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Title: Profiles of MBL Cloud and Drizzle Microphysical Properties Retrieved From Ground-Based Observations and Validated by Aircraft In Situ Measurements Over the Azores

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019jd032205· OSTI ID:1644251
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Arizona State Univ., Tucson, AZ (United States)
  2. Arizona State Univ., Tucson, AZ (United States); Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
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Abstract The profiles of marine boundary layer (MBL) cloud and drizzle microphysical properties are important for studying the cloud‐to‐rain conversion and growth processes in MBL clouds. However, it is challenging to simultaneously retrieve both cloud and drizzle microphysical properties within an MBL cloud layer using ground‐based observations. In this study, methods were developed to first decompose drizzle and cloud reflectivity in MBL clouds from Atmospheric Radiation Measurement cloud radar reflectivity measurements and then simultaneously retrieve cloud and drizzle microphysical properties during the Aerosol and Cloud Experiments in the Eastern North Atlantic (ACE‐ENA) campaign. These retrieved microphysical properties, such as cloud and drizzle particle size ( r c and r m,d ), their number concentration ( N c and N d ) and liquid water content ( LWC c and LWC d ), have been validated by aircraft in situ measurements during ACE‐ENA (~158 hr of aircraft data). The mean surface retrieved (in situ measured) r c , N c , and LWC c are 10.9 μm (11.8 μm), 70 cm −3 (60 cm −3 ), and 0.21 g m −3 (0.22 g m −3 ), respectively. For drizzle microphysical properties, the retrieved (in situ measured) r d , N d , and LWC d are 44.9 μm (45.1 μm), 0.07 cm −3 (0.08 cm −3 ), and 0.052 g m −3 (0.066 g m −3 ), respectively. Treating the aircraft in situ measurements as truth, the estimated median retrieval errors are ~15% for r c , ~35% for N c , ~30% for LWC c and r d , and ~50% for N d and LWC d . The findings from this study will provide insightful information for improving our understanding of warm rain processes, as well as for improving model simulations. More studies are required over other climatic regions.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344; 74358
OSTI ID:
1644251
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1617755
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-812468; 1019833
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 125, Issue 9; ISSN 2169-897X
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 14 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
aircraft measurements
cloud and precipitation
ground‐based observations
microphysics retrieval