Giant Cloud Condensation Nuclei enhanced Ice Sublimation Process: a potential mechanism in mixed-phase clouds

Ji, Denghui; Ritter, Christoph; Sun, Xiaoyu; Moser, Manuel; Voigt, Christiane; Palm, Mathias; Notholt, Justus

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-13037-2025

Articles | Volume 25, issue 20

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-13037-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-13037-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 25, issue 20

Research article

|

21 Oct 2025

Research article |

| 21 Oct 2025

Giant Cloud Condensation Nuclei enhanced Ice Sublimation Process: a potential mechanism in mixed-phase clouds

Denghui Ji, Christoph Ritter, Xiaoyu Sun, Manuel Moser, Christiane Voigt, Mathias Palm, and Justus Notholt

Data sets

DLR in-situ cloud measurements during AFLUX Arctic airborne campaign M. Moser and C. Voigt https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.940564

Collection of data sets for the Airborne measurements of radiative and turbulent FLUXes of energy and momentum in the Arctic boundary layer (AFLUX) campaign, carried out in spring 2019 northwest of Svalbard M. Mech et al. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.932294

Short summary

We discovered a process where large aerosols help small water droplets in Arctic clouds grow, even when conditions normally favor ice. Unlike the traditional view, this process may explain how liquid and ice can coexist in cold clouds. Based on theory and aircraft data, our findings provide new insight into the microphysics of mixed-phase clouds, which could improve understanding of how Arctic clouds affect climate.