Articles | Volume 25, issue 20
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-12955-2025
© Author(s) 2025. 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-25-12955-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
MOSAiC studies of long-lasting mixed-phase cloud events and analysis of the liquid-phase properties of Arctic clouds
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
Albert Ansmann
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
Kevin Ohneiser
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
Hannes Griesche
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
Ronny Engelmann
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
Martin Radenz
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
Julian Hofer
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
Dietrich Althausen
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
Daniel A. Knopf
School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
Sandro Dahlke
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, Germany
Johannes Bühl
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
Harz University of Applied Sciences, Wernigerode, Germany
Holger Baars
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
Patric Seifert
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
Ulla Wandinger
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
Data sets
Optical aerosol profiles from the Raman Lidar Polly-XT during MOSAiC Kevin Ohneiser et al. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.935539
Custom collection of categorize data from RV Polarstern between 11 Oct 2019 and 30 Sep 2020 Ronny Engelmann et al. https://doi.org/10.60656/00945b67503743f0
Initial radiosonde data from 2019-10 to 2020-09 during project MOSAiC Marion Maturilli et al. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.928656
Executive editor
Mixed phase clouds are difficult to model drivers of the climate system. This study presents novel, long-term observations of mixed-phase clouds in the Arctic using advanced remote sensing techniques, offering unprecedented insights into cloud microphysics and aerosol-cloud interactions. Leveraging the unique MOSAiC expedition measurements, for the first time, it provides height-resolved statistical analysis of mixed-phase cloud properties, with a particular focus on the characteristics of liquid phase clouds. The combination of novel lidar and radar retrieval techniques enables precise monitoring of phase transitions, ice formation via immersion freezing, and the influence of aerosol activation. Given the key role of mixed-phase cloud in regulating the Arctic energy balance and their significance in climate models, this study provides essential empirical data to help improve cloud representation and parameterizations. Based on these observations, the authors recommend to implement time-dependent parameterization schemes to properly account for the evolution of long-lasting mixed-phase cloud layers in models.
Mixed phase clouds are difficult to model drivers of the climate system. This study presents...
Short summary
We studied the water and ice phases of Arctic mixed-phase clouds (MPCs) using dual FOV polarization lidar and Doppler radar on board Polarstern during the MOSAiC expedition. Two long-lasting Arctic MPCs and year-round statistics show persistent droplet activation and dominant immersion freezing, indicating well-filled cloud condensation nuclei and ice-nucleating particle reservoirs. These findings help explain MPC longevity and may improve cloud life cycle representation in weather and climate models.
We studied the water and ice phases of Arctic mixed-phase clouds (MPCs) using dual FOV...
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