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Title: Long-lifetime ice particles in mixed-phase stratiform clouds: Quasi-steady and recycled growth

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JD023679· OSTI ID:1260876
 [1];  [2];  [1]
  1. Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States)
  2. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
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Lagrangian ice particle tracking is applied in both a 3-D time dependent velocity field produced by a Large Eddy Simulation cloud model and in a 2-D idealized field. It is found that more than 10% of ice particles have lifetimes longer than 1.5 hours, much longer than the large eddy turnover time or the time for a crystal to fall through the depth of a non-turbulent cloud. An analysis of trajectories in a 2-D idealized field shows that there are two types of long lifetime ice particles: quasi-steady and recycled growth. For quasi-steady growth, ice particles are suspended in the updraft velocity region for a long time. For recycled growth, ice particles are trapped in the large-eddy structures, and whether ice particles grow or evaporate depends on the ice relative humidity profile within the boundary layer. Some ice particles can grow after each cycle in the trapping region, until they are too large to be trapped, and thus have long lifetimes. Here, the relative contribution of the recycled ice particles to the cloud mean ice water content depends on both the dynamic and thermodynamic properties of the mixing layer. In particular, the total ice water content of a mixed phase cloud in a decoupled boundary layer can be much larger than that in a fully coupled boundary layer.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830; SC0006949
OSTI ID:
1260876
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-113366; KP1701000
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 120, Issue 22; ISSN 2169-897X
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 13 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (2)

Long-resident droplets at the stratocumulus top journal January 2016
Cloud droplet size distribution broadening during diffusional growth: ripening amplified by deactivation and reactivation journal January 2018

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Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ice particles
long lifetime
mixed‐phase clouds
recycle
quasi‐steady growth