Articles | Volume 20, issue 22
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-14163-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-14163-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
23 Nov 2020
Research article |
| 23 Nov 2020
| 23 Nov 2020
Urbanization-induced land and aerosol impacts on sea-breeze circulation and convective precipitation
Atmospheric Sciences and Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
Atmospheric Sciences and Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
Zhanqing Li
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, University of
Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
Jiaxi Hu
Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, NOAA/OAR National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, OK, USA
Daniel Rosenfeld
Institute of Earth Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Related authors
Jingyu Wang, Jiwen Fan, and Zhe Feng
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 3823–3838, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-3823-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-3823-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Hail and tornadoes are devastating hazards responsible for significant property damage and economic losses in the United States. Quantifying the connection between hazard events and mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) is of great significance for improving predictability, as well as for better understanding the influence of the climate-scale perturbations. A 14-year statistical dataset of MCS-related hazard production is presented.
Yun Lin, Jiwen Fan, Pengfei Li, Lai-yung Ruby Leung, Paul J. DeMott, Lexie Goldberger, Jennifer Comstock, Ying Liu, Jong-Hoon Jeong, and Jason Tomlinson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 6749–6771, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-6749-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-6749-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
How sea spray aerosols may affect cloud and precipitation over the region by acting as ice-nucleating particles (INPs) is unknown. We explored the effects of INPs from marine aerosols on orographic cloud and precipitation for an atmospheric river event observed during the 2015 ACAPEX field campaign. The marine INPs enhance the formation of ice and snow, leading to less shallow warm clouds but more mixed-phase and deep clouds. This work suggests models need to consider the impacts of marine INPs.
Po-Lun Ma, Bryce E. Harrop, Vincent E. Larson, Richard B. Neale, Andrew Gettelman, Hugh Morrison, Hailong Wang, Kai Zhang, Stephen A. Klein, Mark D. Zelinka, Yuying Zhang, Yun Qian, Jin-Ho Yoon, Christopher R. Jones, Meng Huang, Sheng-Lun Tai, Balwinder Singh, Peter A. Bogenschutz, Xue Zheng, Wuyin Lin, Johannes Quaas, Hélène Chepfer, Michael A. Brunke, Xubin Zeng, Johannes Mülmenstädt, Samson Hagos, Zhibo Zhang, Hua Song, Xiaohong Liu, Michael S. Pritchard, Hui Wan, Jingyu Wang, Qi Tang, Peter M. Caldwell, Jiwen Fan, Larry K. Berg, Jerome D. Fast, Mark A. Taylor, Jean-Christophe Golaz, Shaocheng Xie, Philip J. Rasch, and L. Ruby Leung
Geosci. Model Dev., 15, 2881–2916, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-2881-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-2881-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
An alternative set of parameters for E3SM Atmospheric Model version 1 has been developed based on a tuning strategy that focuses on clouds. When clouds in every regime are improved, other aspects of the model are also improved, even though they are not the direct targets for calibration. The recalibrated model shows a lower sensitivity to anthropogenic aerosols and surface warming, suggesting potential improvements to the simulated climate in the past and future.
Yanda Zhang, Fangqun Yu, Gan Luo, Jiwen Fan, and Shuai Liu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 17433–17451, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17433-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17433-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This paper explores the impacts of dust on summertime convective cloud and precipitation through a numerical experiment. The result indicates that the long-range-transported dust can notably affect the properties of convective cloud and precipitation by enhancing immersion freezing and invigorating convection. We also analyze the different dust effects predicted by the Morrison and SBM schemes, which are partially attributed to the saturation adjustment approach utilized in the bulk schemes.
Yuwei Zhang, Jiwen Fan, Zhanqing Li, and Daniel Rosenfeld
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 2363–2381, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2363-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2363-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Impacts of anthropogenic aerosols on deep convective clouds (DCCs) and precipitation are examined using both the Morrison bulk and spectral bin microphysics (SBM) schemes. With the SBM scheme, anthropogenic aerosols notably invigorate convective intensity and precipitation, causing better agreement between the simulated DCCs and observations; this effect is absent with the Morrison scheme, mainly due to limitations of the saturation adjustment approach for droplet condensation and evaporation.
Jingyu Wang, Jiwen Fan, Robert A. Houze Jr., Stella R. Brodzik, Kai Zhang, Guang J. Zhang, and Po-Lun Ma
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 719–734, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-719-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-719-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This paper presents an evaluation of the E3SM model against NEXRAD radar observations for the warm seasons during 2014–2016. The COSP forward simulator package is implemented in the model to generate radar reflectivity, and the NEXRAD observations are coarsened to the model resolution for comparison. The model severely underestimates the reflectivity above 4 km. Sensitivity tests on the parameters from cumulus parameterization and cloud microphysics do not improve this model bias.
Wenchao Han, Zhanqing Li, Fang Wu, Yuwei Zhang, Jianping Guo, Tianning Su, Maureen Cribb, Jiwen Fan, Tianmeng Chen, Jing Wei, and Seoung-Soo Lee
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 6479–6493, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-6479-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-6479-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Observational data and model simulation were used to analyze the daytime urban heat island intensity (UHII) under polluted and clean conditions in China. We found that aerosols reduce the UHII in summer but increase the UHII in winter. Two mechanisms, the aerosol radiative effect (ARE) and the aerosol dynamic effect (ADE), behave differently in summer and winter. In summer, the UHII is mainly affected by the ARE, and the ADE is weak, and the opposite is the case in winter.
Fan Mei, Jian Wang, Jennifer M. Comstock, Ralf Weigel, Martina Krämer, Christoph Mahnke, John E. Shilling, Johannes Schneider, Christiane Schulz, Charles N. Long, Manfred Wendisch, Luiz A. T. Machado, Beat Schmid, Trismono Krisna, Mikhail Pekour, John Hubbe, Andreas Giez, Bernadett Weinzierl, Martin Zoeger, Mira L. Pöhlker, Hans Schlager, Micael A. Cecchini, Meinrat O. Andreae, Scot T. Martin, Suzane S. de Sá, Jiwen Fan, Jason Tomlinson, Stephen Springston, Ulrich Pöschl, Paulo Artaxo, Christopher Pöhlker, Thomas Klimach, Andreas Minikin, Armin Afchine, and Stephan Borrmann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 661–684, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-661-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-661-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
In 2014, the US DOE G1 aircraft and the German HALO aircraft overflew the Amazon basin to study how aerosols influence cloud cycles under a clean condition and around a tropical megacity. This paper describes how to meaningfully compare similar measurements from two research aircraft and identify the potential measurement issue. We also discuss the uncertainty range for each measurement for further usage in model evaluation and satellite data validation.
Matthew Gibbons, Qilong Min, and Jiwen Fan
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 12161–12184, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-12161-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-12161-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The effects of dust aerosols on ice formation within a tropical Atlantic thunderstorm system were investigated using a 3-D weather model and compared with observations. Updated ice formation mechanisms directly connect available dust particles with ice particle formation. The resulting clouds were lower and narrower and produced less rain at the surface compared to cleaner conditions, due to ice formation occurring at warmer temperatures. These results agree well with observed changes.
Luiz A. T. Machado, Alan J. P. Calheiros, Thiago Biscaro, Scott Giangrande, Maria A. F. Silva Dias, Micael A. Cecchini, Rachel Albrecht, Meinrat O. Andreae, Wagner F. Araujo, Paulo Artaxo, Stephan Borrmann, Ramon Braga, Casey Burleyson, Cristiano W. Eichholz, Jiwen Fan, Zhe Feng, Gilberto F. Fisch, Michael P. Jensen, Scot T. Martin, Ulrich Pöschl, Christopher Pöhlker, Mira L. Pöhlker, Jean-François Ribaud, Daniel Rosenfeld, Jaci M. B. Saraiva, Courtney Schumacher, Ryan Thalman, David Walter, and Manfred Wendisch
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 6461–6482, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-6461-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-6461-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
This overview discuss the main precipitation processes and their sensitivities to environmental conditions in the Central Amazon Basin. It presents a review of the knowledge acquired about cloud processes and rainfall formation in Amazonas. In addition, this study provides a characterization of the seasonal variation and rainfall sensitivities to topography, surface cover, and aerosol concentration. Airplane measurements were evaluated to characterize and contrast cloud microphysical properties.
Shi Zhong, Yun Qian, Chun Zhao, Ruby Leung, Hailong Wang, Ben Yang, Jiwen Fan, Huiping Yan, Xiu-Qun Yang, and Dongqing Liu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 5439–5457, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-5439-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-5439-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
An online climate–chemistry coupled model (WRF-Chem) is integrated for 5 years at cloud-permitting scale to quantify the impacts of urbanization-induced changes in land cover and pollutants emission on regional climate in the Yangtze River Delta region in eastern China. Urbanization over this region increases the frequency of extreme precipitation and heat wave in summer. The results could help China government in making policies in mitigating the environmental impact of urbanization.
Jiwen Fan, L. Ruby Leung, Daniel Rosenfeld, and Paul J. DeMott
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 1017–1035, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-1017-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-1017-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
How orographic mixed-phase clouds respond to changes in cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice nucleating particles (INPs) is highly uncertain. We conducted this study to improve understanding of these processes. We found a new mechanism through which CCN can invigorate orographic mixed-phase clouds and drastically intensify snow precipitation when CCN concentrations are high. Our findings have very important implications for orographic precipitation in polluted regions.
Micael A. Cecchini, Luiz A. T. Machado, Jennifer M. Comstock, Fan Mei, Jian Wang, Jiwen Fan, Jason M. Tomlinson, Beat Schmid, Rachel Albrecht, Scot T. Martin, and Paulo Artaxo
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 7029–7041, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7029-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7029-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
This work focuses on the analysis of anthropogenic impacts on Amazonian clouds. The experiment was conducted around Manaus (Brazil), which is a city with 2 million inhabitants and is surrounded by the Amazon forest in every direction. The clouds that form over the pristine atmosphere of the forest are understood as the background clouds and the ones that form over the city pollution are the anthropogenically impacted ones. The paper analyses microphysical characteristics of both types of clouds.
Matthew Gibbons, Qilong Min, and Jiwen Fan
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2016-368, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2016-368, 2016
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
Observations suggest cloud systems evolve differently under dusty conditions compared to other aerosols. We have used numerical modeling to study one such case. Dust increases the formation of small sized ice in the mid-troposphere. This enhanced convective intensity, shifted precipitation top height to higher altitudes, and glaciated clouds at lower altitudes. Consistent with observations, average cloud height was lowered due to a greater number of heavy particles forming near the cloud tops.
S. T. Martin, P. Artaxo, L. A. T. Machado, A. O. Manzi, R. A. F. Souza, C. Schumacher, J. Wang, M. O. Andreae, H. M. J. Barbosa, J. Fan, G. Fisch, A. H. Goldstein, A. Guenther, J. L. Jimenez, U. Pöschl, M. A. Silva Dias, J. N. Smith, and M. Wendisch
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 4785–4797, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-4785-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-4785-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
The Observations and Modeling of the Green Ocean Amazon (GoAmazon2014/5) Experiment took place in central Amazonia throughout 2014 and 2015. The experiment focused on the complex links among vegetation, atmospheric chemistry, and aerosol production on the one hand and their connections to aerosols, clouds, and precipitation on the other, especially when altered by urban pollution. This article serves as an introduction to the special issue of publications presenting findings of this experiment.
J. Fan, L. R. Leung, P. J. DeMott, J. M. Comstock, B. Singh, D. Rosenfeld, J. M. Tomlinson, A. White, K. A. Prather, P. Minnis, J. K. Ayers, and Q. Min
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 81–101, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-81-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-81-2014, 2014
Damao Zhang, Jennifer Comstock, Chitra Sivaraman, Kefei Mo, Raghavendra Krishnamurthy, Jingjing Tian, Tianning Su, Zhanqing Li, and Natalia Roldán-Henao
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 3453–3475, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3453-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3453-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Planetary boundary layer height (PBLHT) is an important parameter in atmospheric process studies and numerical model simulations. We use machine learning methods to produce a best-estimate planetary boundary layer height (PBLHT-BE-ML) by integrating four PBLHT estimates derived from remote sensing measurements. We demonstrated that PBLHT-BE-ML greatly improved the comparisons against sounding-derived PBLHT.
Yuanyuan Wu, Jihu Liu, Yannian Zhu, Yu Zhang, Yang Cao, Kang-En Huang, Boyang Zheng, Yichuan Wang, Yanyun Li, Quan Wang, Chen Zhou, Yuan Liang, Jianning Sun, Minghuai Wang, and Daniel Rosenfeld
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 3243–3258, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-3243-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-3243-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Based on a deep-learning method, we established a global classification dataset of daytime and nighttime marine low-cloud mesoscale morphology. This aims to promote a comprehensive understanding of cloud dynamics and cloud–climate feedback. Closed mesoscale cellular convection (MCC) clouds occur more frequently at night, while suppressed cumulus clouds exhibit remarkable decreases. Solid stratus and MCC cloud types show clear seasonal variations.
Chris J. Wright, Joel A. Thornton, Lyatt Jaeglé, Yang Cao, Yannian Zhu, Jihu Liu, Randall Jones II, Robert Holzworth, Daniel Rosenfeld, Robert Wood, Peter Blossey, and Daehyun Kim
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2937–2946, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2937-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2937-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Aerosol particles influence clouds, which exert a large forcing on solar radiation and freshwater. To better understand the mechanisms by which aerosol influences thunderstorms, we look at the two busiest shipping lanes in the world, where recent regulations have reduced sulfur emissions by nearly an order of magnitude. We find that the reduction in emissions has been accompanied by a dramatic decrease in both lightning and the number of droplets in clouds over the shipping lanes.
Zhe Song, Shaocai Yu, Pengfei Li, Ningning Yao, Lang Chen, Yuhai Sun, Boqiong Jiang, and Daniel Rosenfeld
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2473–2494, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2473-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2473-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Our results with injected sea salt aerosols for five open oceans show that sea salt aerosols with low injection amounts dominate shortwave radiation, mainly through indirect effects. As indirect aerosol effects saturate with increasing injection rates, direct effects exceed indirect effects. This implies that marine cloud brightening is best implemented in areas with extensive cloud cover, while aerosol direct scattering effects remain dominant when clouds are scarce.
Jingyu Wang, Jiwen Fan, and Zhe Feng
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 3823–3838, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-3823-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-3823-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Hail and tornadoes are devastating hazards responsible for significant property damage and economic losses in the United States. Quantifying the connection between hazard events and mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) is of great significance for improving predictability, as well as for better understanding the influence of the climate-scale perturbations. A 14-year statistical dataset of MCS-related hazard production is presented.
Siyu Shan, Dale Allen, Zhanqing Li, Kenneth Pickering, and Jeff Lapierre
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 14547–14560, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14547-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14547-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Several machine learning models are applied to identify important variables affecting lightning occurrence in the vicinity of the Southern Great Plains ARM site during the summer months of 2012–2020. We find that the random forest model is the best predictor among common classifiers. We rank variables in terms of their effectiveness in nowcasting ENTLN lightning and identify geometric cloud thickness, rain rate and convective available potential energy (CAPE) as the most effective predictors.
Yuchen Wang, Xvli Guo, Yajie Huo, Mengying Li, Yuqing Pan, Shaocai Yu, Alexander Baklanov, Daniel Rosenfeld, John H. Seinfeld, and Pengfei Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 5233–5249, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-5233-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-5233-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Substantial advances have been made in recent years toward detecting and quantifying methane super-emitters from space. However, such advances have rarely been expanded to measure the global methane pledge because large-scale swaths and high-resolution sampling have not been coordinated. Here we present a versatile spaceborne architecture that can juggle planet-scale and plant-level methane retrievals, challenge official emission reports, and remain relevant for stereoscopic measurements.
Jing Wei, Zhanqing Li, Jun Wang, Can Li, Pawan Gupta, and Maureen Cribb
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 1511–1532, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-1511-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-1511-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This study estimated the daily seamless 10 km ambient gaseous pollutants (NO2, SO2, and CO) across China using machine learning with extensive input variables measured on monitors, satellites, and models. Our dataset yields a high data quality via cross-validation at varying spatiotemporal scales and outperforms most previous related studies, making it most helpful to future (especially short-term) air pollution and environmental health-related studies.
Rui Zhang, Yuying Wang, Zhanqing Li, Zhibin Wang, Russell R. Dickerson, Xinrong Ren, Hao He, Fei Wang, Ying Gao, Xi Chen, Jialu Xu, Yafang Cheng, and Hang Su
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 14879–14891, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14879-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14879-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Factors of cloud condensation nuclei number concentration (NCCN) profiles determined in the North China Plain include air mass sources, temperature structure, anthropogenic emissions, and terrain distribution. Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) spectra suggest that the ability of aerosol activation into CCN is stronger in southeasterly than in northwesterly air masses and stronger in the free atmosphere than near the surface. A good method to parameterize NCCN from aerosol optical data is found.
Yuying Wang, Rong Hu, Qiuyan Wang, Zhanqing Li, Maureen Cribb, Yele Sun, Xiaorui Song, Yi Shang, Yixuan Wu, Xin Huang, and Yuxiang Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 14133–14146, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14133-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14133-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The mixing state of size-resolved soot particles and their influencing factors were investigated. The results suggest anthropogenic emissions and aging processes have diverse impacts on the mixing state of soot particles in different modes. Considering that the mixing state of soot particles is crucial to model aerosol absorption, this finding is important to study particle growth and the warming effect of black carbon aerosols.
Paolo Dandini, Céline Cornet, Renaud Binet, Laetitia Fenouil, Vadim Holodovsky, Yoav Y. Schechner, Didier Ricard, and Daniel Rosenfeld
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 6221–6242, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6221-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6221-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
3D cloud envelope and development velocity are retrieved from realistic simulations of multi-view
CLOUD (C3IEL) images. Cloud development velocity is derived by finding matching features
between acquisitions separated by 20 s. The tie points are then mapped from image to space via 3D
reconstruction of the cloud envelope obtained from 2 simultaneous images. The retrieved cloud
topography as well as the velocities are in good agreement with the estimates obtained from the
physical models.
Mengying Li, Shaocai Yu, Xue Chen, Zhen Li, Yibo Zhang, Zhe Song, Weiping Liu, Pengfei Li, Xiaoye Zhang, Meigen Zhang, Yele Sun, Zirui Liu, Caiping Sun, Jingkun Jiang, Shuxiao Wang, Benjamin N. Murphy, Kiran Alapaty, Rohit Mathur, Daniel Rosenfeld, and John H. Seinfeld
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 11845–11866, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11845-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11845-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This study constructed an emission inventory of condensable particulate matter (CPM) in China with a focus on organic aerosols (OAs), based on collected CPM emission information. The results show that OA emissions are enhanced twofold for the years 2014 and 2017 after the inclusion of CPM in the new inventory. Sensitivity cases demonstrated the significant contributions of CPM emissions from stationary combustion and mobile sources to primary, secondary, and total OA concentrations.
Feiyue Mao, Ruixing Shi, Daniel Rosenfeld, Zengxin Pan, Lin Zang, Yannian Zhu, and Xin Lu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 10589–10602, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10589-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10589-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Previous studies generally ignored the faint aerosols undetected by the CALIPSO layer detection algorithm because they are too optically thin. Here, we retrieved the faint aerosol extinction based on instantaneous CALIPSO observations with the constraint of SAGE data. The correlation and normalized root-mean-square error of the retrievals with independent SAGE data are 0.66 and 100.6 %, respectively. The minimum retrieved extinction at night can be extended to 10-4 km-1 with 125 % uncertainty.
Katherine T. Junghenn Noyes, Ralph A. Kahn, James A. Limbacher, and Zhanqing Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 10267–10290, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10267-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10267-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We compare retrievals of wildfire smoke particle size, shape, and light absorption from the MISR satellite instrument to modeling and other satellite data on land cover type, drought conditions, meteorology, and estimates of fire intensity (fire radiative power – FRP). We find statistically significant differences in the particle properties based on burning conditions and land cover type, and we interpret how changes in these properties point to specific aerosol aging mechanisms.
Yun Lin, Jiwen Fan, Pengfei Li, Lai-yung Ruby Leung, Paul J. DeMott, Lexie Goldberger, Jennifer Comstock, Ying Liu, Jong-Hoon Jeong, and Jason Tomlinson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 6749–6771, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-6749-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-6749-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
How sea spray aerosols may affect cloud and precipitation over the region by acting as ice-nucleating particles (INPs) is unknown. We explored the effects of INPs from marine aerosols on orographic cloud and precipitation for an atmospheric river event observed during the 2015 ACAPEX field campaign. The marine INPs enhance the formation of ice and snow, leading to less shallow warm clouds but more mixed-phase and deep clouds. This work suggests models need to consider the impacts of marine INPs.
Lu Chen, Fang Zhang, Dongmei Zhang, Xinming Wang, Wei Song, Jieyao Liu, Jingye Ren, Sihui Jiang, Xue Li, and Zhanqing Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 6773–6786, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-6773-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-6773-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Aerosol hygroscopicity is critical when evaluating its effect on visibility and climate. Here, the size-resolved particle hygroscopicity at five sites in China is characterized using field measurements. We show the distinct behavior of hygroscopic particles during pollution evolution among the five sites. Moreover, different hygroscopic behavior during NPF events were also observed. The dataset is helpful for understanding the spatial variability in particle composition and formation mechanisms.
Yun Lin, Yuan Wang, Bowen Pan, Jiaxi Hu, Song Guo, Misti Levy Zamora, Pengfei Tian, Qiong Su, Yuemeng Ji, Jiayun Zhao, Mario Gomez-Hernandez, Min Hu, and Renyi Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 4951–4967, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-4951-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-4951-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Severe regional haze events, which are characterized by exceedingly high levels of fine particulate matter (PM), occur frequently in many developing countries (such as China and India), with profound implications for human health, weather, and climate. Our work establishes a synthetic view for the dominant regional features during severe haze events, unraveling rapid in situ PM production and inefficient transport, both of which are amplified by atmospheric stagnation.
Po-Lun Ma, Bryce E. Harrop, Vincent E. Larson, Richard B. Neale, Andrew Gettelman, Hugh Morrison, Hailong Wang, Kai Zhang, Stephen A. Klein, Mark D. Zelinka, Yuying Zhang, Yun Qian, Jin-Ho Yoon, Christopher R. Jones, Meng Huang, Sheng-Lun Tai, Balwinder Singh, Peter A. Bogenschutz, Xue Zheng, Wuyin Lin, Johannes Quaas, Hélène Chepfer, Michael A. Brunke, Xubin Zeng, Johannes Mülmenstädt, Samson Hagos, Zhibo Zhang, Hua Song, Xiaohong Liu, Michael S. Pritchard, Hui Wan, Jingyu Wang, Qi Tang, Peter M. Caldwell, Jiwen Fan, Larry K. Berg, Jerome D. Fast, Mark A. Taylor, Jean-Christophe Golaz, Shaocheng Xie, Philip J. Rasch, and L. Ruby Leung
Geosci. Model Dev., 15, 2881–2916, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-2881-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-2881-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
An alternative set of parameters for E3SM Atmospheric Model version 1 has been developed based on a tuning strategy that focuses on clouds. When clouds in every regime are improved, other aspects of the model are also improved, even though they are not the direct targets for calibration. The recalibrated model shows a lower sensitivity to anthropogenic aerosols and surface warming, suggesting potential improvements to the simulated climate in the past and future.
Xing Yan, Zhou Zang, Zhanqing Li, Nana Luo, Chen Zuo, Yize Jiang, Dan Li, Yushan Guo, Wenji Zhao, Wenzhong Shi, and Maureen Cribb
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 1193–1213, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1193-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1193-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This study developed a new satellite-based global land daily FMF dataset (Phy-DL FMF) by synergizing the advantages of physical and deep learning methods at a 1° spatial resolution by covering the period from 2001 to 2020. The Phy-DL FMF was extensively evaluated against ground-truth AERONET data and tested on a global scale against conventional satellite-based FMF products to demonstrate its superiority in accuracy.
Lu Chen, Fang Zhang, Don Collins, Jingye Ren, Jieyao Liu, Sihui Jiang, and Zhanqing Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 2293–2307, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2293-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2293-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding the volatility and mixing state of atmospheric aerosols is important for elucidating their formation. Here, the size-resolved volatility of fine particles is characterized using field measurements. On average, the particles are more volatile in the summer. The retrieved mixing state shows that black carbon (BC)-containing particles dominate and contribute 67–77 % toward the total number concentration in the winter, while the non-BC particles accounted for 52–69 % in the summer.
Tianning Su, Youtong Zheng, and Zhanqing Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 1453–1466, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-1453-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-1453-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
To enrich our understanding of coupling of continental clouds, we developed a novel methodology to determine cloud coupling state from a lidar and a suite of surface meteorological instruments. This method is built upon advancement in our understanding of fundamental boundary layer processes and clouds. As the first remote sensing method for determining the coupling state of low clouds over land, this methodology paves a solid ground for further investigating the coupled land–atmosphere system.
Matthew W. Christensen, Andrew Gettelman, Jan Cermak, Guy Dagan, Michael Diamond, Alyson Douglas, Graham Feingold, Franziska Glassmeier, Tom Goren, Daniel P. Grosvenor, Edward Gryspeerdt, Ralph Kahn, Zhanqing Li, Po-Lun Ma, Florent Malavelle, Isabel L. McCoy, Daniel T. McCoy, Greg McFarquhar, Johannes Mülmenstädt, Sandip Pal, Anna Possner, Adam Povey, Johannes Quaas, Daniel Rosenfeld, Anja Schmidt, Roland Schrödner, Armin Sorooshian, Philip Stier, Velle Toll, Duncan Watson-Parris, Robert Wood, Mingxi Yang, and Tianle Yuan
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 641–674, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-641-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-641-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Trace gases and aerosols (tiny airborne particles) are released from a variety of point sources around the globe. Examples include volcanoes, industrial chimneys, forest fires, and ship stacks. These sources provide opportunistic experiments with which to quantify the role of aerosols in modifying cloud properties. We review the current state of understanding on the influence of aerosol on climate built from the wide range of natural and anthropogenic laboratories investigated in recent decades.
Ramon Campos Braga, Barbara Ervens, Daniel Rosenfeld, Meinrat O. Andreae, Jan-David Förster, Daniel Fütterer, Lianet Hernández Pardo, Bruna A. Holanda, Tina Jurkat-Witschas, Ovid O. Krüger, Oliver Lauer, Luiz A. T. Machado, Christopher Pöhlker, Daniel Sauer, Christiane Voigt, Adrian Walser, Manfred Wendisch, Ulrich Pöschl, and Mira L. Pöhlker
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 17513–17528, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17513-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17513-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Interactions of aerosol particles with clouds represent a large uncertainty in estimates of climate change. Properties of aerosol particles control their ability to act as cloud condensation nuclei. Using aerosol measurements in the Amazon, we performed model studies to compare predicted and measured cloud droplet number concentrations at cloud bases. Our results confirm previous estimates of particle hygroscopicity in this region.
Yanda Zhang, Fangqun Yu, Gan Luo, Jiwen Fan, and Shuai Liu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 17433–17451, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17433-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17433-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This paper explores the impacts of dust on summertime convective cloud and precipitation through a numerical experiment. The result indicates that the long-range-transported dust can notably affect the properties of convective cloud and precipitation by enhancing immersion freezing and invigorating convection. We also analyze the different dust effects predicted by the Morrison and SBM schemes, which are partially attributed to the saturation adjustment approach utilized in the bulk schemes.
Linhui Jiang, Yan Xia, Lu Wang, Xue Chen, Jianjie Ye, Tangyan Hou, Liqiang Wang, Yibo Zhang, Mengying Li, Zhen Li, Zhe Song, Yaping Jiang, Weiping Liu, Pengfei Li, Daniel Rosenfeld, John H. Seinfeld, and Shaocai Yu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 16985–17002, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16985-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-16985-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This paper establishes a bottom-up approach to reveal a unique pattern of urban on-road vehicle emissions at a spatial resolution 1–3 orders of magnitude higher than current inventories. The results show that the hourly average on-road vehicle emissions of CO, NOx, HC, and PM2.5 are 74 kg, 40 kg, 8 kg, and 2 kg, respectively. Integrating our traffic-monitoring-based approach with urban measurements, we could address major data gaps between urban air pollutant emissions and concentrations.
Sihui Jiang, Fang Zhang, Jingye Ren, Lu Chen, Xing Yan, Jieyao Liu, Yele Sun, and Zhanqing Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 14293–14308, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14293-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14293-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
New particle formation (NPF) can be a large source of CCN and affect weather and climate. Here we show that the NPF contributes largely to cloud droplet number concentration (Nd) but is suppressed at high particle number concentrations in Beijing due to water vapor competition. We also reveal a considerable impact of primary sources on the evaluation in the urban atmosphere. Our study has great significance for assessing NPF-associated effects on climate in polluted regions.
Ramon Campos Braga, Daniel Rosenfeld, Ovid O. Krüger, Barbara Ervens, Bruna A. Holanda, Manfred Wendisch, Trismono Krisna, Ulrich Pöschl, Meinrat O. Andreae, Christiane Voigt, and Mira L. Pöhlker
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 14079–14088, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14079-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14079-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Quantifying the precipitation within clouds is crucial for our understanding of the Earth's hydrological cycle. Using in situ measurements of cloud and rain properties over the Amazon Basin and Atlantic Ocean, we show here a linear relationship between the effective radius (re) and precipitation water content near the tops of convective clouds for different pollution states and temperature levels. Our results emphasize the role of re to determine both initiation and amount of precipitation.
Xin Lu, Feiyue Mao, Daniel Rosenfeld, Yannian Zhu, Zengxin Pan, and Wei Gong
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 11979–12003, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11979-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11979-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, a novel method for retrieving cloud base height and geometric thickness is developed and applied to produce a global climatology of boundary layer clouds with a high accuracy. The retrieval is based on the 333 m resolution low-level cloud distribution as obtained from the CALIPSO lidar data. The main part of the study describes the variability of cloud vertical geometrical properties in space, season, and time of the day. Resultant new insights are presented.
Rongmin Ren, Zhanqing Li, Peng Yan, Yuying Wang, Hao Wu, Maureen Cribb, Wei Wang, Xiao'ai Jin, Yanan Li, and Dongmei Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 9977–9994, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9977-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9977-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We analyzed the effect of the proportion of components making up the chemical composition of aerosols on f(RH) in southern Beijing in 2019. Nitrate played a more significant role in affecting f(RH) than sulfate. The ratio of the sulfate mass fraction to the nitrate mass fraction (mostly higher than ~ 4) was a sign of the deliquescence of aerosol. A piecewise parameterized scheme was proposed, which could better describe deliquescence and reduce uncertainties in simulating aerosol hygroscopicity.
Jing Wei, Zhanqing Li, Rachel T. Pinker, Jun Wang, Lin Sun, Wenhao Xue, Runze Li, and Maureen Cribb
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 7863–7880, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7863-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7863-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This study developed a space-time Light Gradient Boosting Machine (STLG) model to derive the high-temporal-resolution (1 h) and high-quality PM2.5 dataset in China (i.e., ChinaHighPM2.5) at a 5 km spatial resolution from the Himawari-8 Advanced Himawari Imager aerosol products. Our model outperforms most previous related studies with a much lower computation burden in terms of speed and memory, making it most suitable for real-time air pollution monitoring in China.
Tianmeng Chen, Zhanqing Li, Ralph A. Kahn, Chuanfeng Zhao, Daniel Rosenfeld, Jianping Guo, Wenchao Han, and Dandan Chen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 6199–6220, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-6199-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-6199-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
A convective cloud identification process is developed using geostationary satellite data from Himawari-8.
Convective cloud fraction is generally larger before noon and smaller in the afternoon under polluted conditions, but megacities and complex topography can influence the pattern.
A robust relationship between convective cloud and aerosol loading is found. This pattern varies with terrain height and is modulated by varying thermodynamic, dynamical, and humidity conditions during the day.
Yuwei Zhang, Jiwen Fan, Zhanqing Li, and Daniel Rosenfeld
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 2363–2381, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2363-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2363-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Impacts of anthropogenic aerosols on deep convective clouds (DCCs) and precipitation are examined using both the Morrison bulk and spectral bin microphysics (SBM) schemes. With the SBM scheme, anthropogenic aerosols notably invigorate convective intensity and precipitation, causing better agreement between the simulated DCCs and observations; this effect is absent with the Morrison scheme, mainly due to limitations of the saturation adjustment approach for droplet condensation and evaporation.
Jingyu Wang, Jiwen Fan, Robert A. Houze Jr., Stella R. Brodzik, Kai Zhang, Guang J. Zhang, and Po-Lun Ma
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 719–734, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-719-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-719-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This paper presents an evaluation of the E3SM model against NEXRAD radar observations for the warm seasons during 2014–2016. The COSP forward simulator package is implemented in the model to generate radar reflectivity, and the NEXRAD observations are coarsened to the model resolution for comparison. The model severely underestimates the reflectivity above 4 km. Sensitivity tests on the parameters from cumulus parameterization and cloud microphysics do not improve this model bias.
Yuying Wang, Zhanqing Li, Qiuyan Wang, Xiaoai Jin, Peng Yan, Maureen Cribb, Yanan Li, Cheng Yuan, Hao Wu, Tong Wu, Rongmin Ren, and Zhaoxin Cai
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 915–926, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-915-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-915-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The unexpected increase in surface ozone concentration was found along with the reduced anthropogenic emissions during the 2019 Chinese Spring Festival in Beijing. The enhanced atmospheric oxidation capacity could promote the formation of secondary aerosols, especially sulfate, which offset the decrease in PM2.5 mass concentration. This phenomenon was likely to exist throughout the entire Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region to be a contributing factor to the haze during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Johannes Quaas, Antti Arola, Brian Cairns, Matthew Christensen, Hartwig Deneke, Annica M. L. Ekman, Graham Feingold, Ann Fridlind, Edward Gryspeerdt, Otto Hasekamp, Zhanqing Li, Antti Lipponen, Po-Lun Ma, Johannes Mülmenstädt, Athanasios Nenes, Joyce E. Penner, Daniel Rosenfeld, Roland Schrödner, Kenneth Sinclair, Odran Sourdeval, Philip Stier, Matthias Tesche, Bastiaan van Diedenhoven, and Manfred Wendisch
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 15079–15099, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-15079-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-15079-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Anthropogenic pollution particles – aerosols – serve as cloud condensation nuclei and thus increase cloud droplet concentration and the clouds' reflection of sunlight (a cooling effect on climate). This Twomey effect is poorly constrained by models and requires satellite data for better quantification. The review summarizes the challenges in properly doing so and outlines avenues for progress towards a better use of aerosol retrievals and better retrievals of droplet concentrations.
Liqiang Wang, Shaocai Yu, Pengfei Li, Xue Chen, Zhen Li, Yibo Zhang, Mengying Li, Khalid Mehmood, Weiping Liu, Tianfeng Chai, Yannian Zhu, Daniel Rosenfeld, and John H. Seinfeld
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 14787–14800, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-14787-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-14787-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The Chinese government has made major strides in curbing anthropogenic emissions. In this study, we constrain a state-of-the-art CTM by a reliable data assimilation method with extensive chemical and meteorological observations. This comprehensive technical design provides a crucial advance in isolating the influences of emission changes and meteorological perturbations over the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) from 2016 to 2019, thus establishing the first map of the PM2.5 mitigation across the YRD.
Sarah E. Benish, Hao He, Xinrong Ren, Sandra J. Roberts, Ross J. Salawitch, Zhanqing Li, Fei Wang, Yuying Wang, Fang Zhang, Min Shao, Sihua Lu, and Russell R. Dickerson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 14523–14545, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-14523-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-14523-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Airborne observations of ozone and related pollutants show smog was pervasive in spring 2016 over Hebei Province, China. We find high amounts of ozone precursors throughout and even above the PBL, continuing to generate ozone at high rates to be potentially transported downwind. Concentrations even in the rural areas of this highly industrialized province promote widespread ozone production, and we show that to improve air quality over Hebei both NOx and VOCs should be targeted.
Pengguo Zhao, Zhanqing Li, Hui Xiao, Fang Wu, Youtong Zheng, Maureen C. Cribb, Xiaoai Jin, and Yunjun Zhou
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 13379–13397, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-13379-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-13379-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We discussed the different aerosol effects on lightning in plateau and basin regions of Sichuan, southwestern China. In the plateau area, the aerosol concentration is low, and aerosols (via microphysical effects) inhibit the process of warm rain and stimulate convection and lightning activity. In the basin region, however, aerosols tend to show a significant radiative effect (reducing the solar radiation reaching the surface by absorbing and scattering) and inhibit the lightning.
Wenchao Han, Zhanqing Li, Fang Wu, Yuwei Zhang, Jianping Guo, Tianning Su, Maureen Cribb, Jiwen Fan, Tianmeng Chen, Jing Wei, and Seoung-Soo Lee
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 6479–6493, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-6479-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-6479-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Observational data and model simulation were used to analyze the daytime urban heat island intensity (UHII) under polluted and clean conditions in China. We found that aerosols reduce the UHII in summer but increase the UHII in winter. Two mechanisms, the aerosol radiative effect (ARE) and the aerosol dynamic effect (ADE), behave differently in summer and winter. In summer, the UHII is mainly affected by the ARE, and the ADE is weak, and the opposite is the case in winter.
Tianning Su, Zhanqing Li, Chengcai Li, Jing Li, Wenchao Han, Chuanyang Shen, Wangshu Tan, Jing Wei, and Jianping Guo
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 3713–3724, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3713-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3713-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We study the role of aerosol vertical distribution in thermodynamic stability and PBL development. Under different aerosol vertical structures, the diurnal cycles of PBLH and PM2.5 show distinct characteristics. Large differences in the heating rate affect atmospheric buoyancy and stability differently under different aerosol structures. As a result, the aerosol–PBL interaction can be strengthened by the inverse aerosol structure and potentially neutralized by the decreasing structure.
Seoung Soo Lee, George Kablick III, Zhanqing Li, Chang Hoon Jung, Yong-Sang Choi, Junshik Um, and Won Jun Choi
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 3357–3371, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3357-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3357-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
This paper examines a thunderstorm-type cloud that is triggered by wildfire. This paper shows that this cloud has a substantial impact on air components such as water vapor that act as a global warming agent together with carbon dioxide. This paper also shows that that impact is strongly dependent on fire intensity. This raises a possibility that clouds, which are triggered by fire, act as a modulator of climate changes and this function as a modulator is altered by how intense fire is.
Jing Wei, Zhanqing Li, Maureen Cribb, Wei Huang, Wenhao Xue, Lin Sun, Jianping Guo, Yiran Peng, Jing Li, Alexei Lyapustin, Lei Liu, Hao Wu, and Yimeng Song
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 3273–3289, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3273-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3273-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
This study introduced an enhanced space–time extremely randomized trees (STET) approach to improve the 1 km resolution ground-level PM2.5 estimates across China using the remote sensing technology. The STET model shows high accuracy and strong predictive power and appears to outperform most models reported by previous studies. Thus, it is of great importance for future air pollution studies at medium- or small-scale areas and will be applied to generate the historical PM2.5 dataset across China.
Khalid Mehmood, Yujie Wu, Liqiang Wang, Shaocai Yu, Pengfei Li, Xue Chen, Zhen Li, Yibo Zhang, Mengying Li, Weiping Liu, Yuesi Wang, Zirui Liu, Yannian Zhu, Daniel Rosenfeld, and John H. Seinfeld
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 2419–2443, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2419-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2419-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We selected June 2014 as our study period, which exhibited a complete evolution process of open biomass burning (OBB) dominated by open crop straw burning (OCSB) over central and eastern China (CEC). We established a constraining method that integrates ground-based PM2.5 measurements with the two-way coupled WRF-CMAQ model to derive optimal OBB emissions. It was found that these emissions could allow the model to reproduce meteorological and chemical fields over CEC during the study period.
Fan Mei, Jian Wang, Jennifer M. Comstock, Ralf Weigel, Martina Krämer, Christoph Mahnke, John E. Shilling, Johannes Schneider, Christiane Schulz, Charles N. Long, Manfred Wendisch, Luiz A. T. Machado, Beat Schmid, Trismono Krisna, Mikhail Pekour, John Hubbe, Andreas Giez, Bernadett Weinzierl, Martin Zoeger, Mira L. Pöhlker, Hans Schlager, Micael A. Cecchini, Meinrat O. Andreae, Scot T. Martin, Suzane S. de Sá, Jiwen Fan, Jason Tomlinson, Stephen Springston, Ulrich Pöschl, Paulo Artaxo, Christopher Pöhlker, Thomas Klimach, Andreas Minikin, Armin Afchine, and Stephan Borrmann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 661–684, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-661-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-661-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
In 2014, the US DOE G1 aircraft and the German HALO aircraft overflew the Amazon basin to study how aerosols influence cloud cycles under a clean condition and around a tropical megacity. This paper describes how to meaningfully compare similar measurements from two research aircraft and identify the potential measurement issue. We also discuss the uncertainty range for each measurement for further usage in model evaluation and satellite data validation.
Pascal Polonik, Christoph Knote, Tobias Zinner, Florian Ewald, Tobias Kölling, Bernhard Mayer, Meinrat O. Andreae, Tina Jurkat-Witschas, Thomas Klimach, Christoph Mahnke, Sergej Molleker, Christopher Pöhlker, Mira L. Pöhlker, Ulrich Pöschl, Daniel Rosenfeld, Christiane Voigt, Ralf Weigel, and Manfred Wendisch
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 1591–1605, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-1591-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-1591-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
A realistic representation of cloud–aerosol interactions is central to accurate climate projections. Here we combine observations collected during the ACRIDICON-CHUVA campaign with chemistry-transport simulations to evaluate the model’s ability to represent the indirect effects of biomass burning aerosol on cloud microphysics. We find an upper limit for the model sensitivity on cloud condensation nuclei concentrations well below the levels reached during the burning season in the Amazon Basin.
Xinxin Fan, Jieyao Liu, Fang Zhang, Lu Chen, Don Collins, Weiqi Xu, Xiaoai Jin, Jingye Ren, Yuying Wang, Hao Wu, Shangze Li, Yele Sun, and Zhanqing Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 915–929, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-915-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-915-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Aerosol effects on visibility and climate are influenced by their hygroscopicity. By contrasting data from two techniques between summer and winter in Beijing, we investigate the effect of aerosol aging, mixing state, and local sources on its hygroscopicity. We revealed that inappropriate use of the density of BC and organics results in large uncertainty in calculating aerosols hygroscopicity. Our results are helpful for parameterization in models.
Xiaoai Jin, Yuying Wang, Zhanqing Li, Fang Zhang, Weiqi Xu, Yele Sun, Xinxin Fan, Guangyu Chen, Hao Wu, Jingye Ren, Qiuyan Wang, and Maureen Cribb
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 901–914, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-901-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-901-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
In this study the aerosol liquid water content (ALWC) is determined from aerosol hygroscopic growth factor (GF) measurement (ALWCHTDMA) and also simulated by the ISORROPIA II thermodynamic model (ALWCISO). We found that ALWC contributed by organics (ALWCOrg) accounts for 30 % ± 22 % of the total ALWC in winter in Beijing. A case study reveals that ALWCOrg plays an important role in the formation of secondary aerosols through multiphase reactions at the initial stage of a heavy-haze episode.
Fei Wang, Zhanqing Li, Qi Jiang, Gaili Wang, Shuo Jia, Jing Duan, and Yuquan Zhou
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 14967–14977, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-14967-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-14967-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Though many laboratory, modeling, and field experimental studies on cloud seeding have been conducted for more than a half-century, assessing the effectiveness of cloud seeding is still very challenging due to the notorious difficulties in gaining convincing scientific evidences. The goals of this study are to evaluate any consequence of aircraft hygroscopic seeding and to develop a feasible method for analyzing the cloud seeding effect for stratocumulus clouds.
Jianjun Liu and Zhanqing Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 9515–9529, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-9515-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-9515-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This study uses the data collected during the TCAP field campaign to investigate the aerosol properties and the influence of aerosol loading and composition on low-warm-cloud development and microphysical properties. The results indicated that the aerosols significantly weaken the dependence of cloud development on thermodynamic conditions. Aerosol first indirect effects estimated for aerosols with a low mass of organics were larger than those for aerosols with a high mass of organics.
Ann M. Fridlind, Marcus van Lier-Walqui, Scott Collis, Scott E. Giangrande, Robert C. Jackson, Xiaowen Li, Toshihisa Matsui, Richard Orville, Mark H. Picel, Daniel Rosenfeld, Alexander Ryzhkov, Richard Weitz, and Pengfei Zhang
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 2979–3000, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-2979-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-2979-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Weather radars are offering improved capabilities to investigate storm physics, which remain poorly understood. We investigate enhanced use of such data near Houston, Texas, where pollution sources often provide a convenient contrast between polluted and clean air. We conclude that Houston is a favorable location to conduct a future field campaign during June through September because isolated storms are common and tend to last an hour, allowing frequent observations of a full life cycle.
Yang Wang, Steffen Dörner, Sebastian Donner, Sebastian Böhnke, Isabelle De Smedt, Russell R. Dickerson, Zipeng Dong, Hao He, Zhanqing Li, Zhengqiang Li, Donghui Li, Dong Liu, Xinrong Ren, Nicolas Theys, Yuying Wang, Yang Wang, Zhenzhu Wang, Hua Xu, Jiwei Xu, and Thomas Wagner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 5417–5449, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-5417-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-5417-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
A MAX-DOAS instrument was operated to derive tropospheric vertical profiles of NO2, SO2, HONO, HCHO, CHOCHO and aerosols in the central western North China Plain in May and June 2016. The MAX-DOAS results are verified by comparisons with a collocated Raman lidar, overpass aircraft measurements, a sun photometer and in situ measurements. The contributions of regional transports and local emissions to the pollutants are evaluated based on case studies and statistic analysis.
Hao He, Xinrong Ren, Sarah E. Benish, Zhanqing Li, Fei Wang, Yuying Wang, Timothy P. Canty, Xiaobo Dong, Feng Lv, Yongtao Hu, Tong Zhu, and Russell R. Dickerson
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2019-248, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2019-248, 2019
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
We conducted aircraft measurements of air pollution in the North China Plain. Concentrations of air pollutants higher than the air quality standards were observed. Our modeling study indicates that the rate of ozone (one major air pollutant) production is determined by volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which is confirmed by satellite observations. Currently, VOCs are not well regulated in China, so this study suggests the future direction of control measures to improve air quality in China.
Cheng Yuan, William K. M. Lau, Zhanqing Li, and Maureen Cribb
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 1901–1913, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-1901-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-1901-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Using MERRA-2 reanalysis daily data from 2001 to 2015, we found that during strong South Asian summer monsoon years, the Asian monsoon anticyclone is more expansive and shifted northward. All the CO, carbonaceous aerosols and dust are found to be more abundant in the Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer (ATAL). ATAL trends are associated with increasing strength of the AMA, with earlier and enhanced vertical transport of ATAL constituents by enhanced overshooting convection over the transport regions.
Jun Chen, Zhanqing Li, Min Lv, Yuying Wang, Wei Wang, Yingjie Zhang, Haofei Wang, Xing Yan, Yele Sun, and Maureen Cribb
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 1327–1342, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-1327-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-1327-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The hygroscopic growth function of aerosol particles is derived from Raman lidar, whose dependence on aerosol chemical composition is investigated using data from an aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM) and a hygroscopic tandem differential mobility analyzer (H-TDMA) deployed in China. Two distinct cases were chosen with marked differences in their hygroscopic growth, which was fitted by the Kasten model. The differences were attributed to different amounts of chemical species.
Tianning Su, Zhanqing Li, and Ralph Kahn
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 15921–15935, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-15921-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-15921-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Surface particulate concentration has often been estimated from column-integrated aerosol optical depth (AOD). Their relationship is affected by various factors, such as the planetary layer height, meteorology (atmospheric stability, wind, relative humidity, etc.), and topography, which are investigated thoroughly using a combination of ~1500 surface station datasets, two ground-based lidars, and CALIPSO space-based lidar measurements made across China. Improved estimation of PM2.5 is achieved.
Yingjie Zhang, Wei Du, Yuying Wang, Qingqing Wang, Haofei Wang, Haitao Zheng, Fang Zhang, Hongrong Shi, Yuxuan Bian, Yongxiang Han, Pingqing Fu, Francesco Canonaco, André S. H. Prévôt, Tong Zhu, Pucai Wang, Zhanqing Li, and Yele Sun
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 14637–14651, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14637-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14637-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We have a comprehensive characterization of aerosol chemistry and particle growth events at a downwind site of a highly polluted city in the North China Plain. Aerosol particles at the urban downwind site were highly aged and mainly from secondary formation. New particle growth events were also frequently observed on both clean and polluted days. While both sulfate and SOA played important roles in particle growth during clean periods, SOA was more important than sulfate during polluted events.
Jianping Guo, Huan Liu, Zhanqing Li, Daniel Rosenfeld, Mengjiao Jiang, Weixin Xu, Jonathan H. Jiang, Jing He, Dandan Chen, Min Min, and Panmao Zhai
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 13329–13343, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-13329-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-13329-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Objective analysis has been used to discriminate between the local- and synoptic-scale precipitations based on wind and pressure fields at 500 hPa. Aerosol is found to be linked with changes in the vertical structure of precipitation, depending on precipitation regimes. There has been some success in separating aerosol and meteorological influences on precipitation.
Qianqian Wang, Zhanqing Li, Jianping Guo, Chuanfeng Zhao, and Maureen Cribb
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 12797–12816, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-12797-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-12797-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Based on 11-year data of lightning flashes, aerosol optical depth (AOD) and composion, and meteorological variables, we investigated the roles of aerosol and meteorological variables in lightning. Pronounced differences in lightning were found between clean and polluted conditions. Systematic changes of boomerang shape were found in lightning frequency with AOD, with a turning point around AOD = 0.3, beyond which lightning activity is saturated for smoke aerosols but always suppressed by dust.
Matthew Gibbons, Qilong Min, and Jiwen Fan
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 12161–12184, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-12161-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-12161-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The effects of dust aerosols on ice formation within a tropical Atlantic thunderstorm system were investigated using a 3-D weather model and compared with observations. Updated ice formation mechanisms directly connect available dust particles with ice particle formation. The resulting clouds were lower and narrower and produced less rain at the surface compared to cleaner conditions, due to ice formation occurring at warmer temperatures. These results agree well with observed changes.
Yuying Wang, Zhanqing Li, Yingjie Zhang, Wei Du, Fang Zhang, Haobo Tan, Hanbing Xu, Tianyi Fan, Xiaoai Jin, Xinxin Fan, Zipeng Dong, Qiuyan Wang, and Yele Sun
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 11739–11752, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11739-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11739-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Very different aerosol hygroscopicities and mixing states were found at these sites in the North China Plain. The PDF for 40–200 nm particles showed the particles were highly aged and internally mixed at Xingtai because of high pollution and strong photochemical reactions. A good proxy for the chemical comical composition (kappa = 0.31) in calculating CCN concentration was found. Importantly, our study investigated the influence of industrial emissions on the aerosol properties.
Fei Wang, Zhanqing Li, Xinrong Ren, Qi Jiang, Hao He, Russell R. Dickerson, Xiaobo Dong, and Feng Lv
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 8995–9010, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-8995-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-8995-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Aerosol optical profiles are characterized for the first time over the North China Plain by aircraft measurements. Statistical summaries of the vertical distributions of aerosol optical properties focused on four target areas in the NCP region. Three typical PBL structures were found and the aerosol scattering coefficients showed different correlations with ambient RH during the field campaign. The air mass back trajectories of three PBL structures were also discussed.
Jingye Ren, Fang Zhang, Yuying Wang, Don Collins, Xinxin Fan, Xiaoai Jin, Weiqi Xu, Yele Sun, Maureen Cribb, and Zhanqing Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 6907–6921, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-6907-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-6907-2018, 2018
Luiz A. T. Machado, Alan J. P. Calheiros, Thiago Biscaro, Scott Giangrande, Maria A. F. Silva Dias, Micael A. Cecchini, Rachel Albrecht, Meinrat O. Andreae, Wagner F. Araujo, Paulo Artaxo, Stephan Borrmann, Ramon Braga, Casey Burleyson, Cristiano W. Eichholz, Jiwen Fan, Zhe Feng, Gilberto F. Fisch, Michael P. Jensen, Scot T. Martin, Ulrich Pöschl, Christopher Pöhlker, Mira L. Pöhlker, Jean-François Ribaud, Daniel Rosenfeld, Jaci M. B. Saraiva, Courtney Schumacher, Ryan Thalman, David Walter, and Manfred Wendisch
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 6461–6482, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-6461-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-6461-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
This overview discuss the main precipitation processes and their sensitivities to environmental conditions in the Central Amazon Basin. It presents a review of the knowledge acquired about cloud processes and rainfall formation in Amazonas. In addition, this study provides a characterization of the seasonal variation and rainfall sensitivities to topography, surface cover, and aerosol concentration. Airplane measurements were evaluated to characterize and contrast cloud microphysical properties.
Jungbin Mok, Nickolay A. Krotkov, Omar Torres, Hiren Jethva, Zhanqing Li, Jhoon Kim, Ja-Ho Koo, Sujung Go, Hitoshi Irie, Gordon Labow, Thomas F. Eck, Brent N. Holben, Jay Herman, Robert P. Loughman, Elena Spinei, Seoung Soo Lee, Pradeep Khatri, and Monica Campanelli
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 2295–2311, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-2295-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-2295-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Measuring aerosol absorption from the shortest ultraviolet (UV) to the near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths is important for studies of climate, tropospheric photochemistry, human health, and agricultural productivity. We estimate the accuracy and demonstrate consistency of aerosol absorption retrievals from different instruments, after accounting for spectrally varying surface albedo and gaseous absorption.
Tianyi Fan, Xiaohong Liu, Po-Lun Ma, Qiang Zhang, Zhanqing Li, Yiquan Jiang, Fang Zhang, Chuanfeng Zhao, Xin Yang, Fang Wu, and Yuying Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 1395–1417, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-1395-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-1395-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We found that 22–28 % of the low AOD bias in eastern China simulated by the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 can be improved by using a new emission inventory. The concentrations of primary aerosols are closely related to the emission, while the seasonal variations of secondary aerosols depend more on atmospheric processes. This study highlights the importance of improving both the emission and atmospheric processes in modeling the atmospheric aerosols and their radiative effects.
Meinrat O. Andreae, Armin Afchine, Rachel Albrecht, Bruna Amorim Holanda, Paulo Artaxo, Henrique M. J. Barbosa, Stephan Borrmann, Micael A. Cecchini, Anja Costa, Maximilian Dollner, Daniel Fütterer, Emma Järvinen, Tina Jurkat, Thomas Klimach, Tobias Konemann, Christoph Knote, Martina Krämer, Trismono Krisna, Luiz A. T. Machado, Stephan Mertes, Andreas Minikin, Christopher Pöhlker, Mira L. Pöhlker, Ulrich Pöschl, Daniel Rosenfeld, Daniel Sauer, Hans Schlager, Martin Schnaiter, Johannes Schneider, Christiane Schulz, Antonio Spanu, Vinicius B. Sperling, Christiane Voigt, Adrian Walser, Jian Wang, Bernadett Weinzierl, Manfred Wendisch, and Helmut Ziereis
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 921–961, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-921-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-921-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We made airborne measurements of aerosol particle concentrations and properties over the Amazon Basin. We found extremely high concentrations of very small particles in the region between 8 and 14 km altitude all across the basin, which had been recently formed by gas-to-particle conversion at these altitudes. This makes the upper troposphere a very important source region of atmospheric particles with significant implications for the Earth's climate system.
Micael A. Cecchini, Luiz A. T. Machado, Manfred Wendisch, Anja Costa, Martina Krämer, Meinrat O. Andreae, Armin Afchine, Rachel I. Albrecht, Paulo Artaxo, Stephan Borrmann, Daniel Fütterer, Thomas Klimach, Christoph Mahnke, Scot T. Martin, Andreas Minikin, Sergej Molleker, Lianet H. Pardo, Christopher Pöhlker, Mira L. Pöhlker, Ulrich Pöschl, Daniel Rosenfeld, and Bernadett Weinzierl
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 14727–14746, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-14727-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-14727-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
This study introduces and explores the concept of gamma phase space. This space is able to represent all possible variations in the cloud droplet size distributions (DSDs). The methodology was applied to recent in situ aircraft measurements over the Amazon. It is shown that the phase space is able to represent several processes occurring in the clouds in a simple manner. The consequences for cloud studies, modeling, and the representation of the transition from warm to mixed phase are discussed.
Ramon Campos Braga, Daniel Rosenfeld, Ralf Weigel, Tina Jurkat, Meinrat O. Andreae, Manfred Wendisch, Ulrich Pöschl, Christiane Voigt, Christoph Mahnke, Stephan Borrmann, Rachel I. Albrecht, Sergej Molleker, Daniel A. Vila, Luiz A. T. Machado, and Lucas Grulich
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 14433–14456, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-14433-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-14433-2017, 2017
Mengjiao Jiang, Jinqin Feng, Zhanqing Li, Ruiyu Sun, Yu-Tai Hou, Yuejian Zhu, Bingcheng Wan, Jianping Guo, and Maureen Cribb
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 13967–13982, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-13967-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-13967-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Aerosol–cloud interactions have been recognized as playing an important role in precipitation. As a benchmark evaluation of model results that exclude aerosol effects, the operational precipitation forecast (before any aerosol effects included) is evaluated using multiple datasets with the goal of determining if there is any link between the model bias and aerosol loading. The forecast model overestimates light and underestimates heavy rain. Aerosols suppress light rain and enhance heavy rain.
Micael A. Cecchini, Luiz A. T. Machado, Meinrat O. Andreae, Scot T. Martin, Rachel I. Albrecht, Paulo Artaxo, Henrique M. J. Barbosa, Stephan Borrmann, Daniel Fütterer, Tina Jurkat, Christoph Mahnke, Andreas Minikin, Sergej Molleker, Mira L. Pöhlker, Ulrich Pöschl, Daniel Rosenfeld, Christiane Voigt, Bernadett Weinzierl, and Manfred Wendisch
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 10037–10050, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-10037-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-10037-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We study the effects of aerosol particles and updraft speed on the warm phase of Amazonian clouds. We expand the sensitivity analysis usually found in the literature by concomitantly considering cloud evolution and the effects on droplet size distribution (DSD) shape. The quantitative results show that particle concentration is the primary driver for the vertical profiles of effective diameter and droplet concentration in the warm phase of Amazonian convective clouds.
Kevin J. Sanchez, Gregory C. Roberts, Radiance Calmer, Keri Nicoll, Eyal Hashimshoni, Daniel Rosenfeld, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Jana Preissler, Darius Ceburnis, Colin O'Dowd, and Lynn M. Russell
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 9797–9814, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9797-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9797-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Unmanned aerial vehicles are equipped with meteorological sensors to measure cloud properties. The measurements are used to calculate the amount of solar radiation reflected by the clouds and compared to simulation results. The uncertainties related to radiative forcing in the simulations are from the lack of mixing in the boundary layer and mixing of dry air into the cloud top. Conservative variables are used to calculate the amount of air mixed into cloud top to minimize these uncertainties.
Evelyn Jäkel, Manfred Wendisch, Trismono C. Krisna, Florian Ewald, Tobias Kölling, Tina Jurkat, Christiane Voigt, Micael A. Cecchini, Luiz A. T. Machado, Armin Afchine, Anja Costa, Martina Krämer, Meinrat O. Andreae, Ulrich Pöschl, Daniel Rosenfeld, and Tianle Yuan
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 9049–9066, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9049-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9049-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Vertical profiles of the cloud particle phase state in tropical deep convective clouds (DCCs) were investigated using airborne imaging spectrometer measurements during the ACRIDICON-CHUVA campaign, which was conducted over the Brazilian rainforest in September 2014. A phase discrimination retrieval was applied to observations of clouds formed in different aerosol conditions. The profiles were compared to in situ and satellite measurements.
Zipeng Dong, Zhanqing Li, Xing Yu, Maureen Cribb, Xingmin Li, and Jin Dai
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 7997–8009, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7997-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7997-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Opposite trends in aerosol loading between the lower and upper planetary boundary layer are found on a wide range of timescales and from different types of data acquired by various platforms in China. The reversal trend is consistent with the strong vertical gradients in the aerosol-induced atmospheric heating rate that unevenly modifies the atmospheric temperature profile and alters the stability differently. The findings have multiple implications in understanding and combating air pollution.
Ramon Campos Braga, Daniel Rosenfeld, Ralf Weigel, Tina Jurkat, Meinrat O. Andreae, Manfred Wendisch, Mira L. Pöhlker, Thomas Klimach, Ulrich Pöschl, Christopher Pöhlker, Christiane Voigt, Christoph Mahnke, Stephan Borrmann, Rachel I. Albrecht, Sergej Molleker, Daniel A. Vila, Luiz A. T. Machado, and Paulo Artaxo
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 7365–7386, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7365-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7365-2017, 2017
Wei Du, Jian Zhao, Yuying Wang, Yingjie Zhang, Qingqing Wang, Weiqi Xu, Chen Chen, Tingting Han, Fang Zhang, Zhanqing Li, Pingqing Fu, Jie Li, Zifa Wang, and Yele Sun
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 6797–6811, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-6797-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-6797-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We conducted the first simultaneous measurements of size-resolved particle number concentrations at ground level and 260 m in urban Beijing. The vertical differences strongly depend on particle sizes, with accumulation-mode particles being highly correlated at the two heights. We further demonstrated that regional emission controls have a dominant impact on accumulation-mode particles, while the influences on Aitken particles were much smaller due to the enhanced NPF events.
Shi Zhong, Yun Qian, Chun Zhao, Ruby Leung, Hailong Wang, Ben Yang, Jiwen Fan, Huiping Yan, Xiu-Qun Yang, and Dongqing Liu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 5439–5457, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-5439-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-5439-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
An online climate–chemistry coupled model (WRF-Chem) is integrated for 5 years at cloud-permitting scale to quantify the impacts of urbanization-induced changes in land cover and pollutants emission on regional climate in the Yangtze River Delta region in eastern China. Urbanization over this region increases the frequency of extreme precipitation and heat wave in summer. The results could help China government in making policies in mitigating the environmental impact of urbanization.
Yuying Wang, Fang Zhang, Zhanqing Li, Haobo Tan, Hanbing Xu, Jingye Ren, Jian Zhao, Wei Du, and Yele Sun
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 5239–5251, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-5239-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-5239-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
A series of strict emission control measures were implemented in Beijing and the surrounding seven provinces to ensure good air quality during the 2015 China Victory Day parade, rendering a unique opportunity to investigate anthropogenic impact of aerosol properties. Submicron aerosol hygroscopicity and volatility were measured during and after the control period. By comparison we found aerosol particles became more hydrophobic and volatile due to the emission control measures.
Jian Zhao, Wei Du, Yingjie Zhang, Qingqing Wang, Chen Chen, Weiqi Xu, Tingting Han, Yuying Wang, Pingqing Fu, Zifa Wang, Zhanqing Li, and Yele Sun
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 3215–3232, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-3215-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-3215-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We conducted aerosol particle composition measurements at ground level and 260 m with two aerosol mass spectrometers in Beijing during the 2015 China Victory Day parade. Our results showed a stronger impact of emission controls on inorganic aerosol than OA. A larger decrease in more oxidized SOA than the less oxidized one during the control period was also observed. Our results indicate that emission controls and the changes in meteorological conditions have affected SOA formation mechanisms.
Yucong Miao, Jianping Guo, Shuhua Liu, Huan Liu, Zhanqing Li, Wanchun Zhang, and Panmao Zhai
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 3097–3110, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-3097-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-3097-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Three synoptic patterns associated with heavy aerosol pollution in Beijing were identified using an objective classification approach. Relationships between synoptic patterns, aerosol pollution, and boundary layer height in Beijing during summer were revealed as well. Further, factors/mechanisms leading to the low BLHs in Beijing were unraveled. The key findings have implications for understanding the crucial roles that meteorological factors play in forecasting aerosol pollution in Beijing.
Jiwen Fan, L. Ruby Leung, Daniel Rosenfeld, and Paul J. DeMott
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 1017–1035, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-1017-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-1017-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
How orographic mixed-phase clouds respond to changes in cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice nucleating particles (INPs) is highly uncertain. We conducted this study to improve understanding of these processes. We found a new mechanism through which CCN can invigorate orographic mixed-phase clouds and drastically intensify snow precipitation when CCN concentrations are high. Our findings have very important implications for orographic precipitation in polluted regions.
Jianping Guo, Yucong Miao, Yong Zhang, Huan Liu, Zhanqing Li, Wanchun Zhang, Jing He, Mengyun Lou, Yan Yan, Lingen Bian, and Panmao Zhai
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 13309–13319, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-13309-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-13309-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
The large-scale PBL climatology from sounding observations is still lacking in China. This work investigated the BLH characterization at diurnal, monthly and seasonal timescales throughout China, showing large geographic and meteorological dependences. BLH is, on average, negatively (positively) associated with the surface pressure and lower tropospheric stability (wind speed and temperature). Cloud tends to suppress the development of the PBL, which has implications for air quality forecasts.
Micael A. Cecchini, Luiz A. T. Machado, Jennifer M. Comstock, Fan Mei, Jian Wang, Jiwen Fan, Jason M. Tomlinson, Beat Schmid, Rachel Albrecht, Scot T. Martin, and Paulo Artaxo
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 7029–7041, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7029-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7029-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
This work focuses on the analysis of anthropogenic impacts on Amazonian clouds. The experiment was conducted around Manaus (Brazil), which is a city with 2 million inhabitants and is surrounded by the Amazon forest in every direction. The clouds that form over the pristine atmosphere of the forest are understood as the background clouds and the ones that form over the city pollution are the anthropogenically impacted ones. The paper analyses microphysical characteristics of both types of clouds.
Matthew Gibbons, Qilong Min, and Jiwen Fan
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2016-368, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2016-368, 2016
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
Observations suggest cloud systems evolve differently under dusty conditions compared to other aerosols. We have used numerical modeling to study one such case. Dust increases the formation of small sized ice in the mid-troposphere. This enhanced convective intensity, shifted precipitation top height to higher altitudes, and glaciated clouds at lower altitudes. Consistent with observations, average cloud height was lowered due to a greater number of heavy particles forming near the cloud tops.
Fang Zhang, Zhanqing Li, Yanan Li, Yele Sun, Zhenzhu Wang, Ping Li, Li Sun, Pucai Wang, Maureen Cribb, Chuanfeng Zhao, Tianyi Fan, Xin Yang, and Qingqing Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 5413–5425, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-5413-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-5413-2016, 2016
S. T. Martin, P. Artaxo, L. A. T. Machado, A. O. Manzi, R. A. F. Souza, C. Schumacher, J. Wang, M. O. Andreae, H. M. J. Barbosa, J. Fan, G. Fisch, A. H. Goldstein, A. Guenther, J. L. Jimenez, U. Pöschl, M. A. Silva Dias, J. N. Smith, and M. Wendisch
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 4785–4797, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-4785-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-4785-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
The Observations and Modeling of the Green Ocean Amazon (GoAmazon2014/5) Experiment took place in central Amazonia throughout 2014 and 2015. The experiment focused on the complex links among vegetation, atmospheric chemistry, and aerosol production on the one hand and their connections to aerosols, clouds, and precipitation on the other, especially when altered by urban pollution. This article serves as an introduction to the special issue of publications presenting findings of this experiment.
F. Zhang, Y. Li, Z. Li, L. Sun, R. Li, C. Zhao, P. Wang, Y. Sun, X. Liu, J. Li, P. Li, G. Ren, and T. Fan
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 13423–13437, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-13423-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-13423-2014, 2014
Short summary
Short summary
Atmospheric aerosol particles acting as CCN are pivotal elements of the hydrological cycle and climate change. In this study, we measured and characterized NCCN in relatively clean and polluted air during the AC3Exp campaign conducted at Xianghe, China, in summer 2013. We found that aerosol particle hygroscopicity and activation are more complex for heavy pollution particles because of the diversity in particle composition and mixing state. We have also shown the possibility of using bulk κc.
Hongru Yan, Zhanqing Li, Jianping Huang, Maureen Cribb, and Jianjun Liu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 7113–7124, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-7113-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-7113-2014, 2014
D. Rosenfeld, G. Liu, X. Yu, Y. Zhu, J. Dai, X. Xu, and Z. Yue
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 2479–2496, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-2479-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-2479-2014, 2014
Jianjun Liu and Zhanqing Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 471–483, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-471-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-471-2014, 2014
J. Fan, L. R. Leung, P. J. DeMott, J. M. Comstock, B. Singh, D. Rosenfeld, J. M. Tomlinson, A. White, K. A. Prather, P. Minnis, J. K. Ayers, and Q. Min
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 81–101, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-81-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-81-2014, 2014
T. Logan, B. Xi, X. Dong, Z. Li, and M. Cribb
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 2253–2265, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-2253-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-2253-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Subject: Clouds and Precipitation | Research Activity: Atmospheric Modelling and Data Analysis | Altitude Range: Troposphere | Science Focus: Physics (physical properties and processes)
High-resolution modeling of early contrail evolution from hydrogen-powered aircraft
Accelerated impact of airborne glaciogenic seeding of stratiform clouds by turbulence
Failed cyclogenesis of a mesoscale convective system near Cabo Verde: the role of the Saharan trade wind layer among other inhibiting factors observed during the CADDIWA field campaign
Sensitivities of simulated mixed-phase Arctic multilayer clouds to primary and secondary ice processes
Assessing glaciogenic seeding impacts in Australia's Snowy Mountains: an ensemble modeling approach
How the representation of microphysical processes affects tropical condensate in the global storm-resolving model ICON
Magnitude and timescale of liquid water path adjustments to cloud droplet number concentration perturbations for nocturnal non-precipitating marine stratocumulus
Cold pools mediate mesoscale adjustments of trade-cumulus fields to changes in cloud droplet number concentration
Numerical case study of the aerosol–cloud interactions in warm boundary layer clouds over the eastern North Atlantic with an interactive chemistry module
Influence of temperature and humidity on contrail formation regions in the general circulation model EMAC: a spring case study
On the impact of thunder on cloud ice crystals and droplets
Counteracting influences of gravitational settling modulate aerosol impacts on cloud-base-lowering fog characteristics
The critical number and size of precipitation embryos to accelerate warm rain initiation
Impact on the stratocumulus-to-cumulus transition of the interaction of cloud microphysics and macrophysics with large-scale circulation
Technical note: Phase space depiction of cloud condensation nuclei activation and cloud droplet diffusional growth
Impact of wildfire smoke on Arctic cirrus formation – Part 2: Simulation of MOSAiC 2019–2020 cases
Constraining aerosol–cloud adjustments by uniting surface observations with a perturbed parameter ensemble
Investigating ice formation pathways using a novel two-moment multi-class cloud microphysics scheme
Exploiting airborne far-infrared measurements to optimise an ice cloud retrieval
Microphysics regimes due to haze–cloud interactions: cloud oscillation and cloud collapse
Microphysical fingerprints in anvil cloud albedo
Influence of Secondary Ice Production on cloud and rain properties: Analysis of the HYMEX IOP7a Heavy Precipitation Event
Factors Causing Stratocumulus to Deviate from Subtropical High Variability on Seasonal to Interannual Timescales
The influence of Amazonian anthropogenic emissions on new particle formation, aerosol, cloud and surface rain
Impact of secondary ice production on thunderstorm electrification under different aerosol conditions
Tropical cirrus evolution in a km-scale model with improved ice microphysics
Model analysis of biases in the satellite-diagnosed aerosol effect on the cloud liquid water path
Impacts of aerosol-radiation and aerosol-cloud interactions on a short-term heavy rainfall event – A case study in the Guanzhong Basin, China
Evaluation of biases in mid-to-high-latitude surface snowfall and cloud phase in ERA5 and CMIP6 using satellite observations
Dynamical imprints on precipitation cluster statistics across a hierarchy of high-resolution simulations
Ice formation processes key in determining WCB outflow cirrus properties
Role of a key microphysical factor in mixed-phase stratocumulus clouds and their interactions with aerosols
Investigating the impact of subgrid-scale aerosol-cloud interaction on mesoscale meteorology prediction
Different responses of cold-air outbreak clouds to aerosol and ice production depending on cloud temperature
Identifying Synoptic Controls on Boundary Layer Thermodynamic and Cloud Properties in a Regional Forecast Model
Correction of ERA5 temperature and relative humidity biases by bivariate quantile mapping for contrail formation analysis
Can pollen affect precipitation?
Potential impacts of marine fuel regulations on an Arctic stratocumulus case and its radiative response
The subtleties of three-dimensional radiative effects in contrails and cirrus clouds
The impact of the mesh size and microphysics scheme on the representation of mid-level clouds in the ICON model in hilly and complex terrain
The role of ascent timescales for warm conveyor belt (WCB) moisture transport into the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS)
On the Processes Determining the Slope of Cloud-Water Adjustments in Non-Precipitating Stratocumulus
High sensitivity of simulated fog properties to parameterized aerosol activation in case studies from ParisFog
Adiabatic and radiative cooling are both important causes of aerosol activation in simulated fog events in Europe
Estimating the concentration of silver iodide needed to detect unambiguous signatures of glaciogenic cloud seeding
Ice-nucleating particle concentration impacts cloud properties over Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica, in COSMO-CLM2
Numerical simulation of aerosol concentration effects on cloud droplet size spectrum evolutions of warm stratiform clouds in Jiangxi, China
The impact of aerosol on cloud water: a heuristic perspective
The presence of clouds lowers climate sensitivity in the MPI-ESM1.2 climate model
Diurnal variation in an amplified canopy urban heat island during heat wave periods in the megacity of Beijing: roles of mountain–valley breeze and urban morphology
Annemarie Lottermoser and Simon Unterstrasser
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7903–7924, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7903-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7903-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Contrail cirrus significantly contributes to aviation's overall climate impact. As hydrogen combustion and fuel cell use are emerging technologies for aircraft propulsion, we simulated individual contrails from hydrogen propulsion during the first 6 min after exhaust emission, termed the vortex phase. The ice crystal loss during that stage is crucial, as the number of ice crystals has a large impact on the further evolution of contrails into contrail cirrus and their radiative forcing.
Meilian Chen, Xiaoqin Jing, Jiaojiao Li, Jing Yang, Xiaobo Dong, Bart Geerts, Yan Yin, Baojun Chen, Lulin Xue, Mengyu Huang, Ping Tian, and Shaofeng Hua
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7581–7596, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7581-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7581-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Several recent studies have reported complete cloud glaciation induced by airborne-based glaciogenic cloud seeding over plains. Since turbulence is an important factor to maintain clouds in a mixed phase, it is hypothesized that turbulence may have an impact on the seeding effect. This hypothesis is evident in the present study, which shows that turbulence can accelerate the impact of airborne glaciogenic seeding of stratiform clouds.
Guillaume Feger, Jean-Pierre Chaboureau, Thibaut Dauhut, Julien Delanoë, and Pierre Coutris
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7447–7465, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7447-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7447-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Saharan air at the trade wind layer, cold pools, and dry upper troposphere has these three main factors inhibiting the cyclogenesis of the Pierre Henri mesoscale convective system. The findings were obtained through observations made during two flights of the Clouds-Atmospheric Dynamics-Dust Interactions in West Africa (CADDIWA) campaign and a convection-permitting simulation run with the Meso-NH model. They provide new insights into the complex dynamics of cyclogenesis in the Cabo Verde region and challenge the existing model of the Saharan Air Layer (SAL).
Gabriella Wallentin, Annika Oertel, Luisa Ickes, Peggy Achtert, Matthias Tesche, and Corinna Hoose
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6607–6631, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6607-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6607-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Multilayer clouds are common in the Arctic but remain underrepresented. We use an atmospheric model to simulate multilayer cloud cases from the Arctic expedition MOSAiC 2019/2020. We find that it is complex to accurately model these cloud layers due to the lack of correct temperature profiles. The model also struggles to capture the observed cloud phase and the relative concentration of cloud droplets and cloud ice. We constrain our model to measured aerosols to mitigate this issue.
Sisi Chen, Lulin Xue, Sarah A. Tessendorf, Thomas Chubb, Andrew Peace, Suzanne Kenyon, Johanna Speirs, Jamie Wolff, and Bill Petzke
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6703–6724, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6703-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6703-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study aims to investigate how cloud seeding affects snowfall in Australia's Snowy Mountains. By running simulations with different setups, we found that seeding impact varies greatly with weather conditions. Seeding increased snow in stable weather but sometimes reduced it in stormy weather. This helps us to better understand when seeding works best to boost water supplies.
Ann Kristin Naumann, Monika Esch, and Bjorn Stevens
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6429–6444, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6429-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6429-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study explores how uncertainties in the representation of microphysical processes affect the tropical condensate distribution in the global storm-resolving model ICON. The results point to the importance of the fall speed of hydrometeor particles and to a simple relationship: the faster a condensate falls, the less there is of it. Implications for the energy balance and precipitation properties are discussed.
Yao-Sheng Chen, Prasanth Prabhakaran, Fabian Hoffmann, Jan Kazil, Takanobu Yamaguchi, and Graham Feingold
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6141–6159, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6141-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6141-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Injecting sea salt aerosols into marine stratiform clouds can distribute the cloud water over more droplets in smaller sizes. This process is expected to make the clouds brighter, allowing them to reflect more sunlight back to space. However, it may also cause the clouds to lose water over time, reducing their ability to reflect sunlight. We use a computer model to show that the loss of cloud water occurs relatively quickly and does not completely offset the initial brightening.
Pouriya Alinaghi, Fredrik Jansson, Daniel A. Blázquez, and Franziska Glassmeier
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6121–6139, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6121-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6121-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Shallow clouds in the trades are a major source of uncertainty in climate projections. These clouds organize into striking mesoscale patterns that are exactly what climate models lack. This study explores the origin of such patterns and investigates how variations in microscale properties control them. The importance of microscale effects is compared to that of large-scale forcing on the mesoscale organization of trade-cumulus fields.
Hsiang-He Lee, Xue Zheng, Shaoyue Qiu, and Yuan Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6069–6091, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6069-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6069-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The study investigates how aerosol–cloud interactions affect warm boundary layer stratiform clouds over the eastern North Atlantic. High-resolution weather model simulations reveal that non-rain clouds at the edge of cloud systems are prone to evaporation, leading to an aerosol drying effect and a transition of aerosols back to the accumulation mode for future activation. The study shows that this dynamic behavior is often not adequately represented in most previous prescribed-aerosol simulations.
Patrick Peter, Sigrun Matthes, Christine Frömming, Patrick Jöckel, Luca Bugliaro, Andreas Giez, Martina Krämer, and Volker Grewe
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5911–5934, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5911-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5911-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Our study examines how well the global climate model EMAC (ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry) predicts contrail formation by analysing temperature and humidity – two key factors for contrail development and persistence. The model underestimates temperature, leading to an overprediction of contrail formation and larger ice-supersaturated regions. Adjusting the model improves temperature accuracy but adds uncertainties. Better predictions of contrail formation areas can help optimise flight tracks to reduce aviation's climate effect.
Konstantinos Kourtidis, Stavros Stathopoulos, and Vassilis Amiridis
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5935–5946, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5935-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5935-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The sound of thunder induces mechanical effects on cloud droplets and ice particles, causing changes in their size distribution. A shock wave near the lightning channel causes extensive shattering of cloud particles. At a distance, the audio wave will cause agglomeration of particles. So, thunder may influence the rain generation process and the radiative properties of clouds. As global warming may influence the occurrence rate of lightning, a climate feedback may be induced by these mechanisms.
Nathan H. Pope and Adele L. Igel
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5433–5444, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5433-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5433-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We used an atmospheric model that simulates a single column to study the sensitivity of marine fog formed through the lowering of the base of a stratus cloud to meteorology and aerosols. We found that higher aerosol concentration reduces the likelihood and duration of fog but leads to denser fog. This overall trend was caused by multiple physical mechanisms depending on conditions.
Jung-Sub Lim, Yign Noh, Hyunho Lee, and Fabian Hoffmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5313–5329, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5313-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5313-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Rain formation in warm clouds begins when small droplets collide, but this process can be slow without larger droplets. We used simulations to explore the role of bigger droplets, known as precipitation embryos, in triggering rain. We found that they speed up rain only when their size and number exceed a critical threshold. This threshold becomes larger when collisions are naturally efficient, such as in clouds with broad droplet size distributions or strong turbulence.
Je-Yun Chun, Robert Wood, Peter N. Blossey, and Sarah J. Doherty
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5251–5271, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5251-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5251-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study explores how aerosols affect clouds transitioning from stratocumulus to cumulus along trade winds under varying atmospheric conditions. We found that aerosols typically reduce precipitation and raise cloud height, but their impact changes when subsidence changes by aerosol enhancement are considered. Our findings indicate that the cooling effect of aerosols might be overestimated if these atmospheric changes are not accounted for.
Wojciech W. Grabowski and Hanna Pawlowska
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 5273–5285, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5273-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5273-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
A simple diagram to depict cloud droplets' formation via the activation of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) as well as their subsequent growth and evaporation is presented.
Albert Ansmann, Cristofer Jimenez, Daniel A. Knopf, Johanna Roschke, Johannes Bühl, Kevin Ohneiser, and Ronny Engelmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4867–4884, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4867-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4867-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we focus on the potential impact of wildfire smoke on cirrus formation. Aerosol and cirrus observations with lidar and radar during the MOSAiC (Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) expedition, presented in the companion paper (Ansmann et al., 2025), are closely linked to comprehensive modeling of ice nucleation in cirrus evolution processes, presented in this article. A clear impact of wildfire smoke on cirrus formation was found.
August Mikkelsen, Daniel T. McCoy, Trude Eidhammer, Andrew Gettelman, Ci Song, Hamish Gordon, and Isabel L. McCoy
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4547–4570, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4547-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4547-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Whether increased aerosol increases or decreases liquid cloud mass has been a longstanding question. Observed correlations suggest that aerosols thin liquid cloud, but we are able to show that observations were consistent with an increase in liquid cloud in response to aerosols by leveraging a model where causality could be traced.
Tim Lüttmer, Peter Spichtinger, and Axel Seifert
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4505–4529, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4505-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4505-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate ice formation pathways in idealized convective clouds using a novel microphysics scheme that distinguishes between five ice classes each with their own unique formation mechanism. Ice crystals from rime splintering form the lowermost layer of ice crystals around the updraft core. The majority of ice crystals in the anvil of the convective cloud stems from frozen droplets. Ice stemming from homogeneous and deposition nucleation was only relevant in the overshoot.
Sanjeevani Panditharatne, Helen Brindley, Caroline Cox, Rui Song, Richard Siddans, Richard Bantges, Jonathan Murray, Stuart Fox, and Cathryn Fox
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-647, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-647, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Upwelling radiation with wavelengths between 15 and 100 microns is theorised to be highly sensitive to the properties of ice clouds, particularly the shape of the ice crystals. We exploit this sensitivity and perform the first retrieval of ice cloud properties using these wavelengths from an observation taken on an aircraft and evaluate it against measurements of the cloud’s properties.
Fan Yang, Hamed Fahandezh Sadi, Raymond A. Shaw, Fabian Hoffmann, Pei Hou, Aaron Wang, and Mikhail Ovchinnikov
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3785–3806, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3785-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3785-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Large-eddy simulations of a convection cloud chamber show two new microphysics regimes, cloud oscillation and cloud collapse, due to haze–cloud interactions. Our results suggest that haze particles and their interactions with cloud droplets should be considered especially in polluted conditions. To properly simulate haze–cloud interactions, we need to resolve droplet activation and deactivation processes, instead of using Twomey-type activation parameterization.
Declan L. Finney, Alan M. Blyth, Paul R. Field, Martin I. Daily, Benjamin J. Murray, Mengyu Sun, Paul J. Connolly, Zhiqiang Cui, and Steven Böing
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1227, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1227, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We present observation-informed modelling from the Deep Convective Microphysics Experiment to study how environmental conditions and cloud processes affect anvil cloud albedo and radiation. Aerosols influencing cloud droplets or influencing ice formation yield varying radiative effects. We introduce fingerprint metrics to discern these effects. Using detailed observations and modelling, we offer insights into high cloud radiative effects and feedbacks.
Pierre Grzegorczyk, Wolfram Wobrock, Aymeric Dziduch, and Céline Planche
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-819, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-819, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The impact of secondary ice production (SIP) on a HYMEX intense precipitation event is investigated using 3D bin microphysics. Including SIP improves agreement with in situ aircraft observations (ice crystal number concentration and supercooled drop number fraction), generates small ice crystals and redistributes condensed water mass toward smaller particle sizes. As these crystals melt, the liquid precipitation flux decreases, reducing total precipitation by 8 % and heavy rainfall by 20 %.
Hairu Ding, Bjorn Stevens, and Hauke Schmidt
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-876, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-876, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study examines the physical link between subtropical highs and stratocumulus variability. Using reanalysis data, we test two proposed pathways—one at the surface and one in the free troposphere—but find that neither is a dominant mechanism for stratocumulus variability on seasonal and interannual timescales. These results challenge the assumed influence of subtropical highs on stratocumulus and highlight the need for further research into lower tropospheric stability dynamics.
Xuemei Wang, Kenneth S. Carslaw, Daniel P. Grosvenor, and Hamish Gordon
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-132, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-132, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Anthropogenic emissions can influence aerosol particle number concentrations via new particle formation. Our model simulations predict around 10 % increase of the particle and cloud droplet number concentrations when doubling the emissions in the Manaus region in the Amazonian wet season. However, the corresponding changes in cloud water and rain mass are around 4 %. Such weak response implied that this convective environment is not sensitive to the localised anthropogenic emission changes here.
Shiye Huang, Jing Yang, Jiaojiao Li, Qian Chen, Qilin Zhang, and Fengxia Guo
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1831–1850, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1831-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1831-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Aerosol and secondary ice production are both vital to charge separation in thunderstorms, but the relative importance of different SIP processes to cloud electrification under different aerosol conditions is not well understood. In this study, we show in a clean environment, the shattering of freezing drops has the greatest effect on the charging rate, while in a polluted environment, both rime splintering and the shattering of freezing drops have a significant effect on cloud electrification.
Blaž Gasparini, Rachel Atlas, Aiko Voigt, Martina Krämer, and Peter N. Blossey
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-203, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-203, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Tropical cirrus clouds, especially their evolution, are poorly understood, contributing to uncertainty in climate projections. We address this by using novel tracers in a cloud-resolving model to track the life cycle of cirrus clouds, providing insights into cloud formation, ice crystal evolution, and radiative effects. We also improve the model's cloud microphysics with a simple, computationally efficient approach that can be applied to other models.
Harri Kokkola, Juha Tonttila, Silvia M. Calderón, Sami Romakkaniemi, Antti Lipponen, Aapo Peräkorpi, Tero Mielonen, Edward Gryspeerdt, Timo Henrik Virtanen, Pekka Kolmonen, and Antti Arola
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1533–1543, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1533-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1533-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding how atmospheric aerosols affect clouds is a scientific challenge. One question is how aerosols affects the amount of cloud water. We used a cloud-scale model to study these effects on marine clouds. The study showed that variations in cloud properties and instrument noise can cause bias in satellite-derived cloud water content. However, our results suggest that for similar weather conditions with well-defined aerosol concentrations, satellite data can reliably track these effects.
Naifang Bei, Bo Xiao, Ruonan Wang, Yuning Yang, Lang Liu, Yongming Han, and Guohui Li
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3558, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3558, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study uses a cloud-resolving model to examine how aerosols influence a mesoscale convective system (MCS) in central China via aerosol-radiation (ARIs) and aerosol-cloud interactions (ACIs). Without ARIs, added aerosols don’t significantly affect precipitation due to cloud competition for moisture. ARIs can stabilize or enhance convection. High aerosol levels lead to a combined ARI and ACI effect that greatly reduces precipitation.
Franziska Hellmuth, Tim Carlsen, Anne Sophie Daloz, Robert Oscar David, Haochi Che, and Trude Storelvmo
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1353–1383, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1353-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1353-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This article compares the occurrence of supercooled liquid-containing clouds (sLCCs) and their link to surface snowfall in CloudSat–CALIPSO, ERA5, and the CMIP6 models. Significant discrepancies were found, with ERA5 and CMIP6 consistently overestimating sLCC and snowfall frequency. This bias is likely due to cloud microphysics parameterization. This conclusion has implications for accurately representing cloud phase and snowfall in future climate projections.
Claudia Christine Stephan and Bjorn Stevens
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1209–1226, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1209-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1209-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Tropical precipitation cluster area and intensity distributions follow power laws, but the physical processes responsible for this behavior remain unknown. We analyze global simulations that realistically represent precipitation processes. We consider Earth-like planets as well as virtual planets to realize different types of large-scale dynamics. Our finding is that power laws in Earth’s precipitation cluster statistics stem from the robust power laws in Earth’s atmospheric wind field.
Tim Lüttmer, Annette Miltenberger, and Peter Spichtinger
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-185, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-185, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate ice formation pathways in a warm conveyor belt case study. We employ a multi-phase microphysics scheme that distinguishes between ice from different nucleation processes. Ice crystals in the cirrus outflow mostly stem from in-situ formation. Hence they were formed directly from the vapor phase. Sedimentational redistribution modulates cirrus properties and leads to a disagreement between cirrus origin classifications based on thermodynamic history and nucleation processes.
Seoung Soo Lee, Chang Hoon Jung, Jinho Choi, Young Jun Yoon, Junshik Um, Youtong Zheng, Jianping Guo, Manguttathil G. Manoj, Sang-Keun Song, and Kyung-Ja Ha
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 705–726, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-705-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-705-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study attempts to test a general factor that explains differences in the properties of different mixed-phase clouds using a modeling tool. Although this attempt is not to identify a factor that can perfectly explain and represent the properties of different mixed-phase clouds, we believe that this attempt acts as a valuable stepping stone towards a more complete, general way of using climate models to better predict climate change.
Wenjie Zhang, Hong Wang, Xiaoye Zhang, Yue Peng, Zhaodong Liu, Deying Wang, Da Zhang, Chen Han, Yang Zhao, Junting Zhong, Wenxing Jia, Huiqiong Ning, and Huizheng Che
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3677, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3677, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We implement a real-time subgrid-scale aerosol-cloud interaction (ACI) mechanism in a mesoscale atmospheric chemistry system and find that subgrid-scale ACI can improve meteorological factors predictions. This study demonstrates the importance of real-time subgrid-scale ACI to weather forecast and the necessity of multiscale ACI studies.
Xinyi Huang, Paul R. Field, Benjamin J. Murray, Daniel P. Grosvenor, Floortje van den Heuvel, and Kenneth S. Carslaw
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4070, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4070, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Cold-air outbreak (CAO) clouds play a vital role in climate prediction. This study explores the responses of CAO clouds to aerosols and ice production under different environmental conditions. We found that CAO cloud responses vary with cloud temperature and are strongly controlled by the liquid-ice partitioning in these clouds, suggesting the importance of good representations of cloud microphysics properties to predict the behaviours of CAO clouds in a warming climate.
Jordan Eissner, David Mechem, Yi Jin, Virendra Ghate, and James Booth
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3438, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3438, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Low-level clouds have important radiative feedbacks and can occur in a range of meteorological conditions, yet our knowledge and prediction of them are insufficient. We evaluate model forecasts of low-level cloud properties across a cold front and the associated environments that they form in. The model represents the meteorological conditions well and produces broken clouds behind the cold front in areas of strong surface forcing, large stability, and large-scale subsiding motion.
Kevin Wolf, Nicolas Bellouin, Olivier Boucher, Susanne Rohs, and Yun Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 157–181, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-157-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-157-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
ERA5 atmospheric reanalysis and airborne in situ observations from IAGOS are compared in terms of the representation of the contrail formation potential and the presence of supersaturation. Differences are traced back to biases in ERA5 relative humidity fields. Those biases are addressed by applying a quantile mapping technique that significantly improved contrail estimation based on post-processed ERA5 data.
Marje Prank, Juha Tonttila, Xiaoxia Shang, Sami Romakkaniemi, and Tomi Raatikainen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 183–197, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-183-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-183-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Large primary bioparticles such as pollen can be abundant in the atmosphere. In humid conditions pollen can rupture and release a large number of fine sub-pollen particles (SPPs). The paper investigates what kind of birch pollen concentrations are needed for the pollen and SPPs to start playing a noticeable role in cloud processes and alter precipitation formation. In the studied cases only the largest observed pollen concentrations were able to noticeably alter the precipitation formation.
Luís Filipe Escusa dos Santos, Hannah C. Frostenberg, Alejandro Baró Pérez, Annica M. L. Ekman, Luisa Ickes, and Erik S. Thomson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 119–142, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-119-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-119-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The Arctic is experiencing enhanced surface warming. The observed decline in Arctic sea-ice extent is projected to lead to an increase in Arctic shipping activity, which may lead to further climatic feedbacks. Using an atmospheric model and results from marine engine experiments that focused on fuel sulfur content reduction and exhaust wet scrubbing, we investigate how ship exhaust particles influence the properties of Arctic clouds. Implications for radiative surface processes are discussed.
Julie Carles, Nicolas Bellouin, Najda Villefranque, and Jean-Louis Dufresne
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3642, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3642, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Cirrus and contrails affect Earth’s energy balance with a lot of remaining uncertainty. The balance between solar and terrestrial radiation is delicate to calculate, and factors as cloud optical depth, shape, Sun position are crucial to estimate the effect of those clouds on radiation. Also, often neglected three dimensional paths of radiation, or 3D effects, may be important to account for at climatic scale.
Nadja Omanovic, Brigitta Goger, and Ulrike Lohmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 14145–14175, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-14145-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-14145-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We evaluated the numerical weather model ICON in two horizontal resolutions with two bulk microphysics schemes over hilly and complex terrain in Switzerland and Austria, respectively. We focused on the model's ability to simulate mid-level clouds in summer and winter. By combining observational data from two different field campaigns, we show that an increase in the horizontal resolution and a more advanced cloud microphysics scheme is strongly beneficial for cloud representation.
Cornelis Schwenk and Annette Miltenberger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 14073–14099, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-14073-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-14073-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Warm conveyor belts (WCBs) transport moisture into the upper atmosphere, where it acts as a greenhouse gas. This transport is not well understood, and the role of rapidly rising air is unclear. We simulate a WCB and look at fast- and slow-rising air to see how moisture is (differently) transported. We find that for fast-ascending air more ice particles reach higher into the atmosphere and that frozen cloud particles are removed differently than during slow ascent, which has more water vapour.
Fabian Hoffmann, Yao-Sheng Chen, and Graham Feingold
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3893, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3893, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Clouds reflect a substantial portion of the incoming solar radiation back into space. This capacity is determined by the number of cloud droplets, which in turn is influenced by the number of aerosol particles, forming the basis for aerosol-cloud-climate interactions. In this study, we use a simple mixed-layer approach to understand the effect of aerosol on cloud water in non-precipitating stratocumulus.
Pratapaditya Ghosh, Ian Boutle, Paul Field, Adrian Hill, Anthony Jones, Marie Mazoyer, Katherine J. Evans, Salil Mahajan, Hyun-Gyu Kang, Min Xu, Wei Zhang, Noah Asch, and Hamish Gordon
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3376, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3376, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We study aerosol-fog interactions near Paris using a weather and climate model with high spatial resolution. We show that our model can simulate fog lifecycle effectively. We find that the fog droplet number concentrations, the amount of liquid water in the fog, and the vertical structure of the fog are highly sensitive to the parameterization that simulates droplet formation and growth. The changes we propose could improve fog forecasts significantly without increasing computational costs.
Pratapaditya Ghosh, Ian Boutle, Paul Field, Adrian Hill, Marie Mazoyer, Katherine J. Evans, Salil Mahajan, Hyun-Gyu Kang, Min Xu, Wei Zhang, and Hamish Gordon
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3397, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3397, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We study the lifecycle of fog events in Europe using a weather and climate model. By incorporating droplet formation and growth driven by radiative cooling, our model better simulates the total liquid water in foggy atmospheric columns. We show that both adiabatic and radiative cooling play significant, often equally important roles in driving droplet formation and growth. We discuss strategies to address droplet number overpredictions, by improving model physics and addressing model artifacts.
Jing Yang, Jiaojiao Li, Meilian Chen, Xiaoqin Jing, Yan Yin, Bart Geerts, Zhien Wang, Yubao Liu, Baojun Chen, Shaofeng Hua, Hao Hu, Xiaobo Dong, Ping Tian, Qian Chen, and Yang Gao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 13833–13848, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13833-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13833-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Detecting unambiguous signatures is vital for examining cloud-seeding impacts, but often, seeding signatures are immersed in natural variability. In this study, reflectivity changes induced by glaciogenic seeding using different AgI concentrations are investigated under various conditions, and a method is developed to estimate the AgI concentration needed to detect unambiguous seeding signatures. The results aid in operational seeding-based decision-making regarding the amount of AgI dispersed.
Florian Sauerland, Niels Souverijns, Anna Possner, Heike Wex, Preben Van Overmeiren, Alexander Mangold, Kwinten Van Weverberg, and Nicole van Lipzig
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 13751–13768, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13751-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13751-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We use a regional climate model, COSMO-CLM², enhanced with a module resolving aerosol processes, to study Antarctic clouds. We prescribe different concentrations of ice-nucleating particles to our model to assess how these clouds respond to concentration changes, validating results with cloud and aerosol observations from the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica station. Our results show that aerosol–cloud interactions vary with temperature, providing valuable insights into Antarctic cloud dynamics.
Yi Li, Xiaoli Liu, and Hengjia Cai
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 13525–13540, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13525-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13525-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The influence of different aerosol modes on cloud processes remains controversial. We modified the aerosol spectra and concentrations to simulate a warm stratiform cloud process in Jiangxi, China, using the WRF-SBM scheme. Research shows that different aerosol spectra have diverse effects on cloud droplet spectra, cloud development, and the correlation between dispersion (ε) and cloud physics quantities. Compared to cloud droplet concentration, ε is more sensitive to the volume radius.
Fabian Hoffmann, Franziska Glassmeier, and Graham Feingold
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 13403–13412, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13403-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13403-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Clouds constitute a major cooling influence on Earth's climate system by reflecting a large fraction of the incident solar radiation back to space. This ability is controlled by the number of cloud droplets, which is governed by the number of aerosol particles in the atmosphere, laying the foundation for so-called aerosol–cloud–climate interactions. In this study, a simple model to understand the effect of aerosol on cloud water is developed and applied.
Andrea Mosso, Thomas Hocking, and Thorsten Mauritsen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 12793–12806, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12793-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12793-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Clouds play a crucial role in the Earth's energy balance, as they can either warm up or cool down the area they cover depending on their height and depth. They are expected to alter their behaviour under climate change, affecting the warming generated by greenhouse gases. This paper proposes a new method to estimate their overall effect on this warming by simulating a climate where clouds are transparent. Results show that with the model used, clouds have a stabilising effect on climate.
Tao Shi, Yuanjian Yang, Ping Qi, and Simone Lolli
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 12807–12822, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12807-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12807-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This paper explored the formation mechanisms of the amplified canopy urban heat island intensity (ΔCUHII) during heat wave (HW) periods in the megacity of Beijing from the perspectives of mountain–valley breeze and urban morphology. During the mountain breeze phase, high-rise buildings with lower sky view factors (SVFs) had a pronounced effect on the ΔCUHII. During the valley breeze phase, high-rise buildings exerted a dual influence on the ΔCUHII.
Cited articles
Alig, R. J., Kline, J. D., and Lichtenstein, M.: Urbanization on the US
landscape: looking ahead in the 21st century, Landscape Urban Plan., 69,
219–234, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2003.07.004, 2004.
Angevine, W. M., Tjernstrom, M., and Zagar, M.: Modeling of the coastal
boundary layer and pollutant transport in New England, J. Appl. Meteorol. Clim.,
45, 137–154, https://doi.org/10.1175/Jam2333.1, 2006.
Ashley, W. S., Bentley, M. L., and Stallins, J. A.: Urban-induced
thunderstorm modification in the Southeast United States, Climatic Change,
113, 481–498, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-011-0324-1, 2012.
Banta, R. M., Senff, C. J., Nielsen-Gammon, J., Darby, L. S., Ryerson, T.
B., Alvarez, R. J., Sandberg, S. R., Williams, E. J., and Trainer, M.: A bad
air day in Houston, B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 86, 657–669, https://doi.org/10.1175/Bams-86-5-657, 2005.
Bao, J. W., Michelson, S. A., McKeen, S. A., and Grell, G. A.:
Meteorological evaluation of a weather-chemistry forecasting model using
observations from the TEXAS AQS 2000 field experiment, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos.,
110, D21105, https://doi.org/10.1029/2004jd005024, 2005.
Bornstein, R. and Lin, Q. L.: Urban heat islands and summertime convective
thunderstorms in Atlanta: three case studies, Atmos. Environ., 34, 507–516,
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1352-2310(99)00374-X, 2000.
Caicedo, V., Rappenglueck, B., Cuchiara, G., Flynn, J., Ferrare, R.,
Scarino, A. J., Berkoff, T., Senff, C., Langford, A., and Lefer, B.: Bay
Breeze and Sea Breeze Circulation Impacts on the Planetary Boundary Layer
and Air Quality From an Observed and Modeled DISCOVER-AQ Texas Case Study, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 124, 7359–7378, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019jd030523, 2019.
Carrio, G. G., Cotton, W. R., and Cheng, W. Y. Y.: Urban growth and aerosol
effects on convection over Houston Part I: The August 2000 case, Atmos. Res.,
96, 560–574, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2010.01.005, 2010.
Chen, F., Miao, S. G., Tewari, M., Bao, J. W., and Kusaka, H.: A numerical
study of interactions between surface forcing and sea breeze circulations
and their effects on stagnation in the greater Houston area, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 116, D12105, https://doi.org/10.1029/2010jd015533, 2011.
Fan, J. W., Zhang, R. Y., Li, G. H., and Tao, W. K.: Effects of aerosols and
relative humidity on cumulus clouds, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 112, D14204, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006jd008136, 2007.
Fan, J. W., Leung, L. R., Li, Z. Q., Morrison, H., Chen, H. B., Zhou, Y. Q.,
Qian, Y., and Wang, Y.: Aerosol impacts on clouds and precipitation in
eastern China: Results from bin and bulk microphysics, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos.,
117, D00k36, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011jd016537, 2012.
Fan, J. W., Leung, L. R., Rosenfeld, D., Chen, Q., Li, Z. Q., Zhang, J. Q.,
and Yan, H. R.: Microphysical effects determine macrophysical response for
aerosol impacts on deep convective clouds, P. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, 110,
E4581–E4590, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1316830110, 2013.
Fan, J. W., Liu, Y. C., Xu, K. M., North, K., Collis, S., Dong, X. Q.,
Zhang, G. J., Chen, Q., Kollias, P., and Ghan, S. J.: Improving
representation of convective transport for scale-aware parameterization: 1.
Convection and cloud properties simulated with spectral bin and bulk
microphysics, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 120, 3485–3509, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014jd022142, 2015.
Fan, J. W., Wang, Y., Rosenfeld, D., and Liu, X. H.: Review of Aerosol-Cloud
Interactions: Mechanisms, Significance, and Challenges, J. Atmos. Sci., 73,
4221–4252, https://doi.org/10.1175/Jas-D-16-0037.1, 2016.
Fan, J. W., Han, B., Varble, A., Morrison, H., North, K., Kollias, P., Chen,
B. J., Dong, X. Q., Giangrande, S. E., Khain, A., Lin, Y., Mansell, E.,
Milbrandt, J. A., Stenz, R., Thompson, G., and Wang, Y.: Cloud-resolving
model intercomparison of an MC3E squall line case: Part I – Convective
updrafts, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 122, 9351–9378, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017jd026622,
2017.
Fan, J. W., Rosenfeld, D., Zhang, Y. W., Giangrande, S. E., Li, Z. Q.,
Machado, L. A. T., Martin, S. T., Yang, Y., Wang, J., Artaxo, P., Barbosa,
H. M. J., Braga, R. C., Comstock, J. M., Feng, Z., Gao, W. H., Gomes, H. B.,
Mei, F., Pohlker, C., Pohlker, M. L., Pöschl, U., and de Souza, R. A. F.: Substantial convection and precipitation enhancements by ultrafine aerosol
particles, Science, 359, 411–418, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aan8461, 2018.
Fast, J. D., Gustafson, W. I., Easter, R. C., Zaveri, R. A., Barnard, J. C.,
Chapman, E. G., Grell, G. A., and Peckham, S. E.: Evolution of ozone,
particulates, and aerosol direct radiative forcing in the vicinity of
Houston using a fully coupled meteorology-chemistry-aerosol model, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 111, D21305, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005jd006721, 2006.
Ganeshan, M., Murtugudde, R., and Imhoff, M. L.: A multi-city analysis of
the UHI-influence on warm season rainfall, Urban Climate, 6, 1–23, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2013.09.004, 2013.
Gao, W. H., Fan, J. W., Easter, R. C., Yang, Q., Zhao, C., and Ghan, S. J.:
Coupling spectral-bin cloud microphysics with the MOSAIC aerosol model in
WRF-Chem: Methodology and results for marine stratocumulus clouds, J. Adv.
Model. Earth Syst., 8, 1289–1309, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016ms000676, 2016.
Gelaro, R., McCarty, W., Suarez, M. J., Todling, R., Molod, A., Takacs, L.,
Randles, C. A., Darmenov, A., Bosilovich, M. G., Reichle, R., Wargan, K.,
Coy, L., Cullather, R., Draper, C., Akella, S., Buchard, V., Conaty, A., da
Silva, A. M., Gu, W., Kim, G. K., Koster, R., Lucchesi, R., Merkova, D.,
Nielsen, J. E., Partyka, G., Pawson, S., Putman, W., Rienecker, M.,
Schubert, S. D., Sienkiewicz, M., and Zhao, B.: The Modern-Era Retrospective
Analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2), J. Climate, 30,
5419–5454, https://doi.org/10.1175/Jcli-D-16-0758.1, 2017.
Grabowski, W. W. and Morrison, H.: Do ultrafine cloud condensation nuclei
invigorate deep convection?, J. Atmos. Sci., 77, 2567–2583, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-20-0012.1, 2020.
Greene, D. R. and Clark, R. A.: Vertically Integrated Liquid Water – New
Analysis Tool. Mon. Weather Rev. 100, 548–552, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1972)100<0548:VILWNA>2.3.CO;2, 1972.
Grell, G. A., Peckham, S. E., Schmitz, R., McKeen, S. A., Frost, G.,
Skamarock, W. C., and Eder, B.: Fully coupled “online” chemistry within the
WRF model, Atmos. Environ., 39, 6957–6975, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2005.04.027, 2005.
Guenther, A., Karl, T., Harley, P., Wiedinmyer, C., Palmer, P. I., and Geron, C.: Estimates of global terrestrial isoprene emissions using MEGAN (Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature), Atmos. Chem. Phys., 6, 3181–3210, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-6-3181-2006, 2006.
Haberlie, A. M., Ashley, W. S., and Pingel, T. J.: The effect of
urbanisation on the climatology of thunderstorm initiation, Q. J. Roy. Meteor.
Soc., 141, 663–675, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.2499, 2015.
Hu, J. X., Rosenfeld, D., Zrnic, D., Williams, E., Zhang, P. F., Snyder, J.
C., Ryzhkov, A., Hashimshoni, E., Zhang, R. Y., and Weitz, R.: Tracking and
characterization of convective cells through their maturation into
stratiform storm elements using polarimetric radar and lightning detection,
Atmos. Res., 226, 192–207, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2019.04.015, 2019a.
Hu, J. X., Rosenfeld, D., Ryzhkov, A., Zrnic, D., Williams, E., Zhang, P.
F., Snyder, J. C., Zhang, R. Y., and Weitz, R.: Polarimetric Radar
Convective Cell Tracking Reveals Large Sensitivity of Cloud Precipitation
and Electrification Properties to CCN, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 124,
12194–12205, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019jd030857, 2019b.
Hubbart, J. A., Kellner, E., Hooper, L., Lupo, A. R., Market, P. S., Guinan,
P. E., Stephan, K., Fox, N. I., and Svoma, B. M.: Localized Climate and
Surface Energy Flux Alterations across an Urban Gradient in the Central US,
Energies, 7, 1770–1791, https://doi.org/10.3390/en7031770, 2014.
Kar, S. K. and Liou, Y. A.: Influence of Land Use and Land Cover Change on
the Formation of Local Lightning, Remote Sens.-Basel, 11, 407, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11040407, 2019.
Khain, A., Pokrovsky, A., Pinsky, M., Seifert, A., and Phillips, V.:
Simulation of effects of atmospheric aerosols on deep turbulent convective
clouds using a spectral microphysics mixed-phase cumulus cloud model. Part I: Model description and possible applications, J. Atmos. Sci., 61, 2963–2982,
https://doi.org/10.1175/Jas-3350.1, 2004.
Khain, A. P., Phillips, V., Benmoshe, N., and Pokrovsky, A.: The role of small soluble aerosols in the microphysics of deep maritime clouds, J. Atmos. Sci., 69, 2787–2807, 2012.
Kingfield, D. M., Calhoun, K. M., and de Beurs, K. M.: Antenna structures and
cloud-to-ground lightning location: 1995–2015, Geophys. Res.
Lett., 44, 5203–5212, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017gl073449, 2017.
Kocen, M.: Observations of sea-breeze fronts along the houston gulf coast,
University of Houston, University of Houston libraries, 76 pp., available at:
http://hdl.handle.net/10657/864 (last access: 14 November 2020), 2013.
Korolev A. and Mazin, I.: Supersaturation of water vapor in clouds, J.
Atmos. Sci., 60, 2957–2974, 2003.
Lebo, Z.: A Numerical Investigation of the Potential Effects of
Aerosol-Induced Warming and Updraft Width and Slope on Updraft Intensity in
Deep Convective Clouds, J. Atmos. Sci., 75, 535–554, https://doi.org/10.1175/Jas-D-16-0368.1, 2018.
Lee, S. S., Kim, B.-G., Li, Z., Choi, Y.-S., Jung, C.-H., Um, J., Mok, J., and Seo, K.-H.: Aerosol as a potential factor to control the increasing torrential rain events in urban areas over the last decades, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 12531–12550, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-12531-2018, 2018.
Li, Z. Q., Wang, Y., Guo, J. P., Zhao, C. F., Cribb, M. C., Dong, X. Q.,
Fan, J. W., Gong, D. Y., Huang, J. P., Jiang, M. J., Jiang, Y. Q., Lee, S.
S., Li, H., Li, J. M., Liu, J. J., Qian, Y., Rosenfeld, D., Shan, S. Y.,
Sun, Y. L., Wang, H. J., Xin, J. Y., Yan, X., Yang, X., Yang, X. Q., Zhang,
F., and Zheng, Y. T.: East Asian Study of Tropospheric Aerosols and their
Impact on Regional Clouds, Precipitation, and Climate (EAST-AIR(CPC)), J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 124, 13026–13054, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019jd030758, 2019.
Liu, J. and Niyogi, D.: Meta-analysis of urbanization impact on rainfall
modification, Sci. Rep.-UK, 9, 7301, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-42494-2, 2019.
Morrison, H., Curry, J. A., and Khvorostyanov, V. I.: A new double-moment
microphysics parameterization for application in cloud and climate models.
Part I: Description, J. Atmos. Sci., 62, 1665–1677, https://doi.org/10.1175/Jas3446.1,
2005.
Niyogi, D., Holt, T., Zhong, S., Pyle, P. C., and Basara, J.: Urban and land
surface effects on the 30 July 2003 mesoscale convective system event
observed in the southern Great Plains, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 111, D19107,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2005jd006746, 2006.
Niyogi, D., Pyle, P., Lei, M., Arya, S. P., Kishtawal, C. M., Shepherd, M.,
Chen, F., and Wolfe, B.: Urban Modification of Thunderstorms: An
Observational Storm Climatology and Model Case Study for the Indianapolis
Urban Region, J. Appl. Meteorol. Clim., 50, 1129–1144, https://doi.org/10.1175/2010jamc1836.1, 2011.
Ochoa, C. A., Quintanar, A. I., Raga, G. B., and Baumgardner, D.: Changes in
Intense Precipitation Events in Mexico City, J. Hydrometeorol., 16, 1804–1820,
https://doi.org/10.1175/Jhm-D-14-0081.1, 2015.
Pinsky, M., Mazin, I. P., Korolev, A., and Khain, A. P.: Supersaturation and
diffusional droplet growth in liquid clouds, J. Atmos. Sci. 70, 2778–2793,
2013.
Rosenfeld, D., Lohmann, U., Raga, G. B., O'Dowd, C. D., Kulmala, M., Fuzzi,
S., Reissell, A., and Andreae, M. O.: Flood or drought: How do aerosols
affect precipitation?, Science, 321, 1309–1313, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1160606, 2008.
Rosenfeld, D., Andreae, M. O., Asmi, A., Chin, M., de Leeuw, G., Donovan, D. P., Kahn, R., Kinne, S., Kivekäs, N., Kulmala, M., Lau, W., Schmidt, K. S., Suni, T., Wagner, T., Wild, M., and Quaas, J.: Global observations of
aerosol-cloud-precipitation-climate interactions, Rev. Geophys., 52,
750–808, https://doi.org/10.1002/2013RG000441, 2014.
Ryu, Y. H., Smith, J. A., Bou-Zeid, E., and Baeck, M. L.: The Influence of
Land Surface Heterogeneities on Heavy Convective Rainfall in the
Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, Mon. Weather Rev., 144, 553–573, https://doi.org/10.1175/Mwr-D-15-0192.1, 2016.
Sarangi, C., Tripathi, S. N., Qian, Y., Kumar, S., and Leung, L. R.: Aerosol
and Urban Land Use Effect on Rainfall Around Cities in Indo-Gangetic Basin
From Observations and Cloud Resolving Model Simulations, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 123, 3645–3667, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017jd028004, 2018.
Schmid, P. E. and Niyogi, D.: Modeling Urban Precipitation Modification by
Spatially Heterogeneous Aerosols, J. Appl. Meteorol. Clim., 56, 2141–2153, https://doi.org/10.1175/Jamc-D-16-0320.1, 2017.
Sheffield, A. M., Saleeby, S. M., and van den Heever, S. C.: Aerosol-induced
mechanisms for cumulus congestus growth, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 120,
8941–8952, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015jd023743, 2015.
Shen, L. X., Zhao, C. F., Ma, Z. S., Li, Z. Q., Li, J. P., and Wang, K. C.:
Observed decrease of summer sea-land breeze in Shanghai from 1994 to 2014
and its association with urbanization, Atmos. Res., 227, 198–209, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2019.05.007, 2019.
Shepherd, J. M.: A review of current investigations of urban-induced
rainfall and recommmendations for the future, Earth Interact., 9, 1–27, https://doi.org/10.1175/EI156.1, 2005.
Shepherd, J. M., Pierce, H., and Negri, A. J.: Rainfall modification by
major urban areas: Observations from spaceborne rain radar on the TRMM
satellite, J. Appl. Meteorol., 41, 689–701, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(2002)041<0689:Rmbmua>2.0.Co;2, 2002.
Shepherd, J. M., Stallins, J. A., Jin, M., and Mote, T. L.: Urbanization: impacts on
clouds, precipitation, and lightning. Monograph on Urban Ecological
Ecosystems, edited by: Peterson, J. and Volder, A., American Society of
Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, 354 pp., https://doi.org/10.2134/agronmonogr55.c1, 2010.
Shimadera, H., Kondo, A., Shrestha, K. L., Kitaoka, K., and Inoue, Y.:
Numerical Evaluation of the Impact of Urbanization on Summertime
Precipitation in Osaka, Japan, Adv. Meteorol., 2015, 379361, https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/379361, 2015.
Skamarock, W. C., Klemp, J. B., Dudhia, J., Gill, D. O., Barker, D. M.,
Duda, M., Huang, X. Y., Wang, W., and Powers, J. G.: A description of the
advanced research WRF version 3, NCAR, Tech. Note, Mesoscale and Microscale
Meteorology Division, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder,
Colorado, USA, 2008.
Tao, W. K., Chen, J. P., Li, Z. Q., Wang, C., and Zhang, C. D.: Impact of
Aerosols on Convective Clouds and Precipitation, Rev. Geophys., 50, Rg2001,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2011rg000369, 2012.
Van Den Heever, S. C. and Cotton, W. R.: Urban aerosol impacts on downwind
convective storms, J. Appl. Meteorol. Clim., 46, 828–850, https://doi.org/10.1175/Jam2492.1, 2007.
Varble, A., Fridlind, A. M., Zipser, E. J., Ackerman, A. S., Chaboureau, J.
P., Fan, J. W., Hill, A., McFarlane, S. A., Pinty, J. P., and Shipway, B.:
Evaluation of cloud-resolving model intercomparison simulations using
TWP-ICE observations: Precipitation and cloud structure, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 116, D12206, https://doi.org/10.1029/2010jd015180, 2011.
Varble, A., Zipser, E. J., Fridlind, A. M., Zhu, P., Ackerman, A. S.,
Chaboureau, J. P., Fan, J. W., Hill, A., Shipway, B., and Williams, C.:
Evaluation of cloud-resolving and limited area model intercomparison
simulations using TWP-ICE observations: 2. Precipitation microphysics, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 119, 13919–13945, https://doi.org/10.1002/2013jd021372, 2014.
Wiedinmyer, C., Akagi, S. K., Yokelson, R. J., Emmons, L. K., Al-Saadi, J. A., Orlando, J. J., and Soja, A. J.: The Fire INventory from NCAR (FINN): a high resolution global model to estimate the emissions from open burning, Geosci. Model Dev., 4, 625–641, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-4-625-2011, 2011.
You, C., Fung, J. C. H., and Tse, W. P.: Response of the Sea Breeze to
Urbanization in the Pearl River Delta Region, J. Appl. Meteorol. Clim., 58,
1449–1463, https://doi.org/10.1175/Jamc-D-18-0081.1, 2019.
Zaveri, R. A., Easter, R. C., Fast, J. D., and Peters, L. K.: Model for
Simulating Aerosol Interactions and Chemistry (MOSAIC), J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos.,
113, D13204, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007jd008782, 2008.
Zhang, Y., Fan, J., Li, Z., and Rosenfeld, D.: Impacts of Cloud Microphysics Parameterizations on Simulated Aerosol–Cloud-Interactions for Deep Convective Clouds over Houston, Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2020-372, in review, 2020.
Zhong, S., Qian, Y., Zhao, C., Leung, R., and Yang, X. Q.: A case study of
urbanization impact on summer precipitation in the Greater Beijing
Metropolitan Area: Urban heat island versus aerosol effects, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 120, 10903–10914, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015jd023753, 2015.
Zhong, S., Qian, Y., Zhao, C., Leung, R., Wang, H., Yang, B., Fan, J., Yan, H., Yang, X.-Q., and Liu, D.: Urbanization-induced urban heat island and aerosol effects on climate extremes in the Yangtze River Delta region of China, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 5439–5457, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-5439-2017, 2017.
Short summary
We investigate the urbanization-induced land and aerosol impacts on convective clouds and precipitation over Houston. We find that Houston urbanization notably enhances storm intensity and precipitation, with the anthropogenic aerosol effect more significant. Urban land effect strengthens sea-breeze circulation, leading to a faster development of warm cloud into mixed-phase cloud and earlier rain. The anthropogenic aerosol effect accelerates the development of storms into deep convection.
We investigate the urbanization-induced land and aerosol impacts on convective clouds and...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint