Articles | Volume 18, issue 19
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14253-2018
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14253-2018
Research article
 | 
09 Oct 2018
Research article |  | 09 Oct 2018

The role of droplet sedimentation in the evolution of low-level clouds over southern West Africa

Christopher Dearden, Adrian Hill, Hugh Coe, and Tom Choularton

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Cited articles

Abdou, K., Parker, D. J., Brooks, B., Kalthoff, N., and Lebel, T.: The diurnal cycle of lower boundary-layer wind in the West African monsoon, Q. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc., 136, 66–76, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.536, 2010.
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Adler, B., Kalthoff, N., and Gantner, L.: Nocturnal low-level clouds over southern West Africa analysed using high-resolution simulations, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 899–910, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-899-2017, 2017.
Bain, C. L., Parker, D. J., Taylor, C. M., Kergoat, L., and Guichard, F.: Observations of the Nocturnal Boundary Layer Associated with the West African Monsoon, Mon. Weather Rev., 138, 3142–3156, https://doi.org/10.1175/2010MWR3287.1, 2010.
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Short summary
We perform computer simulations of the life cycle of low-lying clouds over southern West Africa during the monsoon season. Such clouds tend not to produce much precipitation, but they do affect the regional climate by modifying the amount of sunlight reaching the surface. The aim of this work is to understand the factors that influence the growth and break-up of these clouds. We show that the number of water droplets contained within the clouds affects how quickly they dissipate.
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