Microphysics of clouds at Kleiner Feldberg

During a field measuring campaign at Kleiner Feldberg (Taunus) in 1990, microphysical characteristics of clouds have been measured by Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probes (FSSP). The aim was to study the influence of aerosol and meteorological factors on droplet size and number. The results are: More mass in the accumulation size range of the aerosol leads to more droplets in stratocumulus clouds and to higher soluble masses in droplets of stratus clouds. However, the aerosol distribution was coarser in the stratus clouds compared to the stratocumulus clouds. Within the first 200 m from cloud base, the droplets grow while their number decreases. The growth results in a stable size of about 14 µm diameter over a large distance from cloud base in many stratocumulus clouds. Two types of mixing processes were observed: processes with reductions in the number of droplets (inhomogeneous mixing) and with reductions in the size of the droplets (homogeneous mixing).     

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。      

The Microphysical Characteristics of Wintertime Cold Clouds in North China

The microphysical characteristics of wintertime cold clouds in North China were investigated from 22 aircraft observation flights from 2014 to 2017, 2020, and 2021. The clouds were generated by mesoscale weather systems with little orographic component. Over the mixed-phase temperature range (–40°C to 0°C), the average fraction of liquid, mixed-phase, and ice cloud was 4.9%, 23.3%, and 71.8%, respectively, and the probability distribution of ice mass fraction was a half-U-shape, suggesting that ice cloud was the primary cloud type. The wintertime mixed-phase clouds in North China were characterized by large cloud droplet number concentration, small liquid water content (LWC), and small effective diameter of cloud droplets. The main reason for larger cloud droplet number concentration and smaller effective diameter of cloud droplets was the heavy pollution in winter in North China, while for smaller LWC was the lower temperature during flights and the difference in air mass type. With the temperature increasing, cloud droplet number concentration, LWC, and the size of ice particles increased, but ice number concentration and effective diameter of cloud droplets decreased, similar to other mid-latitude regions, indicating the similarity in the temperature dependence of cloud properties of mixed-phase clouds. The variation of the cloud properties and ice habit at different temperatures indicated the operation of the aggregation and riming processes, which were commonly present in the wintertime mixed-phase clouds. This study fills a gap in the aircraft observation of wintertime cold clouds in North China.     

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。     

A study of vertical cloud structure of the Indian summer monsoon using CloudSat data

Precise specification of the vertical distribution of cloud optical properties is important to reduce the uncertainty in quantifying the radiative impacts of clouds. The new global observations of vertical profiles of clouds from the CloudSat mission provide opportunities to describe cloud structures and to improve parameterization of clouds in the weather and climate prediction models. In this study, four years (2007–2010) of observations of vertical structure of clouds from the CloudSat cloud profiling radar have been used to document the mean vertical structure of clouds associated with the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) and its intra-seasonal variability. Active and break monsoon spells associated with the intra-seasonal variability of ISM have been identified by an objective criterion. For the present analysis, we considered CloudSat derived column integrated cloud liquid and ice water, and vertically profiles of cloud liquid and ice water content. Over the South Asian monsoon region, deep convective clouds with large vertical extent (up to 14 km) and large values of cloud water and ice content are observed over the north Bay of Bengal. Deep clouds with large ice water content are also observed over north Arabian Sea and adjoining northwest India, along the west coast of India and the south equatorial Indian Ocean. The active monsoon spells are characterized by enhanced deep convection over the Bay of Bengal, west coast of India and northeast Arabian Sea and suppressed convection over the equatorial Indian Ocean. Over the Bay of Bengal, cloud liquid water content and ice water content is enhanced by ~90 and ~200 % respectively during the active spells. An interesting feature associated with the active spell is the vertical tilting structure of positive CLWC and CIWC anomalies over the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, which suggests a pre-conditioning process for the northward propagation of the boreal summer intra-seasonal variability. It is also observed that during the break spells, clouds are not completely suppressed over central India. Instead, clouds with smaller vertical extent (3–5 km) are observed due to the presence of a heat low type of circulation. The present results will be useful for validating the vertical structure of clouds in weather and climate prediction models.     

三江源地区秋季典型多层层状云系的飞机观测分析

利用三江源地区一次机载粒子测量系统PMS(Particle Measuring Systems)的分层垂直探测资料,系统研究了该地区秋季典型多层层状云系的微物理特性,结果表明:(1)云系由4层云层组成,Cs(卷层云)和上层As(高层云)为冰云,下层As和Sc(层积云)为过冷混合态云。下层As的云粒子浓度和过冷水含量最大,Sc的云粒子尺寸及谱宽最大,且具有较明显的地区特性;(2)Sc(下层As及对流泡)中中值直径在3.5～18.5 μm(3.5～ 21.5 μm)之间的云粒子为液相,中值直径大于21.5 μm(24.5 μm)的云粒子为冰相;(3)混合态云中高过冷水区与低过冷水区云的粒子谱分布差异明显,Sc高过冷水区有较明显的淞附增长现象;(4)Sc、下层As云底、对流泡顶高过冷水区的云滴有效半径依次增加。Sc高过冷水区的过冷水含量比率均值及标准差为69.9±19.4%,且与过冷水含量存在一定的关联性;下层As云底高过冷水区的过冷水含量比率无明显变化,其均值及标准差为89.2±8.1%;(5)混合态云各高度层FSSP(前向散射粒子谱探头)平均粒子谱均为单峰型伽玛分布,混合态云和冰云各高度层2DC(二维灰度云粒子探头)平均粒子谱基本上都为负指数型分布。     

Observations of Cloud Condensation Nuclei in North China

Using a DMT （Droplet Measurement Technologies） continuous flow streamwise thermal gradient cloud condensation nuclei （CCN） counter mounted on a Cheyenne IIIA aircraft, about 20 flights for aircraft mea- surements of CCN over North China were conducted in the autumn of 2005 and spring of 2006. According to the design for aircraft observation, the method of spiral ascent or descent in the troposphere was used for the vertical measurement of CCN, and some certain levels were chosen for horizontal measurement. The vertical distributions of CCN concentrations show that most CCN particles are concentrated in the low level of troposphere and CCN concentration decreased with height increasing. It suggests that the main source of CCN is from the surface. This result is consistent with former studies during 1983-1985 in China with a static thermal gradient CCN counter. The comparison of vertical observations between polluted rural area near Shijiazhuang and non-polluted rural area near Zhangjiakou shows that there is about five times difference in CCN concentration. But over two polluted cities, Shijiazhuang and Handan, there is no notable difference in CCN concentration. The horizontal flight measurements for penetrating the cumulus clouds experiment show the apparent decrease of CCN in clouds. It confirms that cloud has a definite consumptive effect on CCN particles because some CCN particles can form cloud droplets. The surface measurements of CCN in Shijiazhuang City were made during June-August 2005. The statistical CCN data show the great difference in concentration at the same supersaturation （S） in Shijiazhuang summertime. The minimum CCN concentrations were 584, 808, and 2431 cm-3, and the maximum concentrations were 9495, 16332, and 21812 cm-3 at S=0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5%, respectively. CCN has a diurnal variation cycle. From 0600 BT, the concentration began to increase and reached the maximum at about noon. Then it generally decreased throughout the afternoon. The reason maybe is related to the onset o     

华北太行山东麓一次稳定性积层混合云飞机观测研究:对流云/对流泡和融化层结构特征

对云中微物理过程的研究是研究云降水形成过程和人工影响降水的重要基础,目前对积层混合云的对流区/对流泡中的微物理结构了解甚少。本文利用河北省“十三五”气象重点工程——云水资源开发利用工程的示范项目（2017～2019年）“太行山东麓人工增雨防雹作业技术试验”飞机和地面雷达观测数据,重点分析研究了2017年5月22日一次典型稳定性积层混合云对流泡和融化层的结构特征。研究结果表明,此次积层混合云高层存在高浓度大冰粒子,冰粒子下落过程中的增长在不同区域存在明显差异,在含有高过冷水含量的对流泡中,冰粒子增长主要是聚并和凇附增长,而在过冷水含量较低的云区以聚并增长为主。由于聚并增长形成的大冰粒子密度低,下落速度小,穿过0℃层时间更长,出现大量半融化的冰粒子,使融化现象更为明显。镶嵌在层状云中的对流泡一般处于0℃～-10℃（高度4～6 km）层之间,垂直和水平尺度约2 km,最大上升气流速度可达5 m s-1。对流泡内平均液态水含量是周围云区的2倍左右,小云粒子平均浓度比周围云区高一个量级,大粒子（直径800 μm以上）的浓度也更高。在具有较高过冷水含量的对流泡中降水形成符合“播撒—供给”机制,但在过冷水含量较低的区域并不符合这一机制。     

Parametric representation of heat and moisture fluxes in cloud-topped mixed layers

Aircraft measurements were made from the NCAR Electra in stratus and stratocumulus clouds off the coast of California in June 1976. Several types of cloud conditions were observed, including (1) a broken layer less than 100 m thick, capped by an inversion at ~1000 m, (2) a broken stratocumulus layer ~300 m thick with an inversion at ~500 m, and (3) a solid stratocumulus layer ~250 m thick with an inversion at ~500 m. Although these observations indicate that a variety of cloud conditions may exist in mixed layers, simple one-dimensional mixed-layer models implicitly assume a solid cloud layer with no unsaturated region within the cloud. In order to generalize these simple models, a parametric representation of the heat and moisture fluxes is considered. In this scheme, the fluxes are parameterized in terms of the product of a cloud mass flux and the characteristic difference between the thermodynamic properties of an updraft-downdraft circulation. This representation allows for an explicit representation of the buoyancy flux when the downdraft has no liquid water.Data collected during these flights were used to calculate heat and moisture fluxes and to obtain the mean difference in the thermodynamic properties of the updrafts and downdrafts at a given level. The mass flux was calculated using updraft-downdraft differences and the fluxes. The mass fluxes obtained using various thermodynamic quantities are examined for consistency. The vertical distribution of the mass flux is determined. These results indicate that a mass flux formulation could prove to be useful in modeling applications where cloud conditions may vary between solid and broken.     

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.     

The First Observed Cloud Echoes and Microphysical Parameter Retrievals by China's 94-GHz Cloud Radar

By using the cloud echoes first successfully observed by China's indigenous 94-GHz SKY cloud radar, the macrostructure and microphysical properties of drizzling stratocumulus clouds in Anhui Province on 8 June2013 are analyzed, and the detection capability of this cloud radar is discussed. The results are as follows.(1) The cloud radar is able to observe the time-varying macroscopic and microphysical parameters of clouds,and it can reveal the microscopic structure and small-scale changes of clouds.(2) The velocity spectral width of cloud droplets is small, but the spectral width of the cloud containing both cloud droplets and drizzle is large. When the spectral width is more than 0.4 m s-1, the radar reflectivity factor is larger(over –10 dBZ).(3) The radar's sensitivity is comparatively higher because the minimum radar reflectivity factor is about–35 dBZ in this experiment, which exceeds the threshold for detecting the linear depolarized ratio(LDR) of stratocumulus(commonly –11 to –14 dBZ; decreases with increasing turbulence).(4) After distinguishing of cloud droplets from drizzle, cloud liquid water content and particle effective radius are retrieved. The liquid water content of drizzle is lower than that of cloud droplets at the same radar reflectivity factor.     

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。     

一次秋季暖云微物理结构探测试验

针对2008年10月24日四川盆地上空未形成降水的低层暖云,利用夏延ⅢA飞机搭载的PMS系列探头进行了探测试验,分析了云的微物理结构.分析结果表明:云体构成以小云滴为主,大云滴浓度较低,降水粒子很少.云中小云滴的液态含水量、数浓度、直径在水平方向上分布不均.小云滴的液态含水量和小云滴的体积平均直径正相关.相对云上部,云...     

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。     

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.     

广西秋季层状云微物理特征分析

利用2012年11—12月在广西进行的11架次飞机云物理探测资料对层状云宏微观物理结构特征进行研究,探讨层状云降水机制。结果表明:广西层状云微物理特征与我国其他地区的存在显著差异。层状云典型的微物理垂直结构为在云下层是由凝结作用生成云滴,随上升气流发展,云滴数浓度、平均直径和液态水含量随高度逐步增加,云滴谱拓宽,谱型向大尺度的方向扩展,至云中上层增大至最大值后随高度减小。冷暖混合云结构的高层云冷云部分的冰相粒子落入暖层后对其微物理结构产生影响,主要是使云滴谱展宽,CIP云滴平均直径垂直分布变幅增大,有利于暖层中碰并过程的启动和发展。层积云微物理水平分布呈现不连续跳跃式变化特征,存在对流泡结构,对流泡内各微物理量高于泡外,云滴谱型向大尺度移动,对流泡结构是层积云形成降水的重要机制。     

江西地区层状暖云微物理结构特征及云雨自动转化阈值函数的研究

本文利用机载云粒子探测设备对2014年11月6日至12月25日期间在江西地区探测获得的7次暖云飞行个例资料,详细分析降水云和非降水云的微物理结构特征。云雨自动转化阈值函数（T）是描述云内碰并强度的重要微物理参量。我们发现T值在云内分布呈现云底较小,随着云内高度的增加T值逐渐增大,并且在云中部和上部达到最大值;研究还发现降水云的T值在0.6以上的频率远大于非降水云,表明降水云中的碰并过程更强,云滴更易通过凝结和碰并过程形成雨滴,符合暖云降水机制。降水云中云滴谱相对离散度（ε）和云滴数浓度（N_c）的负相关程度较非降水云更为显著,随着T的增大,二者的负相关程度增强;相比于云滴平均半径（r_a）的变化,云滴谱标准差（σ）的变化主导ε–N_c负相关程度的增强。     

爆炸对云滴碰并增长的实验研究

在2m3云室中进行了一组研究爆炸对云滴碰并增长影响的试验。用一个模拟爆炸源产生冲击波，通过沉降取样和FSSP观测爆炸前后的滴谱变化。沉降取样结果表明，在爆炸声压级130 dB作用后的2分钟内，滴谱变宽，较大云滴浓度增加。从室内试验看，爆炸冲击波似乎能促进云滴的碰并过程。本文结果为爆炸对暖云影响提供了一种可能的解释。     

A study on radiative properties of Indian summer monsoon clouds

Possible causes behind the unusual cooling by summer monsoon clouds over India are investigated. Results suggest that the causes behind the cooling over the Bay of Bengal, India (BBI) and Arabian Sea (AS) within the Indian monsoon region are different. Over the BBI, clouds are tall. A unique upper tropospheric easterly jet stream exists over India during the summer monsoon season, which horizontally spreads the vertically growing deep convective clouds and thereby increases the cloud cover. Hence, more incoming solar radiation is reflected back to space, which leads to cooling. A radiative transfer study employing the Santa Barbara DISORT Atmospheric Radiative Transfer model supports this view. Over the Arabian Sea, clouds are shallow, and hence the upper tropospheric jet cannot affect them. Due to their proximity to the ground, Arabian Sea clouds exert less warming effect, but they exert a considerable cooling effect, which arises because of the high reflectivity of the clouds. Over the Equatorial Indian Ocean (EIO), where the monsoon clouds originate and propagate towards the monsoon trough region, both cooling and warming effects are nearly canceled out. The upper tropospheric jet is located hundreds of kilometers north of the EIO, and hence it does not disturb the deep convective clouds of the EIO. Therefore, they behave similarly to other deep convective clouds in the tropical belt.     

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。