DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Impacts of the Manaus pollution plume on the microphysical properties of Amazonian warm-phase clouds in the wet season

Abstract

The remote atmosphere over the Amazon can be similar to oceanic regions in terms of aerosol conditions and cloud type formations. This is especially true during the wet season. The main aerosol-related disturbances over the Amazon have both natural sources, such as dust transport from Africa, and anthropogenic sources, such as biomass burning or urban pollution. The present work considers the impacts of the latter on the microphysical properties of warm-phase clouds by analyzing observations of the interactions between the Manaus pollution plume and its surroundings, as part of the GoAmazon2014/5 Experiment. The analyzed period corresponds to the wet season (specifically from February to March 2014 and corresponding to the first Intensive Operating Period (IOP1) of GoAmazon2014/5). The droplet size distributions reported are in the range 1 µm ≤ D ≤ 50 µm in order to capture the processes leading up to the precipitation formation. The wet season largely presents a clean background atmosphere characterized by frequent rain showers. As such, the contrast between background clouds and those affected by the Manaus pollution can be observed and detailed. The focus is on the characteristics of the initial microphysical properties in cumulus clouds predominantly at their early stages. The pollution-affected clouds aremore » found to have smaller effective diameters and higher droplet number concentrations. The differences range from 10 to 40 % for the effective diameter and are as high as 1000% for droplet concentration for the same vertical levels. The growth rates of droplets with altitude are slower for pollution-affected clouds (2.90 compared to 5.59 µm km–1), as explained by the absence of bigger droplets at the onset of cloud development. Clouds under background conditions have higher concentrations of larger droplets (> 20 µm) near the cloud base, which would contribute significantly to the growth rates through the collision–coalescence process. The overall shape of the droplet size distribution (DSD) does not appear to be predominantly determined by updraught strength, especially beyond the 20 µm range. The aerosol conditions play a major role in that case. However, the updraughts modulate the DSD concentrations and are responsible for the vertical transport of water in the cloud. The larger droplets found in background clouds are associated with weak water vapour competition and a bimodal distribution of droplet sizes in the lower levels of the cloud, which enables an earlier initiation of the collision–coalescence process. This paper shows that the pollution produced by Manaus significantly affects warm-phase microphysical properties of the surrounding clouds by changing the initial DSD formation. The corresponding effects on ice-phase processes and precipitation formation will be the focus of future endeavors.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [3]
  1. National Institute for Space Research (INPE) (Brazil). Center for Weather Forecasting and Climate Research (CPTEC)
  2. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  3. Univ. de Sao Paulo (USP), Sao Paulo (Brazil)
  4. Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
OSTI Identifier:
1324273
Report Number(s):
BNL-112537-2016-JA
Journal ID: ISSN 1680-7324; R&D Project: 2016-BNL-EE630EECA-Budg; KP1701000
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC00112704
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online); Journal Volume: 16; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 1680-7324
Publisher:
European Geosciences Union
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Citation Formats

Cecchini, Micael A., Machado, Luiz A. T., Comstock, Jennifer M., Mei, Fan, Wang, Jian, Fan, Jiwen, Tomlinson, Jason M., Schmid, Beat, Albrecht, Rachel, Martin, Scot T., and Artaxo, Paulo. Impacts of the Manaus pollution plume on the microphysical properties of Amazonian warm-phase clouds in the wet season. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.5194/acp-16-7029-2016.
Cecchini, Micael A., Machado, Luiz A. T., Comstock, Jennifer M., Mei, Fan, Wang, Jian, Fan, Jiwen, Tomlinson, Jason M., Schmid, Beat, Albrecht, Rachel, Martin, Scot T., & Artaxo, Paulo. Impacts of the Manaus pollution plume on the microphysical properties of Amazonian warm-phase clouds in the wet season. United States. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7029-2016
Cecchini, Micael A., Machado, Luiz A. T., Comstock, Jennifer M., Mei, Fan, Wang, Jian, Fan, Jiwen, Tomlinson, Jason M., Schmid, Beat, Albrecht, Rachel, Martin, Scot T., and Artaxo, Paulo. Thu . "Impacts of the Manaus pollution plume on the microphysical properties of Amazonian warm-phase clouds in the wet season". United States. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7029-2016. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1324273.
@article{osti_1324273,
title = {Impacts of the Manaus pollution plume on the microphysical properties of Amazonian warm-phase clouds in the wet season},
author = {Cecchini, Micael A. and Machado, Luiz A. T. and Comstock, Jennifer M. and Mei, Fan and Wang, Jian and Fan, Jiwen and Tomlinson, Jason M. and Schmid, Beat and Albrecht, Rachel and Martin, Scot T. and Artaxo, Paulo},
abstractNote = {The remote atmosphere over the Amazon can be similar to oceanic regions in terms of aerosol conditions and cloud type formations. This is especially true during the wet season. The main aerosol-related disturbances over the Amazon have both natural sources, such as dust transport from Africa, and anthropogenic sources, such as biomass burning or urban pollution. The present work considers the impacts of the latter on the microphysical properties of warm-phase clouds by analyzing observations of the interactions between the Manaus pollution plume and its surroundings, as part of the GoAmazon2014/5 Experiment. The analyzed period corresponds to the wet season (specifically from February to March 2014 and corresponding to the first Intensive Operating Period (IOP1) of GoAmazon2014/5). The droplet size distributions reported are in the range 1 µm ≤ D ≤ 50 µm in order to capture the processes leading up to the precipitation formation. The wet season largely presents a clean background atmosphere characterized by frequent rain showers. As such, the contrast between background clouds and those affected by the Manaus pollution can be observed and detailed. The focus is on the characteristics of the initial microphysical properties in cumulus clouds predominantly at their early stages. The pollution-affected clouds are found to have smaller effective diameters and higher droplet number concentrations. The differences range from 10 to 40 % for the effective diameter and are as high as 1000% for droplet concentration for the same vertical levels. The growth rates of droplets with altitude are slower for pollution-affected clouds (2.90 compared to 5.59 µm km–1), as explained by the absence of bigger droplets at the onset of cloud development. Clouds under background conditions have higher concentrations of larger droplets (> 20 µm) near the cloud base, which would contribute significantly to the growth rates through the collision–coalescence process. The overall shape of the droplet size distribution (DSD) does not appear to be predominantly determined by updraught strength, especially beyond the 20 µm range. The aerosol conditions play a major role in that case. However, the updraughts modulate the DSD concentrations and are responsible for the vertical transport of water in the cloud. The larger droplets found in background clouds are associated with weak water vapour competition and a bimodal distribution of droplet sizes in the lower levels of the cloud, which enables an earlier initiation of the collision–coalescence process. This paper shows that the pollution produced by Manaus significantly affects warm-phase microphysical properties of the surrounding clouds by changing the initial DSD formation. The corresponding effects on ice-phase processes and precipitation formation will be the focus of future endeavors.},
doi = {10.5194/acp-16-7029-2016},
journal = {Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online)},
number = 11,
volume = 16,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jun 09 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Thu Jun 09 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 19 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Save / Share:

Works referenced in this record:

Aerosols, Cloud Microphysics, and Fractional Cloudiness
journal, September 1989


Aerosol–cloud–precipitation interactions. Part 1. The nature and sources of cloud-active aerosols
journal, July 2008


Smoking Rain Clouds over the Amazon
journal, February 2004


Physical and chemical properties of aerosols in the wet and dry seasons in Rondônia, Amazonia
journal, January 2002


Application of the Aventech AIMMS20AQ airborne probe for turbulence measurements during the Convective Storm Initiation Project
journal, January 2008

  • Beswick, K. M.; Gallagher, M. W.; Webb, A. R.
  • Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Vol. 8, Issue 17
  • DOI: 10.5194/acp-8-5449-2008

A study of relationships between isoprene, its oxidation products, and ozone, in the Lower Fraser Valley, BC
journal, July 1997


Ozone precursor relationships in the ambient atmosphere
journal, January 1992

  • Chameides, W. L.; Fehsenfeld, F.; Rodgers, M. O.
  • Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 97, Issue D5
  • DOI: 10.1029/91JD03014

Robust relations between CCN and the vertical evolution of cloud drop size distribution in deep convective clouds
journal, January 2008

  • Freud, E.; Rosenfeld, D.; Andreae, M. O.
  • Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Vol. 8, Issue 6
  • DOI: 10.5194/acp-8-1661-2008

Human-activity-enhanced formation of organic aerosols by biogenic hydrocarbon oxidation
journal, April 2000

  • Kanakidou, Maria; Tsigaridis, Kostas; Dentener, Frank J.
  • Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 105, Issue D7
  • DOI: 10.1029/1999JD901148

From aerosol-limited to invigoration of warm convective clouds
journal, June 2014


Impact of Manaus City on the Amazon Green Ocean atmosphere: ozone production, precursor sensitivity and aerosol load
journal, January 2010

  • Kuhn, U.; Ganzeveld, L.; Thielmann, A.
  • Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Vol. 10, Issue 19
  • DOI: 10.5194/acp-10-9251-2010

Atmospheric oxidation capacity sustained by a tropical forest
journal, April 2008

  • Lelieveld, J.; Butler, T. M.; Crowley, J. N.
  • Nature, Vol. 452, Issue 7188
  • DOI: 10.1038/nature06870

Tropospheric chemistry: A global perspective
journal, January 1981

  • Logan, Jennifer A.; Prather, Michael J.; Wofsy, Steven C.
  • Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 86, Issue C8
  • DOI: 10.1029/JC086iC08p07210

Seasonal and diurnal variability of convection over the Amazonia: A comparison of different vegetation types and large scale forcing
journal, April 2004

  • Machado, L. A. T.; Laurent, H.; Dessay, N.
  • Theoretical and Applied Climatology, Vol. 78, Issue 1-3
  • DOI: 10.1007/s00704-004-0044-9

Sources and properties of Amazonian aerosol particles
journal, January 2010

  • Martin, Scot T.; Andreae, Meinrat O.; Artaxo, Paulo
  • Reviews of Geophysics, Vol. 48, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.1029/2008RG000280

Introduction: Observations and Modeling of the Green Ocean Amazon (GoAmazon2014/5)
journal, January 2016

  • Martin, S. T.; Artaxo, P.; Machado, L. A. T.
  • Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Vol. 16, Issue 8
  • DOI: 10.5194/acp-16-4785-2016

The impact of smoke from forest fires on the spectral dispersion of cloud droplet size distributions in the Amazonian region
journal, January 2009


Rainforest Aerosols as Biogenic Nuclei of Clouds and Precipitation in the Amazon
journal, September 2010


Impact of biomass burning on cloud properties in the Amazon Basin
journal, January 2003


Measurements of PAN, PPN, and MPAN made during the 1994 and 1995 Nashville Intensives of the Southern Oxidant Study: Implications for regional ozone production from biogenic hydrocarbons
journal, September 1998

  • Roberts, James M.; Williams, Jonathan; Baumann, Karsten
  • Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 103, Issue D17
  • DOI: 10.1029/98JD01637

Satellite–Based Insights into Precipitation Formation Processes in Continental and Maritime Convective Clouds
journal, November 1998


Flood or Drought: How Do Aerosols Affect Precipitation?
journal, September 2008


The DOE ARM Aerial Facility
journal, May 2014

  • Schmid, B.; Tomlinson, J. M.; Hubbe, J. M.
  • Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Vol. 95, Issue 5
  • DOI: 10.1175/BAMS-D-13-00040.1

Observations of isoprene chemistry and its role in ozone production at a semirural site during the 1995 Southern Oxidants Study
journal, September 1998

  • Starn, T. K.; Shepson, P. B.; Bertman, S. B.
  • Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 103, Issue D17
  • DOI: 10.1029/98JD01279

Models and observations of the impact of natural hydrocarbons on rural ozone
journal, October 1987

  • Trainer, M.; Williams, E. J.; Parrish, D. D.
  • Nature, Vol. 329, Issue 6141
  • DOI: 10.1038/329705a0

Toward a Unified View of the American Monsoon Systems
journal, October 2006

  • Vera, C.; Higgins, W.; Amador, J.
  • Journal of Climate, Vol. 19, Issue 20
  • DOI: 10.1175/JCLI3896.1

Measurement and analysis of atmospheric concentrations of isoprene and its reaction products in central Texas
journal, January 2001


Works referencing / citing this record:

Mesoscale convective systems over the Amazon basin: The GoAmazon2014/5 program
journal, June 2019

  • Rehbein, Amanda; Ambrizzi, Tercio; Mechoso, Carlos R.
  • International Journal of Climatology, Vol. 39, Issue 15
  • DOI: 10.1002/joc.6173

Substantial convection and precipitation enhancements by ultrafine aerosol particles
journal, January 2018


Sensitivities of Amazonian clouds to aerosols and updraft speed
journal, January 2017

  • Cecchini, Micael A.; Machado, Luiz A. T.; Andreae, Meinrat O.
  • Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Vol. 17, Issue 16
  • DOI: 10.5194/acp-17-10037-2017

Contributions of mobile, stationary and biogenic sources to air pollution in the Amazon rainforest: a numerical study with the WRF-Chem model
journal, January 2017

  • Abou Rafee, Sameh A.; Martins, Leila D.; Kawashima, Ana B.
  • Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Vol. 17, Issue 12
  • DOI: 10.5194/acp-17-7977-2017

Overview: Precipitation characteristics and sensitivities to environmental conditions during GoAmazon2014/5 and ACRIDICON-CHUVA
journal, January 2018

  • Machado, Luiz A. T.; Calheiros, Alan J. P.; Biscaro, Thiago
  • Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Vol. 18, Issue 9
  • DOI: 10.5194/acp-18-6461-2018

Quantifying the aerosol effect on droplet size distribution at cloud top
journal, January 2019

  • Hernández Pardo, Lianet; Toledo Machado, Luiz Augusto; Amore Cecchini, Micael
  • Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Vol. 19, Issue 11
  • DOI: 10.5194/acp-19-7839-2019

Aerosol properties and their influences on low warm clouds during the Two-Column Aerosol Project
journal, January 2019


The Green Ocean: precipitation insights from the GoAmazon2014/5 experiment
journal, January 2018

  • Wang, Die; Giangrande, Scott E.; Bartholomew, Mary Jane
  • Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Vol. 18, Issue 12
  • DOI: 10.5194/acp-18-9121-2018

Aerosol Properties and Their Influences on Low Warm Clouds during the Two-Column Aerosol Project
posted_content, February 2019

  • Liu, Jianjun; Li, Zhanqing
  • Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions
  • DOI: 10.5194/acp-2019-178