Articles | Volume 26, issue 21
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-15375-2026
© Author(s) 2026. 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-26-15375-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
03 Nov 2026
Research article |
| 03 Nov 2026
| 03 Nov 2026
A closed-to-open cell mixed-phase cloud transition observed over the Nordic Seas under high aerosol loading and strong surface fluxes
Samuel Ephraim
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Rosenstiel School, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Rosenstiel School, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
Aaron Bansemer
U.S. NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
Lintong Cai
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California at Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
Markus Petters
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California at Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
Elise Rosky
U.S. NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Jefferson R. Snider
Department of Atmospheric Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
Zhien Wang
School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA
Sarah Woods
U.S. NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
Kevin Barry
Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO, USA
Theresa Campos
U.S. NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
Owen Cruikshank
Department of Atmospheric Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
Sabine Eckhardt
Stiftelsen NILU, Kjeller, Norway
Nikolaos Evangeliou
Stiftelsen NILU, Kjeller, Norway
Romanos Foskinis
National Technical University of Athens, Zografou, Greece
Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Jeffrey R. French
Department of Atmospheric Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
Bart Geerts
Department of Atmospheric Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
Coltin Grasmick
Department of Atmospheric Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
Silvia Henning
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), Leipzig, Germany
Varun Kumar
Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Andreas Massling
Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Camille Mavis
Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO, USA
Greg M. McFarquhar
Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
Athanasios Nenes
Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Gunnar Noer
Met Norway, Bergen, Norway
Ryan Patnaude
U.S. NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO, USA
Russell Perkins
Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO, USA
Lise Lotte Sørensen
Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Henrik Skov
Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Tyler Tatro
Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Rosenstiel School, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
Florian Tornow
Center for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
Goddard Institute for Space Studies, NASA, New York, NY, USA
Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Short summary
The processes that establish how mixed-phase closed-cell clouds transition to open-cells are poorly known. First-of-its kind aircraft observations document such a transition in the presence of anomalously high aerosol concentrations, reducing the drop size thereby discouraging riming, over the Nordic Seas at cloud temperatures < −15 °C. Eventually, ice precipitation produces surface cold pools that appear to drive the convective transition, despite strong counteracting surface fluxes.
The processes that establish how mixed-phase closed-cell clouds transition to open-cells are...
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