Secondary ice production within shallow, mixed-phase clouds in cold air outbreaks over the Labrador Sea

Biggart, Michael; Choularton, Thomas W.; Gallagher, Martin W.; Bower, Keith N.; Lloyd, Gary; Connolly, Paul J.; Murray, Benjamin J.; Tarn, Mark D.; Raif, Erin N.; Abel, Steven J.

doi:10.5194/acp-26-13401-2026

Articles | Volume 26, issue 18

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-13401-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-13401-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 26, issue 18

Research article

|

24 Sep 2026

Research article |

| 24 Sep 2026

Secondary ice production within shallow, mixed-phase clouds in cold air outbreaks over the Labrador Sea

Michael Biggart, Thomas W. Choularton, Martin W. Gallagher, Keith N. Bower, Gary Lloyd, Paul J. Connolly, Benjamin J. Murray, Mark D. Tarn, Erin N. Raif, and Steven J. Abel

Data sets

M-Phase: in-situ airborne observations by the FAAM BAE-146 aircraft FAAM Airborne Laboratory and National Centre for Atmospheric Science http://catalogue.ceda.ac.uk/uuid/2040b17716fd49f2ac8b0b35c773d609

Ice-nucleating particle measurements from the M-Phase 2022 flight campaign Mark Tarn et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14781199

Short summary

Microphysical processes controlling the phase of mixed-phase clouds in cold air outbreaks (CAOs) are poorly represented by climate models. Of these, secondary ice production (SIP) is a major contributor to uncertainties in the mixed-phase cloud response to warming. We examine observations made in CAOs to understand which SIP processes are dominating and under which conditions. Our results inform future modelling, helping reduce radiative flux biases and uncertainties in climate sensitivity.