Southern Ocean Low Cloud and Precipitation Phase Observed During the Macquarie Island Cloud and Radiation Experiment (MICRE)

Tansey, Emily; Marchand, Roger; Alexander, Simon P.; Klekociuk, Andrew R.; Protat, Alain

doi:10.1029/2023jd039205

Title: Southern Ocean Low Cloud and Precipitation Phase Observed During the Macquarie Island Cloud and Radiation Experiment (MICRE)

Journal Article · Tue Sep 05 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2023jd039205· OSTI ID:1997966

^[1];

^[2]; Klekociuk, Andrew R. ^[2];

^[3]

Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
Australian Antarctic Division, Hobart, TAS (Australia); University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS (Australia). Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies
Australian Antarctic Division, Hobart, TAS (Australia); Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne, VIC (Australia)

Abstract Shallow cloud decks residing in or near the boundary layer cover a large fraction of the Southern Ocean (SO) and play a major role in determining the amount of shortwave radiation reflected back to space from this region. In this article, we examine the macrophysical characteristics and thermodynamic phase of low clouds (tops <3 km) and precipitation using ground‐based ceilometer, depolarization lidar and vertically‐pointing W‐band radar measurements collected during the Macquarie Island Cloud and Radiation Experiment (MICRE) from April 2016 to March 2017. During MICRE, low clouds occurred ∼65% of the time on average (slightly more often in austral winter than summer). About 2/3 of low clouds were cold‐topped (temperatures ≤0°C). These were thicker and had higher bases on average than warm‐topped clouds. 83%–88% of cold‐topped low clouds were liquid phase at cloud base (depending on the season). The majority of low clouds had precipitation in the vertical range 150–250 m below cloud base, a significant fraction of which did not reach the surface. Phase characterization is limited to the period between April 2016 and November 2016. Small‐particle (low‐radar‐reflectivity) precipitation (which dominates precipitation occurrence) was mostly liquid below‐cloud, while large‐particle precipitation (which dominates total accumulation) was predominantly mixed/ambiguous or ice phase. Approximately 40% of cold‐topped clouds had mixed/ambiguous or ice phase precipitation below (with predominantly liquid phase cloud droplets at cloud base). Below‐cloud precipitation with radar reflectivity factors below about −10 dBZ were predominantly liquid, while reflectivity factors above about 0 dBZ were predominantly ice.

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Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Data Center

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0021341; NNX16AM05G; DE‐SC0016225

OSTI ID:: 1997966

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1998216

Journal Information:: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 128, Issue 17; ISSN 2169-897X

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
cloud phase
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Macquarie Island
remote sensing

Title: Southern Ocean Low Cloud and Precipitation Phase Observed During the Macquarie Island Cloud and Radiation Experiment (MICRE)

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