Evaluation of four ground-based retrievals of cloud droplet number concentration in marine stratocumulus with aircraft in situ measurements

Zhang, Damao; Vogelmann, Andrew M.; Yang, Fan; Luke, Edward; Kollias, Pavlos; Wang, Zhien; Wu, Peng; Gustafson Jr., William I.; Mei, Fan; Glienke, Susanne; Tomlinson, Jason; Desai, Neel

doi:10.5194/amt-16-5827-2023

Title: Evaluation of four ground-based retrievals of cloud droplet number concentration in marine stratocumulus with aircraft in situ measurements

Journal Article · Wed Dec 06 00:00:00 EST 2023 · Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (Online)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5827-2023· OSTI ID:2228760

;

; Luke, Edward; Kollias, Pavlos; Wang, Zhien;

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Cloud droplet number concentration (N_d) is crucial for understanding aerosol–cloud interactions (ACI) and associated radiative effects. We present evaluations of four ground-based N_d retrievals based on comprehensive datasets from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Aerosol and Cloud Experiments in the Eastern North Atlantic (ACE-ENA) field campaign. The N_d retrieval methods use ARM ENA observatory ground-based remote sensing observations from a micropulse lidar, Raman lidar, cloud radar, and the ARM NDROP (Droplet Number Concentration) value-added product (VAP), all of which also retrieve cloud effective radius (r_e). The retrievals are compared against aircraft measurements from the fast cloud droplet probe (FCDP) and the cloud and aerosol spectrometer (CAS) obtained from low-level marine boundary layer clouds on 12 flight days during summer and winter seasons. Additionally, the in situ measurements are used to validate the assumptions and characterizations used in the retrieval algorithms. Statistical comparisons of the probability distribution function (PDF) of the N_d and cloud r_e retrievals with aircraft measurements demonstrate that these retrievals align well with in situ measurements for overcast clouds, but they may substantially differ for broken clouds or clouds with low liquid water path (LWP). The retrievals are applied to 4 years of ground-based remote sensing measurements of overcast marine boundary layer clouds at the ARM ENA observatory to find that N_d (r_e) values exhibit seasonal variations, with higher (lower) values during the summer season and lower (higher) values during the winter season. The ensemble of various retrievals using different measurements and retrieval algorithms such as those in this paper can help to quantify N_d retrieval uncertainties and identify reliable N_d retrieval scenarios. Of the retrieval methods, we recommend using the micropulse lidar-based method. This method has good agreement with in situ measurements, less sensitivity to issues arising from precipitation and low cloud LWP and/or optical depth, and broad applicability by functioning for both daytime and nighttime conditions.

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Research Organization:: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); 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); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF)

Contributing Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-76RL01830

OSTI ID:: 2228760

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2246725; OSTI ID: 2281203

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA-186894

Journal Information:: Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (Online), Journal Name: Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (Online) Vol. 16 Journal Issue: 23; ISSN 1867-8548

Publisher:: Copernicus GmbHCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: Germany

Language:: English

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