Articles | Volume 26, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-2465-2026
© 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-26-2465-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Low and consistent asymmetry parameters in Arctic and mid-latitude cirrus
Institute for Atmospheric and Environmental Research, University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany
Franz Martin Schnaiter
Institute for Atmospheric and Environmental Research, University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany
schnaiTEC GmbH, Wuppertal, Germany
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Marco Zanatta, Stephan Mertes, Olivier Jourdan, Regis Dupuy, Emma Järvinen, Martin Schnaiter, Oliver Eppers, Johannes Schneider, Zsófia Jurányi, and Andreas Herber
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Emma Järvinen, Franziska Nehlert, Guanglang Xu, Fritz Waitz, Guillaume Mioche, Regis Dupuy, Olivier Jourdan, and Martin Schnaiter
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Light-absorbing particles from combustion processes are important contributors to climate warming. Their highly variable spectral light absorption properties need to be monitored in the field. Commonly used methods show measurement artefacts that are difficult to correct. We introduce a new instrument that is based on the photoacoustic effect. Long-term operation in the Finnish Arctic demonstrates the applicability of the new instrument for unattended light absorption monitoring.
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Riming, i.e., the accretion of small droplets on the surface of ice particles via collision, is one of the major uncertainties in model prediction of mixed-phase clouds. We discuss the occurrence (up to 50% of particles) and aging of rimed ice particles and show correlations of the occurrence and the degree of riming with ambient meteorological parameters using data gathered by the Particle Habit Imaging and Polar Scattering (PHIPS) probe during three airborne in situ field campaigns.
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Janne Lampilahti, Hanna E. Manninen, Tuomo Nieminen, Sander Mirme, Mikael Ehn, Iida Pullinen, Katri Leino, Siegfried Schobesberger, Juha Kangasluoma, Jenni Kontkanen, Emma Järvinen, Riikka Väänänen, Taina Yli-Juuti, Radovan Krejci, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Janne Levula, Aadu Mirme, Stefano Decesari, Ralf Tillmann, Douglas R. Worsnop, Franz Rohrer, Astrid Kiendler-Scharr, Tuukka Petäjä, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Thomas F. Mentel, and Markku Kulmala
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 12649–12663, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12649-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12649-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We studied aerosol particle formation and growth in different parts of the planetary boundary layer at two different locations (Po Valley, Italy, and Hyytiälä, Finland). The observations consist of airborne measurements on board an instrumented Zeppelin and a small airplane combined with comprehensive ground-based measurements.
Fritz Waitz, Martin Schnaiter, Thomas Leisner, and Emma Järvinen
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 3049–3070, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-3049-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-3049-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
A major challenge in the observations of mixed-phase clouds remains the phase discrimination and sizing of cloud droplets and ice crystals, especially for particles with diameters smaller than 0.1 mm. Here, we present a new method to derive the phase and size of single cloud particles using their angular-light-scattering information. Comparisons with other in situ instruments in three case studies show good agreement.
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Short summary
Ice clouds in the Arctic and mid-latitudes were investigated using in situ aircraft observations combining single-particle imaging with simultaneous light-scattering measurements. The joint characterisation of ice particle size, shape, and optical response shows that these clouds reflect substantially more solar radiation than is typically represented in models. The observations provide an empirical basis for improving the physical realism of ice cloud optical properties in climate models.
Ice clouds in the Arctic and mid-latitudes were investigated using in situ aircraft observations...
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