Scaling of drizzle virga depth with cloud thickness for marine stratocumulus clouds

Yang, Fan; Luke, Edward P.; Kollias, Pavlos; Kostinski, Alex B.; Vogelmann, Andrew M.

doi:10.1029/2018GL077145

Title: Scaling of drizzle virga depth with cloud thickness for marine stratocumulus clouds

Journal Article · 20 April 2018 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL077145 · OSTI ID:1433941

^[1]; Luke, Edward P. ^[1];

^[2];

^[3];

^[1]

Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States)
Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States)

Drizzle plays a crucial role in cloud lifetime and radiation properties of marine stratocumulus clouds. Understanding where drizzle exists in the sub-cloud layer, which depends on drizzle virga depth, can help us better understand where below-cloud scavenging and evaporative cooling and moisturizing occur. In this study, we examine the statistical properties of drizzle frequency and virga depth of marine stratocumulus based on unique ground-based remote sensing data. Results show that marine stratocumulus clouds are drizzling nearly all the time. In addition, we derive a simple scaling analysis between drizzle virga thickness and cloud thickness. Our analytical expression agrees with the observational data reasonable well, which suggests that our formula provides a simple parameterization for drizzle virga of stratocumulus clouds suitable for use in other models.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Cite

Export

Save

Research Organization:: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); National Science Foundation (NSF)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0012704; AGS-1639868

OSTI ID:: 1433941

Report Number(s):: BNL-203503-2018-JAAM

Journal Information:: Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 45, Issue 8; ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Citation Metrics:

Cited by: 17 works

Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (26)

Retrieving Stratocumulus Drizzle Parameters Using Doppler Radar and Lidar O’Connor, Ewan J.; Hogan, Robin J.; Illingworth, Anthony J. Journal of Applied Meteorology, Vol. 44, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1175/JAM-2181.1	journal	January 2005
Is Virga Rain That Evaporates before Reaching the Ground? Fraser, Alistair B.; Bohren, Craig F. Monthly Weather Review, Vol. 120, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1992)120<1565:IVRTEB>2.0.CO;2	journal	August 1992
Drizzle rates versus cloud depths for marine stratocumuli Kostinski, A. B. Environmental Research Letters, Vol. 3, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/3/4/045019	journal	October 2008
Marine Boundary Layer Cloud Observations in the Azores Rémillard, Jasmine; Kollias, Pavlos; Luke, Edward Journal of Climate, Vol. 25, Issue 21 https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-11-00610.1	journal	November 2012
Numerical simulations of stratocumulus processing of cloud condensation nuclei through collision-coalescence Feingold, Graham; Kreidenweis, Sonia M.; Stevens, Bjorn Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 101, Issue D16 https://doi.org/10.1029/96JD01552	journal	September 1996
Marine boundary layer drizzle properties and their impact on cloud property retrieval Wu, P.; Dong, X.; Xi, B. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, Vol. 8, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-3555-2015	journal	January 2015
A 19-Month Record of Marine Aerosol–Cloud–Radiation Properties Derived from DOE ARM Mobile Facility Deployment at the Azores. Part I: Cloud Fraction and Single-Layered MBL Cloud Properties Dong, Xiquan; Xi, Baike; Kennedy, Aaron Journal of Climate, Vol. 27, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-13-00553.1	journal	May 2014
Drizzle in Stratiform Boundary Layer Clouds. Part I: Vertical and Horizontal Structure Wood, R. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Vol. 62, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS3529.1	journal	September 2005
Cloud droplets to drizzle: Contribution of transition drops to microphysical and optical properties of marine stratocumulus clouds: Drizzlets in Stratocumulus Clouds Glienke, S.; Kostinski, A.; Fugal, J. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 44, Issue 15 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074430	journal	August 2017
The evaporation of raindrops Best, A. C. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, Vol. 78, Issue 336 https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.49707833608	journal	April 1952
Measurement of Stratus Cloud and Drizzle Parameters in ASTEX with a K _α -Band Doppler Radar and a Microwave Radiometer Frisch, A. S.; Fairall, C. W.; Snider, J. B. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Vol. 52, Issue 16 https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1995)052<2788:MOSCAD>2.0.CO;2	journal	August 1995
Stratocumulus Clouds Wood, Robert Monthly Weather Review, Vol. 140, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-11-00121.1	journal	August 2012
Separating Cloud and Drizzle Radar Moments during Precipitation Onset Using Doppler Spectra Luke, Edward P.; Kollias, Pavlos Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, Vol. 30, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-11-00195.1	journal	August 2013
The Impact of Giant Cloud Condensation Nuclei on Drizzle Formation in Stratocumulus: Implications for Cloud Radiative Properties Feingold, Graham; Cotton, William R.; Kreidenweis, Sonia M. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Vol. 56, Issue 24 https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1999)056<4100:TIOGCC>2.0.CO;2	journal	December 1999
Parameterization of the Evaporation of Rainfall for Use in General Circulation Models Feingold, Graham Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Vol. 50, Issue 20 https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1993)050<3454:POTEOR>2.0.CO;2	journal	October 1993
Stratocumulus to Cumulus Transition by Drizzle: STRATOCUMULUS TO CUMULUS BY DRIZZLE Yamaguchi, Takanobu; Feingold, Graham; Kazil, Jan Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, Vol. 9, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017MS001104	journal	October 2017
Precipitation-generated oscillations in open cellular cloud fields Feingold, Graham; Koren, Ilan; Wang, Hailong Nature, Vol. 466, Issue 7308 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09314	journal	August 2010
Modeling Mesoscale Cellular Structures and Drizzle in Marine Stratocumulus. Part I: Impact of Drizzle on the Formation and Evolution of Open Cells Wang, Hailong; Feingold, Graham Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Vol. 66, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1175/2009JAS3022.1	journal	November 2009
Aerosol Effects on Clouds, Precipitation, and the Organization of Shallow Cumulus Convection Xue, Huiwen; Feingold, Graham; Stevens, Bjorn Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Vol. 65, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1175/2007JAS2428.1	journal	February 2008
Climatology of drizzle in marine boundary layer clouds based on 1 year of data from CloudSat and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) Leon, David C.; Wang, Zhien; Liu, Dong Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 113 https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JD009835	journal	January 2008
Cloud radar Doppler spectra in drizzling stratiform clouds: 1. Forward modeling and remote sensing applications Kollias, Pavlos; Rémillard, Jasmine; Luke, Edward Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 116, Issue D13 https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JD015237	journal	January 2011
Cloud radar Doppler spectra in drizzling stratiform clouds: 2. Observations and microphysical modeling of drizzle evolution Kollias, Pavlos; Szyrmer, Wanda; Rémillard, Jasmine Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 116, Issue D13 https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JD015238	journal	January 2011
Physics and Chemistry of Clouds Lamb, Dennis; Verlinde, Johannes Cambridge University Press https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511976377	book	January 2011
Reflectivity and rain rate in and below drizzling stratocumulus Comstock, Kimberly K.; Wood, Robert; Yuter, Sandra E. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, Vol. 130, Issue 603 https://doi.org/10.1256/qj.03.187	journal	October 2004
Effects of environment forcing on marine boundary layer cloud-drizzle processes: MBL Cloud-Drizzle Processes Wu, Peng; Dong, Xiquan; Xi, Baike Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 122, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JD026326	journal	April 2017
Influences of drizzle on stratocumulus cloudiness and organization: Influences of Drizzle on Stratocumulus Zhou, Xiaoli; Heus, Thijs; Kollias, Pavlos Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 122, Issue 13 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JD026641	journal	July 2017

Cited By (4)

Midlatitude Oceanic Cloud and Precipitation Properties as Sampled by the ARM Eastern North Atlantic Observatory Giangrande, Scott E.; Wang, Die; Bartholomew, Mary Jane Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 124, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1029/2018jd029667	journal	April 2019
Characterization of shallow oceanic precipitation using profiling and scanning radar observations at the Eastern North Atlantic ARM observatory Lamer, Katia; Puigdomènech Treserras, Bernat; Zhu, Zeen Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, Vol. 12, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4931-2019	journal	January 2019
A new approach to estimate supersaturation fluctuations in stratocumulus cloud using ground-based remote-sensing measurements Yang, Fan; McGraw, Robert; Luke, Edward P. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, Vol. 12, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-5817-2019	journal	January 2019
Characterization of Shallow Oceanic Precipitation using Profiling and Scanning Radar Observations at the Eastern North Atlantic ARM Observatory Lamar, Katina; Treserras, Bernat Puigdomenech; Zhu, Zeen Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussion https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2019-160	journal	April 2019

Similar Records

Drizzle and Turbulence Below Closed Cellular Marine Stratocumulus Clouds

Journal Article · 2019 · Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres · OSTI ID:1670845

Ghate, Virendra P.; Cadeddu, Maria P.

Drizzle and Turbulence below closed cellular marine stratocumulus clouds

Journal Article · 2019 · Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres (Online) · OSTI ID:1570438

Ghate, Virendra; Cadeddu, Maria P.

Summertime Marine Boundary Layer Cloud, Thermodynamic, and Drizzle Morphology over the Eastern North Atlantic: A Four-Year Study

Journal Article · 2022 · Journal of Climate · OSTI ID:1873202

Zheng, Qiuxuan; Miller, Mark A.

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
marine stratocumulus cloud
drizzle
drizzle virga thickness
cloud thickness

Title: Scaling of drizzle virga depth with cloud thickness for marine stratocumulus clouds

Citation Formats

References (26)

Cited By (4)

Similar Records

Related Subjects