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Title: Comprehensive mapping and characteristic regimes of aerosol effects on the formation and evolution of pyro-convective clouds

Abstract

Here, a recent parcel model study (Reutter et al., 2009) showed three deterministic regimes of initial cloud droplet formation, characterized by different ratios of aerosol concentrations (NCN) to updraft velocities. This analysis, however, did not reveal how these regimes evolve during the subsequent cloud development. To address this issue, we employed the Active Tracer High Resolution Atmospheric Model (ATHAM) with full microphysics and extended the model simulation from the cloud base to the entire column of a single pyro-convective mixed-phase cloud. A series of 2-D simulations (over 1000) were performed over a wide range of NCN and dynamic conditions. The integrated concentration of hydrometeors over the full spatial and temporal scales was used to evaluate the aerosol and dynamic effects. The results show the following. (1) The three regimes for cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activation in the parcel model (namely aerosol-limited, updraft-limited, and transitional regimes) still exist within our simulations, but net production of raindrops and frozen particles occurs mostly within the updraft-limited regime. (2) Generally, elevated aerosols enhance the formation of cloud droplets and frozen particles. The response of raindrops and precipitation to aerosols is more complex and can be either positive or negative as a function of aerosolmore » concentrations. The most negative effect was found for values of NCN of ~ 1000 to 3000 cm–3. (3) The nonlinear properties of aerosol–cloud interactions challenge the conclusions drawn from limited case studies in terms of their representativeness, and ensemble studies over a wide range of aerosol concentrations and other influencing factors are strongly recommended for a more robust assessment of the aerosol effects.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [3]; ORCiD logo [4];  [2];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz (Germany)
  2. Johannes Gutenberg Univ. Mainz, Mainz (Germany)
  3. German Weather Service (DWD), Offenbach (Germany)
  4. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1229933
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-100498
Journal ID: ISSN 1680-7324; KP1703020
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC05-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online); Journal Volume: 15; Journal Issue: 18; Journal ID: ISSN 1680-7324
Publisher:
European Geosciences Union
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; aerosol; dynamic effects; formation; pyro-clouds

Citation Formats

Chang, D., Cheng, Y., Reutter, P., Trentmann, J., Burrows, S. M., Spichtinger, P., Nordmann, S., Andreae, M. O., Poschl, U., and Su, H. Comprehensive mapping and characteristic regimes of aerosol effects on the formation and evolution of pyro-convective clouds. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.5194/acp-15-10325-2015.
Chang, D., Cheng, Y., Reutter, P., Trentmann, J., Burrows, S. M., Spichtinger, P., Nordmann, S., Andreae, M. O., Poschl, U., & Su, H. Comprehensive mapping and characteristic regimes of aerosol effects on the formation and evolution of pyro-convective clouds. United States. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-10325-2015
Chang, D., Cheng, Y., Reutter, P., Trentmann, J., Burrows, S. M., Spichtinger, P., Nordmann, S., Andreae, M. O., Poschl, U., and Su, H. Mon . "Comprehensive mapping and characteristic regimes of aerosol effects on the formation and evolution of pyro-convective clouds". United States. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-10325-2015. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1229933.
@article{osti_1229933,
title = {Comprehensive mapping and characteristic regimes of aerosol effects on the formation and evolution of pyro-convective clouds},
author = {Chang, D. and Cheng, Y. and Reutter, P. and Trentmann, J. and Burrows, S. M. and Spichtinger, P. and Nordmann, S. and Andreae, M. O. and Poschl, U. and Su, H.},
abstractNote = {Here, a recent parcel model study (Reutter et al., 2009) showed three deterministic regimes of initial cloud droplet formation, characterized by different ratios of aerosol concentrations (NCN) to updraft velocities. This analysis, however, did not reveal how these regimes evolve during the subsequent cloud development. To address this issue, we employed the Active Tracer High Resolution Atmospheric Model (ATHAM) with full microphysics and extended the model simulation from the cloud base to the entire column of a single pyro-convective mixed-phase cloud. A series of 2-D simulations (over 1000) were performed over a wide range of NCN and dynamic conditions. The integrated concentration of hydrometeors over the full spatial and temporal scales was used to evaluate the aerosol and dynamic effects. The results show the following. (1) The three regimes for cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activation in the parcel model (namely aerosol-limited, updraft-limited, and transitional regimes) still exist within our simulations, but net production of raindrops and frozen particles occurs mostly within the updraft-limited regime. (2) Generally, elevated aerosols enhance the formation of cloud droplets and frozen particles. The response of raindrops and precipitation to aerosols is more complex and can be either positive or negative as a function of aerosol concentrations. The most negative effect was found for values of NCN of ~ 1000 to 3000 cm–3. (3) The nonlinear properties of aerosol–cloud interactions challenge the conclusions drawn from limited case studies in terms of their representativeness, and ensemble studies over a wide range of aerosol concentrations and other influencing factors are strongly recommended for a more robust assessment of the aerosol effects.},
doi = {10.5194/acp-15-10325-2015},
journal = {Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online)},
number = 18,
volume = 15,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Sep 21 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Mon Sep 21 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

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