Articles | Volume 22, issue 13
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8973-2022
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8973-2022
Research article
 | 
12 Jul 2022
Research article |  | 12 Jul 2022

Do Arctic mixed-phase clouds sometimes dissipate due to insufficient aerosol? Evidence from comparisons between observations and idealized simulations

Lucas J. Sterzinger, Joseph Sedlar, Heather Guy, Ryan R. Neely III, and Adele L. Igel

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Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
AR by Lucas Sterzinger on behalf of the Authors (28 Apr 2022)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (02 May 2022) by Johannes Quaas
RR by Anonymous Referee #2 (16 May 2022)
RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (23 May 2022)
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (24 May 2022) by Johannes Quaas
AR by Lucas Sterzinger on behalf of the Authors (31 May 2022)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (01 Jun 2022) by Johannes Quaas
AR by Lucas Sterzinger on behalf of the Authors (01 Jun 2022)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (02 Jun 2022) by Johannes Quaas
AR by Lucas Sterzinger on behalf of the Authors (02 Jun 2022)  Manuscript 
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Short summary
Aerosol particles are required for cloud droplets to form, and the Arctic atmosphere often has much fewer aerosols than at lower latitudes. In this study, we investigate whether aerosol concentrations can drop so low as to no longer support a cloud. We use observations to initialize idealized model simulations to investigate a worst-case scenario where all aerosol is removed from the environment instantaneously. We find that this mechanism is possible in two cases and is unlikely in the third.
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