Tethered balloon-borne profile measurements of atmospheric properties in the cloudy atmospheric boundary layer over the Arctic sea ice during MOSAiC: Overview and first results

Journal Article · Fri Sep 23 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Elementa

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2021.000120· OSTI ID:2586505

Lonardi, Michael ^[1]; Pilz, Christian ^[2]; Akansu, Elisa F. ^[2]; Dahlke, Sandro ^[3]; Egerer, Ulrike ^[4]; Ehrlich, André ^[1]; Griesche, Hannes ^[2]; Heymsfield, Andrew J. ^[5]; Kirbus, Benjamin ^[1]; Schmitt, Carl G. ^[6]; Shupe, Matthew D. ^[7]; Siebert, Holger ^[2]; Wehner, Birgit ^[2]; Wendisch, Manfred ^[1]

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1. Leipzig University (Germany)
2. Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) (Germany)
3. Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam (Germany)
4. Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) (Germany); University of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
5. National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, CO (United States)
6. University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK (United States)
7. University of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO (United States)

The tethered balloon-borne measurement system BELUGA (Balloon-bornE moduLar Utility for profilinG the lower Atmosphere) was deployed over the Arctic sea ice for 4 weeks in summer 2020 as part of the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate expedition. Using BELUGA, vertical profiles of dynamic, thermodynamic, aerosol particle, cloud, radiation, and turbulence properties were measured from the ground up to a height of 1,500 m. BELUGA was operated during an anomalously warm period with frequent liquid water clouds and variable sea ice conditions. Three case studies of liquid water phase, single-layer clouds observed on 3 days (July 13, 23, and 24, 2020) are discussed to show the potential of the collected data set to comprehensively investigate cloud properties determining cloud evolution in the inner Arctic over sea ice. Simulated back-trajectories show that the observed clouds have evolved within 3 different air masses (“aged Arctic,” “advected over sea ice,” and “advected over open ocean”), which left distinct fingerprints in the cloud properties. Strong cloud top radiative cooling rates agree with simulated results of previous studies. The weak warming at cloud base is mostly driven by the vertical temperature profile between the surface and cloud base. In-cloud turbulence induced by the cloud top cooling was similar in strength compared to former studies. From the extent of the mixing layer, it is speculated that the overall cloud cooling is stronger and thus faster in the warm oceanic air mass. Larger aerosol particle number concentrations and larger sizes were observed in the air mass advected over the sea ice and in the air mass advected over the open ocean.

• Research Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: SC0021341
• OSTI ID: 2586505
• Journal Information: Elementa, Journal Name: Elementa Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 10; ISSN 2325-1026
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

Arctic
Atmospheric boundary layer
Cloud
MOSAiC
Profile
Tethered balloon