Articles | Volume 24, issue 24
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13935-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13935-2024
Research article
 | 
16 Dec 2024
Research article |  | 16 Dec 2024

How does riming influence the observed spatial variability of ice water in mixed-phase clouds?

Nina Maherndl, Manuel Moser, Imke Schirmacher, Aaron Bansemer, Johannes Lucke, Christiane Voigt, and Maximilian Maahn

Data sets

DLR in situ cloud measurements during HALO-(AC)3 Arctic airborne campaign M. Moser et al. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.963247

Nevzorov LWC and TWC data from the HALO-AC3 campaign in March and April 2022 J. Lucke et al. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.963628

Radar reflectivities at 94 GHz and microwave brightness temperature measurements at 89 GHz during the HALO-AC3 Arctic airborne campaign M. Mech et al. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.964977

Cloud mask and cloud top altitude from the AMALi airborne lidar on Polar 5 during HALO-AC3 in spring 2022 M. Mech et al. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.964985

Data set of simulated rimed aggregates for "A riming-dependent parameterization of scattering by snowflakes using the self-similar Rayleigh-Gans approximation" N. Maherndl et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7757034

ac3airborne M. Mech et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7305586

Model code and software

impacts_tools IMPACTS contributors https://github.com/joefinlon/impacts_tools

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Short summary
It is not clear why ice crystals in clouds occur in clusters. Here, airborne measurements of clouds in mid-latitudes and high latitudes are used to study the spatial variability of ice. Further, we investigate the influence of riming, which occurs when liquid droplets freeze onto ice crystals. We find that riming enhances the occurrence of ice clusters. In the Arctic, riming leads to ice clustering at spatial scales of 3–5 km. This is due to updrafts and not higher amounts of liquid water.
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