Understanding the Effect of Aerosol Properties on Cloud Droplet Formation during TCAP Field Campaign Report
- Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
The formation of clouds is an essential element in understanding the Earth’s radiative budget. Liquid water clouds form when the relative humidity exceeds saturation and condensedphase water nucleates on atmospheric particulate matter. The effect of aerosol properties such as size, morphology, and composition on cloud droplet formation has been studied theoretically as well as in the laboratory and field. Almost without exception these studies have been limited to parallel measurements of aerosol properties and cloud formation or collection of material after the cloud has formed, at which point nucleation information has been lost. Studies of this sort are adequate when a large fraction of the aerosol activates, but correlations and resulting model parameterizations are much more uncertain at lower supersaturations and activated fractions.
- Research Organization:
- DOE Office of Science Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
- Contributing Organization:
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-7601830
- OSTI ID:
- 1253924
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/SC-ARM-15-055
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Evaluation of global simulations of aerosol particle and cloud condensation nuclei number, with implications for cloud droplet formation
Immersion freezing of water and aqueous ammonium sulfate droplets initiated by humic-like substances as a function of water activity