How does the lifetime of detrained cirrus impact the high-cloud radiative effect in the tropics?

Horner, George; Gryspeerdt, Edward

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5617-2025

Articles | Volume 25, issue 11

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5617-2025

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

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5617-2025

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

Articles | Volume 25, issue 11

Research article

|

06 Jun 2025

Research article |

| 06 Jun 2025

How does the lifetime of detrained cirrus impact the high-cloud radiative effect in the tropics?

George Horner and Edward Gryspeerdt

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5617-2025-supplement

Data sets

International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Climate Data Record, H-Series W. Rossow et al. https://doi.org/10.7289/V5QZ281S

ERA5 hourly data on pressure levels from 1959 to present H. Hersbach et al. https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.bd0915c6

CERES and GEO-Enhanced TOA, Within-Atmosphere and Surface Fluxes, Clouds and Aerosols 1-Hourly Terra-Aqua Edition4A NASA/LARC/SD/ASDC https://doi.org/10.5067/TERRA+AQUA/CERES/SYN1DEG-1HOUR_L3.004A

Data for the plots in "How does the lifetime of detrained cirrus impact the high-cloud radiative effect in the tropics?" E. Gryspeerdt and G. Horner https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15495962

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Short summary

This work tracks the life cycle of thin cirrus clouds that flow out of tropical convective storms. These cirrus clouds are found to have a warming effect on the atmosphere over their whole lifetime. Thin cirrus that originate from land origin convection warm more than those of ocean origin. Moreover, if the lifetime of these cirrus clouds increase, the warming they exert over their whole lifetime also increases. These results help us understand how these clouds might change in a future climate.