Articles | Volume 20, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2735-2020
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2735-2020
Research article
 | 
05 Mar 2020
Research article |  | 05 Mar 2020

The diurnal stratocumulus-to-cumulus transition over land in southern West Africa

Xabier Pedruzo-Bagazgoitia, Stephan R. de Roode, Bianca Adler, Karmen Babić, Cheikh Dione, Norbert Kalthoff, Fabienne Lohou, Marie Lothon, and Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano

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Cited articles

Ackerman, A. S., Kirkpatrick, M. P., Stevens, D. E., and Toon, O. B.: The impact of humidity above stratiform clouds on indirect aerosol climate forcing, Nature, 432, 1014–1017, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03174, 2004. a
Adler, B., Babić, K., Kalthoff, N., Lohou, F., Lothon, M., Dione, C., Pedruzo-Bagazgoitia, X., and Andersen, H.: Nocturnal low-level clouds in the atmospheric boundary layer over southern West Africa: an observation-based analysis of conditions and processes, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 663–681, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-663-2019, 2019. a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h
Babić, K., Adler, B., Kalthoff, N., Andersen, H., Dione, C., Lohou, F., Lothon, M., and Pedruzo-Bagazgoitia, X.: The observed diurnal cycle of low-level stratus clouds over southern West Africa: a case study, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 1281–1299, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-1281-2019, 2019. a, b, c, d, e, f
Bauer-Pfundstein, M. R. and Goersdorf, U.: Target separation and classification using cloud radar Doppler-spectra, in: Proceedings of the 33rd Intern. Conf. on Radar Meteorology, Vol. 11.B2, 1–8, Cairns, Australia, available at: https://ams.confex.com/ams/33Radar/techprogram/paper_123456.htm (last access: 2 March 2020), 2007. a
Bellon, G. and Stevens, B.: Using the Sensitivity of Large-Eddy Simulations to Evaluate Atmospheric Boundary Layer Models, J. Atmos. Sci., 69, 1582–1601, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-11-0160.1, 2012. a
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Using a high-resolution model we simulate the transition from night to day clouds on southern West Africa using observations from the DACCIWA project. We find that the radiative effects of clouds help mantain a thick cloud layer in the night, while the mixing of cloud air with air above during the day, aided by moisture and heat fluxes at the surface, thins this layer and promotes its transition to other clouds. The effect of changing wind with height accelerates the transition.
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