An update on global atmospheric ice estimates from satellite observations and reanalyses

Duncan, David Ian; Eriksson, Patrick

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11205-2018

Articles | Volume 18, issue 15

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11205-2018

© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11205-2018

© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 18, issue 15

Research article

|

13 Aug 2018

Research article |

| 13 Aug 2018

An update on global atmospheric ice estimates from satellite observations and reanalyses

David Ian Duncan and Patrick Eriksson

Data sets

GPM AMSR-2 on GCOM-W1 (GPROF) Radiometer Precipitation Profiling L2A 1.5 hours 10 km V05 GPM Science Team https://doi.org/10.5067/GPM/AMSR2/GCOMW1/GPROF/2A/05

MODIS Atmosphere L3 Daily Product S. Platnick, M. King, and P. Hubanks https://doi.org/10.5067/MODIS/MYD08_D3.006

MERRA-2 inst3_3d_asm_Np: 3d,3-Hourly,Instantaneous,Pressure-Level,Assimilation,Assimilated Meteorological Fields V5.12.4 Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) https://doi.org/10.5067/QBZ6MG944HW0

MERRA-2 inst1_2d_int_Nx: 2d,1-Hourly,Instantaneous,Single-Level,Assimilation,Vertically Integrated Diagnostics V5.12.4 Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) https://doi.org/10.5067/G0U6NGQ3BLE0

Model code and software

An update on global atmospheric ice estimates from observations and reanalyses D. I. Duncan https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1342367

Short summary

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.