Comparison of cloud properties between cloudsat retrievals and airplane measurements in mixed-phase cloud layers of weak convective and stratus clouds

Cloud microphysical properties including liquid and ice particle number concentration (NC), liquid water content (LWC), ice water content (IWC) and effective radius (RE) were retrieved from CloudSat data for a weakly convective and a widespread stratus cloud. Within the mixed-phase cloud layers, liquid-phase fractions needed to be assumed in the data retrieval process, and one existing linear (p1) and two exponential (p2 and p3) functions, which estimate the liquid-phase fraction as a function of subfreezing temperature (from -20°C to 0°C), were tested. The retrieved NC, LWC, IWC and RE using p1 were on average larger than airplane measurements in the same cloud layer. Function p2 performed better than p1 or p3 in retrieving the NCs of cloud droplets in the convective cloud, while function p1 performed better in the stratus cloud. Function p3 performed better in LWC estimation in both convective and stratus clouds. The REs of cloud droplets calculated using the retrieved cloud droplet NC and LWC were closer to the values of in situ observations than those retrieved directly using the p1 function. The retrieved NCs of ice particles in both convective and stratus clouds, on the assumption of liquid-phase fraction during the retrieval of liquid droplet NCs, were closer to those of airplane observations than on the assumption of function p1.     

广西南宁冬季层状暖云微物理特征的飞机观测分析

利用运十二飞机在2012年冬季广西南宁地区开展的12架次层状暖云微物理探测资料进行分析,统计和观测结果表明,层状暖云垂直方向分层显著。存在逆温是典型宏观特征,降水云基本都为多层逆温,逆温位置主要出现在云顶附近。云滴平均浓度为652±607个/cm3;无降水云比降水云云滴平均浓度略大,分别为678±348个/cm3和615±363个/cm3。平均液水含量为1.03±0.73 g/m3,其中降水云远大于无降水云,分别为1.3±0.9 g/m3和0.88±0.6 g/m3。平均有效直径为18.2±5.6 μm,降水云略大于无降水云,分别为19.4±5.0 μm和17.3±6.0 μm。垂直分布上,云滴数浓度在接近地面的下层云中最大,峰值区主要出现在云底,且随高度一般呈现递减趋势。云滴谱分布显示在6.5 μm出现次峰值。降水云中大云滴主要出现在接近地面的下层云中,而无降水云中几乎没有观测到大云滴。      

基于飞机观测的美国落基山地区冬季混合相态层状云与夏季对流云的微物理特征

混合相态层状云与对流云的微物理特征有很大的差异性,但现阶段数值模式中并没有充分考虑两者的区别,这是导致云降水的模拟有较大不确定性的原因之一。为了加深对层状云与对流云的微物理特征差异的理解,并为模式的验证和参数化开发提供支撑,本文基于在中落基山地区进行的Ice in Clouds Experiment—Layer Clouds（ICE-L）项目和High Plain Cumulus（HiCu）项目的飞机观测资料,定量对比分析了该地区大陆性混合相态冬季较浅薄的层状云与较弱及中等强度的夏季对流云的微物理特征。其中,粒子图像和粒子谱通过2D-Cloud和2D-Precipitation探头得到,液态水含量通过热线式King探头测量得到,冰水含量基于粒子谱计算得到。主要结论有:（1）在?30°C～0°C的温度层范围内,夏季对流云内的液态水含量比冬季层状云高一个数量级,冰水含量高一到两个数量级,并且在对流云云顶附近观测到更多的过冷水。此外,夏季对流云中液态水含量在?20°C～0°C上随温度降低而升高,而冬季层状云则相反。夏季对流云中更活跃的冰晶生成和生长过程使得云内液态水质量分数小于层状云。（2）冬季层状云与夏季对流云内相态空间分布极不均匀。随着温度从0°C降低到?30°C,在冬季层状云中冰晶发生贝吉龙过程,云中的过冷水为主的区域向混合相态和冰相转化。而夏季对流云中相态结构更为复杂,体现了对流云中复杂的冰水相互作用。（3）在?30°C～0°C的温度范围内,夏季对流云的粒子谱宽度大于冬季层状云。随着温度的降低,冬季层状云与夏季对流云均存在粒子谱增宽的现象。（4）冬季层状云中,温度低于?20°C时冰晶主要为无规则状,在?20°C～?10°C观测到了辐枝状和无规则状冰晶,在?10°C以上观测到了柱状和无规则状冰晶,说明冰晶的生长主要为凝华增长和碰并增长。而夏季对流云以冻滴、霰粒子与不规则冰晶为主,说明主要为液滴冻结、淞附增长和碰并增长为主。（5）在夏季对流云较强的上升气流中存在较高的液态水含量,但垂直速度与云内冰水含量没有明显的相关性。     

Observational Evidence of High Ice Concentration in a Shallow Convective Cloud Embedded in Stratiform Cloud over North China

In this study we observed the microphysical properties, including the vertical and horizontal distributions of ice particles,liquid water content and ice habit, in different regions of a slightly supercooled stratiform cloud. Using aircraft instrument and radar data, the cloud top temperature was recorded as higher than -15℃, behind a cold front, on 9 September 2015 in North China. During the flight sampling, the high ice number concentration area was located in the supercooled part of a shallow convective cloud embedded in a stratiform cloud, where the ambient temperature was around -3℃. In this area,the maximum number concentrations of particles with diameter greater than 100 μm and 500 μm(N_(100) and N_(500)) exceeded 300 L~(-1) and 30 L~(-1), respectively, and were related to large supercooled water droplets with diameter greater than 24 μm derived from cloud–aerosol spectrometer probe measurements. The ice particles types in this region were predominantly columnar, needle, graupel, and some freezing drops, suggesting that the occurrence of high ice number concentrations was likely related to the Hallett–Mossop mechanism, although many other ice multiplication processes cannot be totally ruled out.The maximum ice number concentration obtained during the first penetration was around two to three orders of magnitude larger than that predicted by the Demott and Fletcher schemes when assuming the cloud top temperature was around-15℃.During the second penetration conducted within the stratiform cloud, N_(100) and N_(500) decreased by a factor of five to ten, and the presence of columnar and needle-like crystals became very rare.     

Two-moment bulk stratiform cloud microphysics in the grid-point atmospheric model of IAP LASG (GAMIL)

A two-moment bulk stratiform microphysics scheme, including recently developed physically-based droplet activation/ice nucleation parameterizations has been implemented into the Grid-point Atmospheric Model of IAP LASG (GAMIL) as an effort to enhance the model’s capability to simulate aerosol indirect effects. Unlike the previous one-moment cloud microphysics scheme, the new scheme produces a reasonable representation of cloud particle size and number concentration. This scheme captures the observed spatial variations in cloud droplet number concentrations. Simulated ice crystal number concentrations in cirrus clouds qualitatively agree with in situ observations. The longwave and shortwave cloud forcings are in better agreement with observations. Sensitivity tests show that the column cloud droplet number concentrations calculated from two different droplet activation parameterizations are similar. However, ice crystal number concentration in mixed-phased clouds is sensitive to different heterogeneous ice nucleation formulations. The simulation with high ice crystal number concentration in mixed-phase clouds has less liquid water path and weaker cloud forcing. Furthermore, ice crystal number concentration in cirrus clouds is sensitive to different ice nucleation parameterizations. Sensitivity tests also suggest that the impact of pre-existing ice crystals on homogeneous freezing in old clouds should be taken into account.     

一次降水性积层混合云系的微物理特征分析

利用山东省2007年10月27日1架次机载粒子测量系统（Particles Measuring System,PMS）积层混合云探测资料,分析了云中粒子浓度和尺度、液态含水量,以及小云滴和大云滴谱的垂直分布特征,比较了催化前后云微物理特征的变化。结果表明,催化前,云层中小云滴谱型为单峰,谱宽随高度增加先变窄后变宽,大云滴谱型在云低层为单峰,中高层为双峰谱,谱宽随高度增加先变宽后变窄,并且没有探测到降水粒子。催化后,小云滴尺度在低层减小、高层增加,整层液态水含量减小;大云滴浓度增加,尺度增大,出现降水粒子,固态粒子类型增多。在3 700~4 000 m高度层内小于10μm粒子明显增加,说明凝结过程比较明显,并且10~27.5μm粒子开始出现,启动了云滴的碰并机制。小云滴谱变化较小,基本为单峰谱,但在较大云滴处谱型略有起伏,在3 000m和3 300m高度的谱宽增宽。大云滴粒子谱有较大的变化,低层变成双峰谱,谱宽最宽可达650μm,中高层为双峰或多峰,峰值从小值向较大值移动。2D-P探头在催化云高层探测到降水粒子,谱型呈单调下降形态,谱宽最大为600μm。     

Aircraft Measurements of Cloud–Aerosol Interaction over East Inner Mongolia

To investigate the potential effects of aerosols on the microphysical properties of warm clouds, airborne observational data collected from 2009 to 2011 in Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, China, were statistically analyzed in this study. The results demonstrated that the vertical distribution of the aerosol number concentration(N_a) was similar to that of the clean rural continent. The average aerosol effective diameter(D_e) was maintained at approximately 0.4 μm at all levels. The data obtained during cloud penetrations showed that there was a progressive increase in the cloud droplet concentration(N_c) and liquid water content(LWC) from outside to inside the clouds, while the Nawas negatively related to the Ncand LWC at the same height. The fluctuation of the N_a, Ncand LWC during cloud penetration was more obvious under polluted conditions(Type 1) than under clean conditions(Type 2). Moreover, the wet scavenging of cloud droplets had a significant impact on the accumulation mode of aerosols, especially on particles with diameters less than 0.4 μm. The minimum wet scavenging coefficient within the cloud was close to 0.02 under Type 1 conditions, while it increased to 0.1 under Type 2 conditions,which proved that the cloud wet scavenging effect under Type 1 conditions was stronger than that under Type 2 conditions.Additionally, cloud droplet spectra under Type 1 conditions were narrower, and their horizontal distributions were more homogeneous than those under Type 2 conditions.     

河北省层状云降水系统微物理结构的飞机观测研究

对4架次飞行个例的PMS资料进行综合分析,发现河北省春季层状云降水系统存在不均匀性,表现之一为较强降水云带。1991年5月25日的个例在飞机上升和下降过程中两次在2000m左右探测到较强的云内逆温,逆温层顶下方存在云水含量的峰值。对1992年6月20日两次个例的冷云的冰晶尺度、冰水含量(IWC)、冰晶浓度和液水含量(IWC)的垂直分布进行了分析。对两次个例的云中可播性进行判别,发现潜力区占云区的1／2左右,有时存在大片强可播区。     

Relationship between cloud characteristics and radar reflectivity based on aircraft and cloud radar co-observations

Cloud properties were investigated based on aircraft and cloud radar co-observation conducted at Yitong, Jilin, Northeast China. The aircraft provided in situ measurements of cloud droplet size distribution, while the millimeter-wavelength cloud radar vertically scanned the same cloud that the aircraft penetrated. The reflectivity factor calculated from aircraft measurements was compared in detail with simultaneous radar observations. The results showed that the two reflectivities were comparable in warm clouds, but in ice cloud there were more differences, which were probably associated with the occurrence of liquid water. The acceptable agreement between reflectivities obtained in water cloud confirmed that it is feasible to derive cloud properties by using aircraft data, and hence for cloud radar to remotely sense cloud properties. Based on the dataset collected in warm clouds, the threshold of reflectivity to diagnose drizzle and cloud particles was studied by analyses of the probability distribution function of reflectivity from cloud particles and drizzle drops. The relationship between reflectivity factor (Z) and cloud liquid water content (LWC) was also derived from data on both cloud particles and drizzle. In comparison with cloud droplets, the relationship for drizzle was blurred by many scatter points and thus was less evident. However, these scatters could be partly removed by filtering out the drop size distribution with a large ratio of reflectivity and large extinction coefficient but small effective radius. Empirical relationships of Z-LWC for both cloud particles and drizzle could then be derived.     

华北地区一次气溶胶与浅积云微物理特性的飞机观测研究

2014年8月15日,山西省人工降雨防雹办公室在山西忻州开展了气溶胶和浅积云的飞机观测,本文利用机载云物理资料,详细分析了华北地区气溶胶、云凝结核（CCN）和浅积云微物理特性及其相互影响。主要结论有:（1）此次过程的边界层高度约为3600 m,不同层结情况下,0.1～3 μm尺度范围内的气溶胶粒子浓度N_a、有效直径D_a和CCN数浓度的垂直廓线明显不同,近地面N_a可达2500 cm?3。（2）CCN的主要来源为积聚模态、爱根模态或者核模态的气溶胶颗粒,0.2%过饱和度下,气溶胶活化率（AR）在各高度层的结果变化不大;0.4%过饱和度下,AR随着高度增加而降低。（3）后向轨迹模式分析表明,2 km以下的气溶胶主要来自于当地城市排放,由细颗粒污染物组成;2 km以上的气溶胶主要来源于中国西北和蒙古地区的沙漠,由亚微米沙尘组成,溶解度相对较低,可作为潜在的冰核。（4）本文细致分析了两块相邻浅积云（Cu-1和Cu-2）的云物理特性。Cu-1云底高度约4500 m,云厚约600 m,云体松散,夹卷较多;云中液态含水量（LWC）基本保持在0.5 g m?3,云粒子浓度N_c平均值为278.3 cm?3,云滴有效直径D_c整体在15 μm以内;毛毛雨滴粒子浓度最大值为0.002 cm?3,云中几乎无降水粒子;粒子谱宽随着高度增加而增大,主要集中在30 μm以内。Cu-2云底高度约3900 m,云厚约1200 m,云体密实;云中过冷水丰沛,LWC有多个超过1 g m?3的区域,云顶附近出现冰晶,云中粒子从凝结增长状态直接进入到混合相态;积云内部粒子水平分布不均,同一高度N_c相差较大,最大可达1240 cm?3。D_c随着高度增加而增大;粒子谱宽随着高度增加而拓展,最大可达1100 μm,谱型由单峰向多峰转变;降水粒子和冰晶图像大多为霰粒子、针状和板状。     

Application of aircraft observations over Beijing in cloud microphysical property retrievals from CloudSat

Cloud microphysical property retrievals from the active microwave instrument on a satellite require the cloud droplet size distribution obtained from aircraft observations as a priori data in the iteration procedure.The cloud lognormal size distributions derived from 12 flights over Beijing,China,in 2008-09 were characterized to evaluate and improve regional CloudSat cloud water content retrievals.We present the distribution parameters of stratiform cloud droplet （diameter ＜500 tm and ＜1500 μm） and discuss the effect of large particles on distribution parameter fitting.Based on three retrieval schemes with different lognormal size distribution parameters,the vertical distribution of cloud liquid and ice water content were derived and then compared with the aircraft observations.The results showed that the liquid water content （LWC） retrievals from large particle size distributions were more consistent with the vertical distribution of cloud water content profiles derived from in situ data on 25 September 2006.We then applied two schemes with different a priori data derived from flight data to CloudSat overpasses in northern China during April-October in 2008 and 2009.The CloudSat cloud water path （CWP） retrievals were compared with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer （MODIS） liquid water path （LWP） data.The results indicated that considering a priori data including large particle size information can significantly improve the consistency between the CloudSat CWP and MODIS CWP.These results strongly suggest that it is necessary to consider particles with diameters greater than 50 tm in CloudSat LWC retrievals.     

华北中部夏季气溶胶和云分布特征

气溶胶与云的垂直分布特征是气溶胶间接气候效应关注的重点。基于2018年7—8月华北中部6架次飞机观测数据,研究气溶胶和云滴的垂直和水平分布特征。结果表明:华北中部780~5687 m高度内气溶胶数浓度( N_a )平均值为821.36 cm-3,最大量级可达到104 cm-3,云中气溶胶数浓度(N_acc)占总颗粒浓度的80%以上,表明细颗粒占大多数,气溶胶粒子算术平均直径( D_m )平均值为0.12~0.52 μm;大气层结对气溶胶垂直分布影响较大,逆温阻挡气溶胶垂直输送,高空(高度2000 m以上) D_m 的垂直分布受到相对湿度影响较大; N_a 和 D_m 在垂直方向波动较大,水平方向波动较小;低层云中云滴数浓度(N_c)较大、液态水含量(L)较小,而中层和高层云中N_c较小、L较大,N_c和云滴有效半径(R_e)的概率密度函数均为双峰型分布,L的概率密度函数为单峰型分布;气溶胶数浓度谱基本呈现多峰型分布,而云滴数浓度谱多呈现单峰型分布。     

石家庄地区一次秋季冷锋云系垂直微物理结构的观测研究

利用2008年10月4～5日石家庄一次降水性层状云系的飞机探测资料,结合实时天气、卫星、雷达等资料,分析了降水过程的天气背景条件、降水初期云中的液态含水量、云粒子平均直径和粒子谱等要素的垂直分布与变化特征,以及云系的垂直微物理结构。结合云中冰雪晶二维粒子图像的增长和地面降水特征,初步探讨了该层状云系降水形成的物理机制。...     

Impact of the Bergeron–Findeisen process on the release of aerosol particles during the evolution of cloud ice

The paper focuses on the redistribution of aerosol particles (APs) during the artificial nucleation and subsequent growth of ice crystals in a supercooled cloud. A significant number of the supercooled cloud droplets during icing periods (seeding agents: C₃H₈, CO₂) did not freeze as was presumed prior to the experiment but instead evaporated. The net mass flux of water vapour from the evaporating droplets to the nucleating ice crystals (Bergeron–Findeisen mechanism) led to the release of residual particles that simultaneously appeared in the interstitial phase. The strong decrease of the droplet residuals confirms the nucleation of ice particles on seeding germs without natural aerosol particles serving as ice nuclei. As the number of residual particles during the seedings did not drop to zero, other processes such as heterogeneous ice nucleation, spontaneous freezing, entrainment of supercooled droplets and diffusion to the created particle-free ice germs must have contributed to the experimental findings. During the icing periods, residual mass concentrations in the condensed phase dropped by a factor of 1.1–6.7, as compared to the unperturbed supercooled cloud. As the Bergeron–Findeisen process also occurs without artificial seeding in the atmosphere, this study demonstrated that the hydrometeors in mixed-phase clouds might be much cleaner than anticipated for the simple freezing process of supercooled droplets in tropospheric mid latitude clouds.     

两次华北冷涡过程雹云结构特征及AgI催化效果数值研究

用三维完全弹性非静力平衡雹云模式模拟了不同低涡雹云演变特征和人工引晶催化效果,结果表明:冷涡雹云中不存在大量的过冷雨滴,过冷水几乎是由云滴组成的,雹胚形成以云霰转化为主,由冰相过程形成降水粒子。近地面有薄逆温层云体,云底温度高,云中垂直运动强,云中过冷云水含量增长迅速且丰富。在雹云主要上升气流到达的过冷水含量大值区下方和过冷水大值区中心部位分别一次引进×107/kg碘化银粒子进行大剂量催化试验,碘化银主要以凝结-冻结方式核化成冰,雹胚浓度增加,雹胚过多争食抑制冰雹增长,使得冰雹直径明显减小。     

Characterization of cloud microphysical properties in different cloud types over East Asia based on CloudSat/CALIPSO satellite products

利用CloudSat/CALIPSO卫星资料,本文揭示了东亚三个代表性区域的云微物理属性,为评估和改进模式云微物理过程提供重要的观测基础.研究的云微物理量包括云水/冰质量,数浓度和有效半径.研究表明:暖云中云水质量和数浓度随高度增加而减小,有效半径处于8-14μm范围.对于冰云,云冰质量和有效半径随高度增加而减小,而数浓度在垂直方向上变化不大.此外,云微物理属性在不同云型之间存在显著差异:积云的云水质量和数浓度最大,而卷云的云水质量和数浓度最小.从三个区域的对比结果来看,相比于华东和西北太平洋地区,青藏高原地区暖云的云水质量和数浓度较小,而冰云的则较大.     

山西省层状云飞机云物理观测试验结果分析

利用山西省2008年-2010年64架次云结构的粒子测量系统（DMT）探测资料,配合地面观测和卫星资料统计分析了层状云系的宏微观特征。发现：降水性层状云低云含水量垂直方向上平均为0．03g,m^3,中云含水量垂直方向上平均为0．05g／m30对比分析降水云和非降水云系的微物理特征量,两者存在显著的差异,降水性层状云云粒子有效半径要达到10μm-14μm。对云系不同温度层的微物理特征和云中水分按不同粒子尺度的分配特征进行了对比分析,结果表明：降水性层状云在垂直方向上的微物理结构特征非常明显,也是分层的。高层主要是冰相粒子,主要是冰雪晶,随高度降低冰雪晶的尺度增大,在四个典型温度层的观测中,LWC、云粒子及降水的浓度、尺度相较有很大不同。云中水分按不同粒子尺度的分配可以看出,直径20μm、30μm的粒子含水量较高,对云中液态水含量的贡献较大,降水粒子主要由20μm、30μm的粒子转化。     

Microphysical and optical features of polluted cooling tower clouds

In November 1993 an airborne field study was performed in order to investigate the microphysical and radiative properties of cooling tower water clouds initiated by water vapour emissions and polluted by the exhaust from coal-fired power plants. The number-median diameter of the droplet size distributions of these artificial clouds was in the range of 13 μm. The concentration of smaller droplets (diameters d_D < 10 μm) increased with height and horizontal distance from the cooling towers. Close to the cooling towers, bimodal spectra were found with a second mode at 19 μm. The liquid water content (LWC) ranged between 2 and 5 g/m³ and effective droplet radii (R_e) between 6 and 9 μm were measured. LWC and R_e decreased with altitude, whereas the droplet concentration (N_D) remained approximately constant (about 2000 cm⁻³ ). An enrichment of interstitial aerosol particles with particle diameters (d_p) smaller 0.2 μm compared to the power plant plume in the vicinity of the clouds was observed. Particle activation for d_m > 0.3 μm. was evident, especially in cooling tower clouds further apart and separated from their sources. Furthermore, radiation measurements were performed, which revealed differences in the vertical profiles of downwelling solar and UV radiation flux densities inside the clouds.The effective droplet radius R_e was parameterized in terms of LWC and N_D using equations known from literature. The close agreement between measured and parameterized Re indicates a similar coupling of R_e, LWC and N_D as in natural clouds.By means of Mie calculations, volume scattering coefficients and asymmetry factors are derived for both the cloud droplets and the aerosol particles. For the cloud droplets, the optical parameters were described by parameterizations from the literature. The results show, that the link between radiative and microphysical properties of natural clouds is not changed by the extreme pollution of the artificial clouds.     

Microphysical and radiative properties of mixed-phase altocumulus: A model evaluation of glaciation effects

Using a cloud model with explicit microphysics and radiation, we evaluate the microphysical changes in a supercooled liquid altocumulus cloud with increasing ice content, until glaciation occurs. The properties of the ice and water particle constituents are resolved independently, revealing the relative radiative contributions from the water phase source cloud versus the ice phase virga. Cloud contents are also converted to millimeter-wave radar reflectivities to shed light on the ability of such radars to study these ubiquitous clouds. The results show that the radiative and radar backscattering properties of mixed-phase clouds are dominated by the cloud droplets and ice crystals they contain, respectively.