Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
ACP
Articles | Volume 25, issue 19
Articles | Volume 25, issue 19
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-12701-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-12701-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 25, issue 19
Research article
 | 
10 Oct 2025
Research article |  | 10 Oct 2025

Altitude-dependent formation of polar mesospheric clouds: charged nucleation and in situ ice growth on zonal and daily scales

Liang Zhang, Zhongfang Liu, and Brian Tinsley

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Short summary
Polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) reflect climate change and in turn influence mesospheric chemistry, but their ice formation remains unclear. We show that PMC height controls ice particle properties and propose a new formation mechanism involving charged meteoric smoke particle nucleation (CMN scheme). This scheme introduces the cold-trap effect for H2O redistribution, which are fundamentally bottom-up driven by upwelling. These findings provide new insights into PMC formation and water dynamics.
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