A parameterization of cloud droplet nucleation

Conference · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:10136385

Ghan, S J ^[1]; Chuang, C; Penner, J E ^[2]

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1. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
2. Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)

Droplet nucleation is a fundamental cloud process. The number of aerosols activated to form cloud droplets influences not only the number of aerosols scavenged by clouds but also the size of the cloud droplets. Cloud droplet size influences the cloud albedo and the conversion of cloud water to precipitation. Global aerosol models are presently being developed with the intention of coupling with global atmospheric circulation models to evaluate the influence of aerosols and aerosol-cloud interactions on climate. If these and other coupled models are to address issues of aerosol-cloud interactions, the droplet nucleation process must be adequately represented. Here we introduce a droplet nucleation parametrization that offers certain advantages over the popular Twomey (1959) parameterization.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 10136385
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-20914; CONF-930142-4; ON: DE93007998
• Resource Relation: Conference: 4. American Meteorological Society (AMS) symposium on global change studies,Anaheim, CA (United States),14-19 Jan 1993; Other Information: PBD: Jan 1993
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DROPLETS
NUCLEATION
CLOUDS
AEROSOLS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PARTICULATES
PARTICLE SIZE
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
540120
540130
CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT