabsorbing, spherical absorbing, and nonspherical – near or downwind of their major source regions.
L. Wu, H. Su, R. G. Fovell, T. J. Dunkerton, Z. Wang, and B. H. Kahn
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 14041–14053, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-14041-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-14041-2015, 2015
M. D. Lebsock, K. Suzuki, L. F. Millán, and P. M. Kalmus
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 3631–3645, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-3631-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-3631-2015, 2015
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This paper describes the feasibility of using a differential absorption radar technique for the remote sensing of water vapor within clouds near the Earth surface from a spaceborne platform. The proposed methodology is shown to be theoretically achievable and complimentary to existing water vapor remote sensing methods.
S. Sanghavi, M. Lebsock, and G. Stephens
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 3601–3616, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-3601-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-3601-2015, 2015
J. Leinonen, M. D. Lebsock, S. Tanelli, K. Suzuki, H. Yashiro, and Y. Miyamoto
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 3493–3517, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-3493-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-3493-2015, 2015
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Using multiple frequencies in cloud and precipitation radars enables them to be both sensitive enough to detect thin clouds and to penetrate heavy precipitation, profiling the entire vertical structure of the atmospheric component of the water cycle. Here, we evaluate the performance of a potential future three-frequency space-based radar system by simulating its observations using data from a high-resolution global atmospheric model.
T. Fauchez, P. Dubuisson, C. Cornet, F. Szczap, A. Garnier, J. Pelon, and K. Meyer
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 633–647, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-633-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-633-2015, 2015
L. Millán, M. Lebsock, N. Livesey, S. Tanelli, and G. Stephens
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 3959–3970, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-3959-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-3959-2014, 2014
F. Szczap, Y. Gour, T. Fauchez, C. Cornet, T. Faure, O. Jourdan, G. Penide, and P. Dubuisson
Geosci. Model Dev., 7, 1779–1801, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-7-1779-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-7-1779-2014, 2014
T. Fauchez, C. Cornet, F Szczap, P. Dubuisson, and T. Rosambert
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 5599–5615, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-5599-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-5599-2014, 2014
M. M. Schreier, B. H. Kahn, K. Sušelj, J. Karlsson, S. C. Ou, Q. Yue, and S. L. Nasiri
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 3573–3587, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-3573-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-3573-2014, 2014
B. H. Kahn, F. W. Irion, V. T. Dang, E. M. Manning, S. L. Nasiri, C. M. Naud, J. M. Blaisdell, M. M. Schreier, Q. Yue, K. W. Bowman, E. J. Fetzer, G. C. Hulley, K. N. Liou, D. Lubin, S. C. Ou, J. Susskind, Y. Takano, B. Tian, and J. R. Worden
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 399–426, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-399-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-399-2014, 2014
Related subject area
Subject: Clouds and Precipitation | Research Activity: Remote Sensing | Altitude Range: Troposphere | Science Focus: Physics (physical properties and processes)
Mid-level clouds are frequent above the southeast Atlantic stratocumulus clouds
Towards the connection between snow microphysics and melting layer: insights from multifrequency and dual-polarization radar observations during BAECC
Cloud phase characteristics over Southeast Asia from A-Train satellite observations
Cloud regimes over the Amazon Basin: perspectives from the GoAmazon2014/5 campaign
Microphysics and dynamics of snowfall associated with a warm conveyor belt over Korea
Linking large-scale circulation patterns to low-cloud properties
Quantifying cloud adjustments and the radiative forcing due to aerosol–cloud interactions in satellite observations of warm marine clouds
Small-scale structure of thermodynamic phase in Arctic mixed-phase clouds observed by airborne remote sensing during a cold air outbreak and a warm air advection event
The influence of water vapor anomalies on clouds and their radiative effect at Ny-Ålesund
Linkage among Ice Crystal Microphysics, Mesoscale Dynamics and Cloud and Precipitation Structures Revealed by Collocated Microwave Radiometer and Multi-frequency Radar Observations
Variability in cirrus cloud properties using a PollyXT Raman lidar over high and tropical latitudes
Deconvolution of boundary layer depth and aerosol constraints on cloud water path in subtropical stratocumulus decks
Investigation of aerosol–cloud interactions under different absorptive aerosol regimes using Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) southern Great Plains (SGP) ground-based measurements
Low-level mixed-phase clouds in a complex Arctic environment
Synoptic-scale controls of fog and low-cloud variability in the Namib Desert
A new classification of satellite-derived liquid water cloud regimes at cloud scale
The day-to-day co-variability between mineral dust and cloud glaciation: a proxy for heterogeneous freezing
Retrieval of the vertical evolution of the cloud effective radius from the Chinese FY-4 (Feng Yun 4) next-generation geostationary satellites
Analysis of cirrus cloud over the Tibetan Plateau from CALIPSO data: an altitude perspective
The role of spring dry zonal advection in summer drought onset over the US Great Plains
Diurnal variation of high-level clouds from the synergy of AIRS and IASI space-borne infrared sounders
Analysis and quantification of ENSO-linked changes in the tropical Atlantic cloud vertical distribution using 14 years of MODIS observations
Variability in vertical structure of precipitation with sea surface temperature over the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal as inferred by Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission precipitation radar measurements
Spatial and temporal variability of snowfall over Greenland from CloudSat observations
Cloud responses to climate variability over the extratropical oceans as observed by MISR and MODIS
Antarctic clouds, supercooled liquid water and mixed phase, investigated with DARDAR: geographical and seasonal variations
Ice injected into the tropopause by deep convection – Part 1: In the austral convective tropics
Quantifying variations in shortwave aerosol–cloud–radiation interactions using local meteorology and cloud state constraints
Rapid ice aggregation process revealed through triple-wavelength Doppler spectrum radar analysis
Constraining the aerosol influence on cloud liquid water path
Northern Hemisphere contrail properties derived from Terra and Aqua MODIS data for 2006 and 2012
Lidar measurements of thin laminations within Arctic clouds
Spatiotemporal dynamics of fog and low clouds in the Namib unveiled with ground- and space-based observations
Statistics on clouds and their relation to thermodynamic conditions at Ny-Ålesund using ground-based sensor synergy
Evaluating models' response of tropical low clouds to SST forcings using CALIPSO observations
Evaluating solar radiation forecast uncertainty
Cloud feedbacks in extratropical cyclones: insight from long-term satellite data and high-resolution global simulations
A 17 year climatology of the macrophysical properties of convection in Darwin
Comparing ERA-Interim clouds with satellite observations using a simplified satellite simulator
CALIPSO (IIR–CALIOP) retrievals of cirrus cloud ice-particle concentrations
Building a cloud in the southeast Atlantic: understanding low-cloud controls based on satellite observations with machine learning
A satellite-based estimate of combustion aerosol cloud microphysical effects over the Arctic Ocean
Ice crystal number concentration estimates from lidar–radar satellite remote sensing – Part 1: Method and evaluation
Ice crystal number concentration estimates from lidar–radar satellite remote sensing – Part 2: Controls on the ice crystal number concentration
Evaluating the diurnal cycle of South Atlantic stratocumulus clouds as observed by MSG SEVIRI
Scale dependence of cirrus heterogeneity effects. Part II: MODIS NIR and SWIR channels
Assessment of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) radio occultation refractivity under heavy precipitation
An update on global atmospheric ice estimates from satellite observations and reanalyses
Ice cloud microphysical trends observed by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
An analysis of the cloud environment over the Ross Sea and Ross Ice Shelf using CloudSat/CALIPSO satellite observations: the importance of synoptic forcing
Adeyemi A. Adebiyi, Paquita Zuidema, Ian Chang, Sharon P. Burton, and Brian Cairns
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 11025–11043, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-11025-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-11025-2020, 2020
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Over the southeast Atlantic, interactions between the low-level clouds and the overlying smoke aerosols have previously been highlighted, but no study has yet focused on the presence of the mid-level clouds that complicate the aerosol–cloud interactions. Here we show that these optically thin super-cooled mid-level clouds are relatively common, and they frequently occur at the top of the smoke layer between August and October with significant radiative impacts on the low-level clouds.
Haoran Li, Jussi Tiira, Annakaisa von Lerber, and Dmitri Moisseev
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 9547–9562, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-9547-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-9547-2020, 2020
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A method for classifying rimed and unrimed snow based on X- and Ka-band Doppler radar measurements is developed and applied to synergetic radar observations collected during BAECC 2014. The results show that the radar-observed melting layer properties are highly related to the precipitation intensity. The previously reported bright band sagging is mainly connected to the increase in precipitation intensity, while riming plays a secondary role.
Yulan Hong and Larry Di Girolamo
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 8267–8291, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-8267-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-8267-2020, 2020
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Cloud phase plays a crucial role in Earth radiation budget but is not well understood. Using A-Train satellite observations, this study provides climatological studies of cloud phase characteristics over Southeast Asia on multiple meteorological scales. Results show that ice, liquid, and ice over liquid clouds display distinct spatial heterogeneity and spectral radiance features. The intraseasonal and interannual behaviors of cloud phases are useful to track the MJO and ENSO.
Scott E. Giangrande, Dié Wang, and David B. Mechem
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 7489–7507, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-7489-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-7489-2020, 2020
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The Amazon basin experiences prolific and diverse cloud conditions that are strongly influenced by (and influence via feedbacks) seasonal shifts in the local conditions and larger-scale atmospheric circulations. The primary atmospheric regimes observed during a heavily instrumented 2-year Amazon deployment are classified. We assess the potential atmospheric controls on convective clouds, precipitation, and the propensity for these regimes to promote extremes in precipitation.
Josué Gehring, Annika Oertel, Étienne Vignon, Nicolas Jullien, Nikola Besic, and Alexis Berne
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 7373–7392, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-7373-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-7373-2020, 2020
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In this study, we analyse how large-scale meteorological conditions influenced the local enhancement of snowfall during an intense precipitation event in Korea. We used atmospheric models, weather radars and snowflake images. We found out that a rising airstream in the warm sector of the low pressure system associated to this event influenced the evolution of snowfall. This study highlights the importance of interactions between large and local scales in this intense precipitation event.
Timothy W. Juliano and Zachary J. Lebo
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 7125–7138, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-7125-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-7125-2020, 2020
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In this study, we use a machine learning method to examine the relationship between synoptic-scale changes in the North Pacific High structure and maritime cloud properties. Our novel approach suggests that there is a wide range (>30 W m−2, ~20 % of magnitude) of possible shortwave cloud radiative effect that is a clear function of the circulation pattern. We hope that this work will help improve fundamental understanding of the sensitivity of the climate system to various warm-cloud regimes.
Alyson Douglas and Tristan L'Ecuyer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 6225–6241, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-6225-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-6225-2020, 2020
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Aerosols, or small, suspended droplets in the atmosphere, are released from anthropogenic activity and interact with warm clouds, leading to changes in the clouds' brightness and size. Our study evaluates how aerosols alter warm clouds and their ability to cool the Earth's surface. We find aerosols make clouds brighter and grow larger in the atmosphere; however, the cooling effect due to whiter, brighter clouds is 5 times the cooling due to an increased extent.
Elena Ruiz-Donoso, André Ehrlich, Michael Schäfer, Evelyn Jäkel, Vera Schemann, Susanne Crewell, Mario Mech, Birte Solveig Kulla, Leif-Leonard Kliesch, Roland Neuber, and Manfred Wendisch
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 5487–5511, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-5487-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-5487-2020, 2020
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Mixed-phase clouds, formed of water droplets and ice crystals, appear frequently in Arctic regions. Characterizing the distribution of liquid water and ice inside the cloud appropriately is important because it influences the cloud's impact on the surface temperature. In this study, we combined images of the cloud top with measurements inside the cloud to analyze in detail the 3D spatial distribution of liquid and ice in two mixed-phase clouds occurring under different meteorological scenarios.
Tatiana Nomokonova, Kerstin Ebell, Ulrich Löhnert, Marion Maturilli, and Christoph Ritter
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 5157–5173, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-5157-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-5157-2020, 2020
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This paper presents an influence of water vapor anomalies on cloud properties and their radiative effect at Ny-Ålesund. The study is based on a 2.5-year active and passive cloud observation and a radiative transfer model. The results show that moist and dry conditions are related to strong changes in cloud occurrence, phase partitioning, water path, and, consequently, modulate the surface radiative budget.
Jie Gong, Xiping Zeng, Dong L. Wu, S. Joseph Munchak, Xiaowen Li, Stefan Kneifel, Davide Ori, Liang Liao, and Donifan Barahona
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2020-256, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2020-256, 2020
Revised manuscript accepted for ACP
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This work provides a novel view of using polarized passive microwave measurements to study the interlinked cloud-convection-precipitation process. The magnitude of differences between polarized radiance measurements are found linked to ice microphysics (crystal shape, size, orientation and density), mesoscale dynamic and thermodynamic structures, and surface precipitation. We conclude that passive sensors with multiple polarized channel pairs may serve as substitutes for spaceborn radar.
Kalliopi Artemis Voudouri, Elina Giannakaki, Mika Komppula, and Dimitris Balis
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 4427–4444, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-4427-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-4427-2020, 2020
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In this paper we present the variability in cirrus cloud properties using a PollyXT Raman lidar over high and tropical latitudes. The kind of information presented here can be rather useful in the cirrus parameterisations required as input to radiative transfer models and can be a complementary tool for satellite products that cannot provide cloud vertical structure.
Anna Possner, Ryan Eastman, Frida Bender, and Franziska Glassmeier
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 3609–3621, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3609-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3609-2020, 2020
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Cloud water content and the number of droplets inside clouds covary with boundary layer depth. This covariation may amplify the change in water content due to a change in droplet number inferred from long-term observations. Taking this into account shows that the change in water content for increased droplet number in observations and high-resolution simulations agrees in shallow boundary layers. Meanwhile, deep boundary layers are under-sampled in process-scale simulations and observations.
Xiaojian Zheng, Baike Xi, Xiquan Dong, Timothy Logan, Yuan Wang, and Peng Wu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 3483–3501, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3483-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3483-2020, 2020
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The continental low-level stratiform cloud susceptibilities to aerosols were investigated under different absorptive aerosol regimes. The weakly absorbing aerosols, which are more hygroscopic, can better activate as cloud condensation nuclei. The favorable thermodynamic condition enhances the cloud susceptibility, while the cloud-layer heating effect induced by strongly absorbing aerosols dampens the cloud susceptibility. Overall, the clouds are more susceptible to the weakly absorbing aerosols.
Rosa Gierens, Stefan Kneifel, Matthew D. Shupe, Kerstin Ebell, Marion Maturilli, and Ulrich Löhnert
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 3459–3481, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3459-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3459-2020, 2020
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Multiyear statistics of persistent low-level mixed-phase clouds observed at an Arctic fjord environment in Svalbard are presented. The effects the local boundary layer (i.e. the fjords' wind climate and surface coupling), regional wind direction, and seasonality have on the cloud occurrence and properties are evaluated using a synergy of ground-based remote sensing methods and auxiliary data. The phenomena considered were found to modify the amount of liquid and ice in the studied clouds.
Hendrik Andersen, Jan Cermak, Julia Fuchs, Peter Knippertz, Marco Gaetani, Julian Quinting, Sebastian Sippel, and Roland Vogt
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 3415–3438, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3415-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3415-2020, 2020
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Fog and low clouds (FLCs) are an essential but poorly understood element of Namib regional climate. Here, a satellite-based data set of FLCs in central Namib, reanalysis data, and back trajectories are used to systematically analyze conditions when FLCs occur. Synoptic-scale mechanisms are identified that influence the formation of FLCs and the onshore advection of marine boundary-layer air masses. The findings lead to a new conceptual model of mechanisms that drive FLC variability in the Namib.
Claudia Unglaub, Karoline Block, Johannes Mülmenstädt, Odran Sourdeval, and Johannes Quaas
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 2407–2418, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2407-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2407-2020, 2020
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In cloud research, it is necessary to classify clouds. The World Meteorological Organization proposes distinguishing stratiform and cumuliform clouds in three altitude layers. The paper explains why previous approaches to classify clouds fail for many applications and proposes a new classification on the basis of new approaches for satellite retrievals to derive cloud-base height, in combination with cloud inhomogeneity. It is demonstrated that this discriminates cloud characteristics well.
Diego Villanueva, Bernd Heinold, Patric Seifert, Hartwig Deneke, Martin Radenz, and Ina Tegen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 2177–2199, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2177-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2177-2020, 2020
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Spaceborne retrievals of cloud phase were analysed together with an atmospheric composition model to assess the global frequency of ice and liquid clouds. This analysis showed that at equal temperature the average occurrence of ice clouds increases for higher dust mixing ratios on a day-to-day basis in the middle and high latitudes. This indicates that mineral dust may have a strong impact on the occurrence of ice clouds even in remote areas.
Yilun Chen, Guangcan Chen, Chunguang Cui, Aoqi Zhang, Rong Wan, Shengnan Zhou, Dongyong Wang, and Yunfei Fu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 1131–1145, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-1131-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-1131-2020, 2020
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The vertical evolution of the cloud effective radius reflects the precipitation-forming process. We developed an algorithm for retrieving it based on objective cloud-cluster identification rather than the subjective polygon of the conventional method. The profile shows completely different morphologies in different life stages of the cloud cluster, which is important in the characterization of the formation of precipitation and the temporal evolution of microphysical processes.
Feng Zhang, Qiu-Run Yu, Yanyu Wang, Qianshan He, Tiantao Cheng, Xiaohong Yu, Dongwei Liu, and Chunhong Chen
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2019-1000, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2019-1000, 2020
Revised manuscript accepted for ACP
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In this work, we make the three main contributions:
we revealed the remarkable differences in the geographical distributions of cirrus over the Tibetan Plateau regarding the cloud top height.
The orography, gravity wave and deep convection determine the formation of cirrus with cloud top below 9, 9–12 and above 12 km respectively.
It is the first time to discuss the contributions of the Tibetan Plateau to the presence of cirrus on a regional scale.
Amir Erfanian and Rong Fu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 15199–15216, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-15199-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-15199-2019, 2019
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An eastward advection of dry and warm air in spring was identified as a major drought onset mechanism over the US Great Plains (GP). Further breakdown of the zonal advection into the dynamic versus thermodynamic contributions revealed dominance of the latter in the tropospheric drying observed during the onset of GP 2011 and 2012 droughts. The dependence of thermodynamic advection on moisture gradient links the spring precipitation in the Rockies and US southwest to the GP summer precipitation.
Artem G. Feofilov and Claudia J. Stubenrauch
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 13957–13972, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-13957-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-13957-2019, 2019
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Clouds play an important role in the energy budget of the planet: optically thick clouds reflect the incoming solar radiation leading to cooling of the Earth, while thinner clouds act as
greenhouse filmspreventing escape of the Earth’s infrared radiation to space. Satellite observations provide a continuous survey of clouds over the whole globe. In this work, we use a combination of two space-borne sounders to retrieve and analyse the characteristics of diurnal variation of high-level clouds.
Nils Madenach, Cintia Carbajal Henken, René Preusker, Odran Sourdeval, and Jürgen Fischer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 13535–13546, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-13535-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-13535-2019, 2019
Kadiri Saikranthi, Basivi Radhakrishna, Thota Narayana Rao, and Sreedharan Krishnakumari Satheesh
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 10423–10432, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-10423-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-10423-2019, 2019
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Recent studies have shown that simulation of monsoons can be improved with an exact representation of SST–precipitation relationship. The vertical structure of precipitation with SST is distinctly different over the Arabian Sea than over the Bay of Bengal. The reflectivity profiles show variation with SST over the Arabian Sea and do not show considerable variation with SST over the Bay of Bengal. The variations in reflectivity profiles seem to originate at the cloud formation stage itself.
Ralf Bennartz, Frank Fell, Claire Pettersen, Matthew D. Shupe, and Dirk Schuettemeyer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 8101–8121, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-8101-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-8101-2019, 2019
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The Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is rapidly melting. Snowfall is the only source of ice mass over the GrIS. We use satellite observations to assess how much snow on average falls over the GrIS and what the annual cycle and spatial distribution of snowfall is. We find the annual mean snowfall over the GrIS inferred from CloudSat to be 34 ± 7.5 cm yr−1 liquid equivalent.
Andrew Geiss and Roger Marchand
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 7547–7565, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-7547-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-7547-2019, 2019
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The 13-year trends in cloud occurrence, observed by NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer, over the world's extratropical ocean basins are compared to trends in meteorological variables. We identify several patterns of changing cloud occurrence that correspond to specific patterns in trending meteorology. We find that many of these trends are related to changes in major modes of climate variability.
Constantino Listowski, Julien Delanoë, Amélie Kirchgaessner, Tom Lachlan-Cope, and John King
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 6771–6808, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-6771-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-6771-2019, 2019
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Using satellite cloud products we investigate the supercooled liquid-water (SLW) distribution Antarctic-wide for the first time. We demonstrate differences between the monthly evolution of the marine low-level mixed-phase clouds and that of the marine low-level pure SLW clouds. In addition to the temperature and sea ice fraction as factors explaining the low-level liquid-cloud seasonal cycle, ice nuclei emissions from open water may also be driving the mixed-phase cloud monthly evolution.
Iris-Amata Dion, Philippe Ricaud, Peter Haynes, Fabien Carminati, and Thibaut Dauhut
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 6459–6479, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-6459-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-6459-2019, 2019
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Water vapour and ice cirrus clouds near the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) have a strong radiative impact on climate. Based on space-borne observations, we have developed a model linking ice in the upper troposphere from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) to precipitation in the troposphere from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM). Our study quantifies the amount of ice injected into the TTL by deep convection over tropical lands and oceans by investigating the diurnal cycle of ice.
Alyson Douglas and Tristan L'Ecuyer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 6251–6268, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-6251-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-6251-2019, 2019
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Aerosols are released by natural and human activities. When aerosols encounter clouds they interact in what is known as the indirect effect. Brighter clouds are expected due to the microphysical response; however, certain environments can trigger a modified response. Limits on the stability, humidity, and cloud thickness are applied regionally to investigate local cloud responses to aerosol, resulting in a range of indirect effects that would result in significant cooling or slight warming.
Andrew I. Barrett, Christopher D. Westbrook, John C. Nicol, and Thorwald H. M. Stein
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 5753–5769, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-5753-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-5753-2019, 2019
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We use radars at three wavelengths to study cloud properties. The full Doppler spectra (rather than calculated averages of the spectra) are compared for the radars. This allows us to estimate the size and number of ice particles within the cloud. By following the evolution of the ice particles, we observe a region where particles rapidly and consistently increase in size. The observations suggest that these large particles form through interlocking of branched arms of smaller ice particles.
Edward Gryspeerdt, Tom Goren, Odran Sourdeval, Johannes Quaas, Johannes Mülmenstädt, Sudhakar Dipu, Claudia Unglaub, Andrew Gettelman, and Matthew Christensen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 5331–5347, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-5331-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-5331-2019, 2019
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The liquid water path (LWP) is the strongest control on cloud albedo, such that a small change in LWP can have a large radiative impact. By changing the droplet number concentration (Nd) aerosols may be able to change the LWP, but the sign and magnitude of the effect is unclear. This work uses satellite data to investigate the relationship between Nd and LWP at a global scale and in response to large aerosol perturbations, suggesting that a strong decrease in LWP at high Nd may be overestimated.
David P. Duda, Sarah T. Bedka, Patrick Minnis, Douglas Spangenberg, Konstantin Khlopenkov, Thad Chee, and William L. Smith Jr.
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 5313–5330, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-5313-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-5313-2019, 2019
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We use one year (2012) of satellite imagery obtained from two NASA research satellites, Terra and Aqua, to detect linear contrail coverage and to estimate their physical properties over the Northern Hemisphere. The satellite-derived properties are compared with results collected from the same sensors in 2006 to estimate whether the impact of contrail coverage on climate has changed. The study is the first of its kind to measure contrail properties over a near-global scale from satellite imagery.
Emily M. McCullough, James R. Drummond, and Thomas J. Duck
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 4595–4614, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-4595-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-4595-2019, 2019
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Very thin (<10 m) laminations within Arctic clouds have been observed in all seasons using the Canadian Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Change (CANDAC) Rayleigh–Mie–Raman lidar (CRL) at the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL; Eureka, Nunavut, Canadian High Arctic). The laminations can last longer than 24 h and are often associated with precipitation and atmospheric stability. This has implications for our understanding of cloud internal structure and processes.
Hendrik Andersen, Jan Cermak, Irina Solodovnik, Luca Lelli, and Roland Vogt
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 4383–4392, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-4383-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-4383-2019, 2019
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Fog and low clouds (FLCs) are an essential but poorly understood component of Namib-region climate. This study uses observations from multiple satellite platforms and ground-based measurements to coherently characterize Namib-region FLC patterns. Findings concerning the seasonal cycle of the vertical structure and the diurnal cycle of FLCs lead to a new conceptual model of the spatiotemporal dynamics of FLCs in the Namib and help to improve the understanding of underlying processes.
Tatiana Nomokonova, Kerstin Ebell, Ulrich Löhnert, Marion Maturilli, Christoph Ritter, and Ewan O'Connor
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 4105–4126, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-4105-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-4105-2019, 2019
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In this study, properties of clouds at the French–German Arctic research station in Ny-Ålesund are related to in-cloud thermodynamic conditions. The dataset used was collected within the Arctic Amplification project with a set of active and passive remote instruments. The results are compared with a model output. Significant divergence in observations and modelling of single-layer ice and mixed-phase clouds was found.
Grégory Cesana, Anthony D. Del Genio, Andrew S. Ackerman, Maxwell Kelley, Gregory Elsaesser, Ann M. Fridlind, Ye Cheng, and Mao-Sung Yao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 2813–2832, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2813-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2813-2019, 2019
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The response of low clouds to climate change (i.e., cloud feedbacks) is still pointed out as being the largest source of uncertainty in climate models. Here we use CALIPSO observations to discriminate climate models that reproduce observed interannual change of cloud fraction with SST forcings, referred to as a present-day cloud feedback. Modeling moist processes in the planetary boundary layer is crucial to produce large stratocumulus decks and realistic present-day cloud feedbacks.
Minttu Tuononen, Ewan J. O'Connor, and Victoria A. Sinclair
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 1985–2000, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-1985-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-1985-2019, 2019
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Many applications require accurate forecasts of the amount of solar radiation reaching the surface, such as solar energy and UV radiation forecasts. This also means that cloud must be correctly forecast. We investigated the skill of these forecasts over Helsinki, Finland, using cloud and solar radiation observations. We found that there were errors in the model radiation forecast even when the clouds were correctly forecast, which we attribute to incorrect representation of the cloud properties.
Daniel T. McCoy, Paul R. Field, Gregory S. Elsaesser, Alejandro Bodas-Salcedo, Brian H. Kahn, Mark D. Zelinka, Chihiro Kodama, Thorsten Mauritsen, Benoit Vanniere, Malcolm Roberts, Pier L. Vidale, David Saint-Martin, Aurore Voldoire, Rein Haarsma, Adrian Hill, Ben Shipway, and Jonathan Wilkinson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 1147–1172, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-1147-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-1147-2019, 2019
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The largest single source of uncertainty in the climate sensitivity predicted by global climate models is how much low-altitude clouds change as the climate warms. Models predict that the amount of liquid within and the brightness of low-altitude clouds increase in the extratropics with warming. We show that increased fluxes of moisture into extratropical storms in the midlatitudes explain the majority of the observed trend and the modeled increase in liquid water within these storms.
Robert C. Jackson, Scott M. Collis, Valentin Louf, Alain Protat, and Leon Majewski
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 17687–17704, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17687-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17687-2018, 2018
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This paper looks at a 17 year database of echo top heights of thunderstorms in Darwin retrieved by CPOL. We find that the echo top heights are generally bimodal, corresponding to cumulus congestus and deep convection, and show a greater bimodality during an inactive MJO. Furthermore, we find that convective cell areas are larger in break conditions compared to monsoon conditions, but only during MJO-inactive conditions.
Martin Stengel, Cornelia Schlundt, Stefan Stapelberg, Oliver Sus, Salomon Eliasson, Ulrika Willén, and Jan Fokke Meirink
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 17601–17614, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17601-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17601-2018, 2018
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We present a new approach to evaluate ERA-Interim reanalysis clouds using satellite observations. A simplified satellite simulator was developed that uses reanalysis fields to emulate clouds as they would have been seen by those satellite sensors which were used to compose Cloud_cci observational cloud datasets. Our study facilitates an adequate evaluation of modelled ERA-Interim clouds using observational datasets, also taking into account systematic uncertainties in the observations.
David L. Mitchell, Anne Garnier, Jacques Pelon, and Ehsan Erfani
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 17325–17354, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17325-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17325-2018, 2018
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To realistically model a changing climate, global measurements of cirrus cloud ice-particle number concentration (N) and size (De) are needed, through which one may infer the general mechanism of ice formation. A satellite remote sensing method was developed to measure N and De. It was found that N was highest and De lowest at high latitudes. In the Arctic, cirrus clouds occurred much more often during winter, which may have an impact on mid-latitude winter weather.
Julia Fuchs, Jan Cermak, and Hendrik Andersen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 16537–16552, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-16537-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-16537-2018, 2018
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This study separates the influence of aerosol on cloud properties in the southeast Atlantic region from meteorological conditions in the biomass-burning season. Machine learning is used to link 8-day-averaged satellite and reanalysis data sets. Distinct regimes of aerosol–cloud interactions are identified in the subregions of the southeast Atlantic based on the obtained sensitivities.
Lauren M. Zamora, Ralph A. Kahn, Klaus B. Huebert, Andreas Stohl, and Sabine Eckhardt
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 14949–14964, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14949-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14949-2018, 2018
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We use satellite data and model output to estimate how airborne particles (aerosols) affect cloud ice particles and droplets over the Arctic Ocean. Aerosols from sources like smoke and pollution can change cloud cover, precipitation frequency, and the portion of liquid- vs. ice-containing clouds, which in turn can impact the surface energy budget. By improving our understanding these aerosol–cloud interactions, this work can help climate predictions for the rapidly changing Arctic.
Odran Sourdeval, Edward Gryspeerdt, Martina Krämer, Tom Goren, Julien Delanoë, Armin Afchine, Friederike Hemmer, and Johannes Quaas
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 14327–14350, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14327-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14327-2018, 2018
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The number concentration of ice crystals (Ni) is a key cloud property that remains very uncertain due to difficulties in determining it using satellites. This lack of global observational constraints limits our ability to constrain this property in models responsible for predicting future climate. This pair of papers fills this gap by showing and analyzing the first rigorously evaluated global climatology of Ni, leading to new information shedding light on the processes that control high clouds.
Edward Gryspeerdt, Odran Sourdeval, Johannes Quaas, Julien Delanoë, Martina Krämer, and Philipp Kühne
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 14351–14370, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14351-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14351-2018, 2018
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The concentration of ice crystals in a cloud affects both the properties and the life cycle of the cloud. This work uses a new satellite retrieval to investigate controls on the ice crystal concentration at a global scale. Both temperature and vertical wind speed in a cloud have a strong impact on the concentration of ice crystals. The ice crystal number is also related to the aerosol environment; defining this relation opens up new ways to investigate human impacts on clouds and the climate.
Chellappan Seethala, Jan Fokke Meirink, Ákos Horváth, Ralf Bennartz, and Rob Roebeling
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 13283–13304, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-13283-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-13283-2018, 2018
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We compared the microphysical properties of South Atlantic stratocumulus (Sc) from three different satellite instruments (SEVIRI, TMI, MODIS). The liquid water path (LWP) and its diurnal cycle from the three datasets agreed very well in overcast, smoke-free scenes. LWP showed a decrease from an early morning peak to a late afternoon minimum, after which it increased until morning. The presence of smoke aloft Sc, however, negatively biased the LWP retrieved by the visible/near-infrared technique.
Thomas Fauchez, Steven Platnick, Tamás Várnai, Kerry Meyer, Céline Cornet, and Frédéric Szczap
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 12105–12121, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-12105-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-12105-2018, 2018
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This paper presents the impact of cirrus cloud heterogeneities and 3-D effects on TOA solar reflectances from 50 m to 10 km spatial resolutions. We have shown that these effects are strongly dependent on spatial resolution as well as solar and viewing geometries and that it is difficult to find an optimal spatial resolution minimizing these various effects.
Ramon Padullés, Estel Cardellach, Kuo-Nung Wang, Chi O. Ao, F. Joseph Turk, and Manuel de la Torre-Juárez
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 11697–11708, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11697-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11697-2018, 2018
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In this paper we have assessed the positive difference observed between radio-occultation-retrieved refractivity and that of weather analyses and reanalyses when heavy precipitation is present. The impact of the precipitation media on the refractivity observable has been evaluated, showing that precipitation itself cannot explain the magnitude of the observed difference. Instead, the difference is shown to be linked to high specific-humidity conditions, which in turn are linked to rain.
David Ian Duncan and Patrick Eriksson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 11205–11219, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11205-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11205-2018, 2018
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Ice cloud mass is assessed on a global scale using the latest satellite and reanalysis datasets. While ice cloud variability driven by large-scale circulations is an area of relative consensus, models and observations disagree strongly on the overall magnitude and finer-scale variability of atmospheric ice mass. The results reflect limitations of the current Earth observing system and indicate ice microphysical assumptions as the likely culprit of disagreement.
Brian H. Kahn, Hanii Takahashi, Graeme L. Stephens, Qing Yue, Julien Delanoë, Gerald Manipon, Evan M. Manning, and Andrew J. Heymsfield
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 10715–10739, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10715-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10715-2018, 2018
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The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) satellite instrument shows statistically significant global trends in ice cloud properties between September 2002 and August 2016. The trends are not explained by known AIRS instrument limitations. Significant differences in the ice cloud particle size is found between convective clouds and thin ice clouds in the tropics. These results will be a useful benchmark for other studies of global ice cloud properties.
Ben Jolly, Peter Kuma, Adrian McDonald, and Simon Parsons
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 9723–9739, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-9723-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-9723-2018, 2018
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Clouds in the Ross Sea and Ross Ice Shelf regions are examined using a combination of satellite observations from the CloudSat and CALIPSO satellite datasets. We show that previous studies may have included an artefact at high altitudes which under-estimated cloud occurrence. We also find that the meteorological regime is a stronger control of cloud occurrence, cloud type and cloud top than season over this region, though season is a strong control on the phase of cloud.
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The global-scale patterns of subtropical marine boundary layer clouds are investigated with coincident NASA A-train satellite and reanalysis data. This study is novel in that all data are used at the finest spatial and temporal resolution possible. Our results are consistent with surface-based data and suggest that the combination of satellite and reanalysis data sets have potential to add to the global context of our understanding of the subtropical cumulus-dominated marine boundary layer.
The global-scale patterns of subtropical marine boundary layer clouds are investigated with...
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