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Title: A study on the entrainment and mixing process in the continental stratocumulus clouds measured during the RACORO campaign

Abstract

Entrainment and mixing processes and their effects on cloud microphysics in the continental stratocumulus clouds observed in Oklahoma during the RACORO campaign are analyzed in the frame of homogeneous and inhomogeneous mixing concepts by combining the approaches of microphysical correlation, mixing diagram, and transition scale (number). A total of 110 horizontally penetrated cloud segments is analyzed in this paper. Mixing diagram and cloud microphysical relationship analyses show homogeneous mixing trait of positive relationship between liquid water content (L) and mean volume of droplets (V) (i.e., smaller droplets in more diluted parcel) in most cloud segments. Relatively small temperature and humidity differences between the entraining air from above the cloud top and cloudy air and relatively large turbulent dissipation rate are found to be responsible for this finding. The related scale parameters (i.e., transition length and transition scale number) are relatively large, which also indicates high likelihood of homogeneous mixing. Finally, clear positive relationship between L and vertical velocity (W) for some cloud segments is suggested to be evidence of vertical circulation mixing, which may further enhance the positive relationship between L and V created by homogeneous mixing.

Authors:
 [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [3]
  1. Yonsei Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of). Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences
  2. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Environmental and Climate Sciences Dept.
  3. Nanjing Univ. of Information Science and Technology (NUIST) (China). Key Lab. of Meteorological Disaster of Ministry of Education. CMA Key Lab. for Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Yonsei Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); Korea Meteorological Administration (Korea, Republic of)
Contributing Org.:
Nanjing Univ. of Information Science and Technology (NUIST) (China)
OSTI Identifier:
1354694
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1419394
Report Number(s):
BNL-113795-2017-JA
Journal ID: ISSN 0169-8095; R&D Project: 2016-BNL-EE630EECA-Budg; KP1701000
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC00112704; 91537108; KMIPA 2015-2061
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Atmospheric Research
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 194; Journal ID: ISSN 0169-8095
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Entrainment; Continental stratocumulus; Mixing process; Aircraft measurement

Citation Formats

Yeom, Jae Min, Yum, Seong Soo, Liu, Yangang, and Lu, Chunsong. A study on the entrainment and mixing process in the continental stratocumulus clouds measured during the RACORO campaign. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2017.04.028.
Yeom, Jae Min, Yum, Seong Soo, Liu, Yangang, & Lu, Chunsong. A study on the entrainment and mixing process in the continental stratocumulus clouds measured during the RACORO campaign. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2017.04.028
Yeom, Jae Min, Yum, Seong Soo, Liu, Yangang, and Lu, Chunsong. Thu . "A study on the entrainment and mixing process in the continental stratocumulus clouds measured during the RACORO campaign". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2017.04.028. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1354694.
@article{osti_1354694,
title = {A study on the entrainment and mixing process in the continental stratocumulus clouds measured during the RACORO campaign},
author = {Yeom, Jae Min and Yum, Seong Soo and Liu, Yangang and Lu, Chunsong},
abstractNote = {Entrainment and mixing processes and their effects on cloud microphysics in the continental stratocumulus clouds observed in Oklahoma during the RACORO campaign are analyzed in the frame of homogeneous and inhomogeneous mixing concepts by combining the approaches of microphysical correlation, mixing diagram, and transition scale (number). A total of 110 horizontally penetrated cloud segments is analyzed in this paper. Mixing diagram and cloud microphysical relationship analyses show homogeneous mixing trait of positive relationship between liquid water content (L) and mean volume of droplets (V) (i.e., smaller droplets in more diluted parcel) in most cloud segments. Relatively small temperature and humidity differences between the entraining air from above the cloud top and cloudy air and relatively large turbulent dissipation rate are found to be responsible for this finding. The related scale parameters (i.e., transition length and transition scale number) are relatively large, which also indicates high likelihood of homogeneous mixing. Finally, clear positive relationship between L and vertical velocity (W) for some cloud segments is suggested to be evidence of vertical circulation mixing, which may further enhance the positive relationship between L and V created by homogeneous mixing.},
doi = {10.1016/j.atmosres.2017.04.028},
journal = {Atmospheric Research},
number = ,
volume = 194,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Thu Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}

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Works referencing / citing this record:

On Which Microphysical Time Scales to Use in Studies of Entrainment‐Mixing Mechanisms in Clouds
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