Decomposition of Fast and Slow Cloud Responses to Quadrupled CO2 Forcing in BCC–AGCM2.0 over East Asia

In this study, the decomposed fast and slow responses of clouds to an abruptly quadrupled CO₂ concentration (approximately 1139 ppmv) in East Asia (EA) are obtained quantitatively by using a general circulation model, BCC–AGCM2.0. Our results show that in the total response, the total cloud cover (TCC), low cloud cover (LCC), and high cloud cover (HCC) all increased north of 40°N and decreased south of 40°N except in the Tibetan Plateau (TP). The mean changes of the TCC, LCC, and HCC in EA were –0.74%, 0.38%, and –0.38% in the total response, respectively; 1.05%, –0.03%, and 1.63% in the fast response, respectively; and –1.79%, 0.41%, and –2.01% in the slow response, respectively. By comparison, we found that changes in cloud cover were dominated by the slow response in most areas in EA due to the changes in atmospheric temperature, circulation, and water vapor supply together. Overall, the changes in the cloud forcing over EA related to the fast and slow responses were opposite to each other, and the final cloud forcing was dominated by the slow response. The mean net cloud forcing (NCF) in the total response over EA was –1.80 W m^–2, indicating a cooling effect which partially offset the warming effect caused by the quadrupled CO₂. The total responses of NCF in the TP, south China (SC), and northeast China (NE) were –6.74 W m^–2, 6.11 W m^–2, and –7.49 W m^–2, respectively. Thus, the local effects of offsetting or amplifying warming were particularly obvious.     

Fengyun-4 Geostationary Satellite-Based Solar Energy Nowcasting System and Its Application in North China

Surface solar irradiance (SSI) nowcasting (0–3 h) is an effective way to overcome the intermittency of solar energy and to ensure the safe operation of grid-connected solar power plants. In this study, an SSI estimate and nowcasting system was established using the near-infrared channel of Fengyun-4A (FY-4A) geostationary satellite. The system is composed of two key components: The first is a hybrid SSI estimation method combining a physical clear-sky model and an empirical cloudy-sky model. The second component is the SSI nowcasting model, the core of which is the derivation of the cloud motion vector (CMV) using the block-matching method. The goal of simultaneous estimation and nowcasting of global horizontal irradiance (GHI) and direct normal irradiance (DNI) is fulfilled. The system was evaluated under different sky conditions using SSI measurements at Xianghe, a radiation station in the North China Plain. The results show that the accuracy of GHI estimation is higher than that of DNI estimation, with a normalized root-mean-square error (nRMSE) of 22.4% relative to 45.4%. The nRMSE of forecasting GHI and DNI at 30–180 min ahead varied within 25.1%–30.8% and 48.1%–53.4%, respectively. The discrepancy of SSI estimation depends on cloud occurrence frequency and shows a seasonal pattern, being lower in spring–summer and higher in autumn–winter. The FY-4A has great potential in supporting SSI nowcasting, which promotes the development of photovoltaic energy and the reduction of carbon emissions in China. The system can be improved further if calibration of the empirical method is improved.     

Compensating Errors in Cloud Radiative and Physical Properties over the Southern Ocean in the CMIP6 Climate Models

The Southern Ocean is covered by a large amount of clouds with high cloud albedo. However, as reported by previous climate model intercomparison projects, underestimated cloudiness and overestimated absorption of solar radiation (ASR) over the Southern Ocean lead to substantial biases in climate sensitivity. The present study revisits this long-standing issue and explores the uncertainty sources in the latest CMIP6 models. We employ 10-year satellite observations to evaluate cloud radiative effect (CRE) and cloud physical properties in five CMIP6 models that provide comprehensive output of cloud, radiation, and aerosol. The simulated longwave, shortwave, and net CRE at the top of atmosphere in CMIP6 are comparable with the CERES satellite observations. Total cloud fraction (CF) is also reasonably simulated in CMIP6, but the comparison of liquid cloud fraction (LCF) reveals marked biases in spatial pattern and seasonal variations. The discrepancies between the CMIP6 models and the MODIS satellite observations become even larger in other cloud macro- and micro-physical properties, including liquid water path (LWP), cloud optical depth (COD), and cloud effective radius, as well as aerosol optical depth (AOD). However, the large underestimation of both LWP and cloud effective radius (regional means ~20% and 11%, respectively) results in relatively smaller bias in COD, and the impacts of the biases in COD and LCF also cancel out with each other, leaving CRE and ASR reasonably predicted in CMIP6. An error estimation framework is employed, and the different signs of the sensitivity errors and biases from CF and LWP corroborate the notions that there are compensating errors in the modeled shortwave CRE. Further correlation analyses of the geospatial patterns reveal that CF is the most relevant factor in determining CRE in observations, while the modeled CRE is too sensitive to LWP and COD. The relationships between cloud effective radius, LWP, and COD are also analyzed to explore the possible uncertainty sources in different models. Our study calls for more rigorous calibration of detailed cloud physical properties for future climate model development and climate projection.     

Influence of the total atmospheric optical depth and cloud cover on solar irradiance components

Broadband solar irradiance data obtained in the spectral range 400–940 nm at Kwangju, South Korea from 1999–2000 have been analyzed to investigate the effects of cloud cover and atmospheric optical depth on solar radiation components. Results from measurements indicate that the percentage of direct and diffuse horizontal components of solar irradiance depend largely on total optical depth (TOD) and cloud cover. During summer and spring, the percentages of diffuse solar irradiance relative to the global irradiance were 5.0% and 4.9% as compared to 2.2% and 3.0% during winter and autumn. The diffuse solar irradiance is higher than the direct in spring and summer by 24.2%, and 40.6%, respectively, which may largely be attributed to the attenuation (scattering) of radiation by heavy dust pollution and large cloud amount. In cloud-free conditions with cloud cover ≤2/10, the fraction of the direct and diffuse components were 66.0% and 34.0%, respectively, with a mean daily global irradiance value of 7.92±2.91 MJ m⁻² day⁻¹. However, under cloudy conditions (with cloud cover ≥8/10), the diffuse and direct fractions were 97.9% and 2.2% of the global component, respectively. The annual mean TOD under cloudless conditions (cloud cover≤2/10) yields 0.74±0.33 and increased to as much as 3.15±0.67 under cloudy conditions with cloud amount ≥8/10. An empirical formula is derived for estimating the diffuse and direct components of horizontal solar irradiance by considering the total atmospheric optical depth (TOD). Results from statistical models are shown for the estimation of solar irradiance components as a function of TOD with sufficient accuracy as indicated by low standard error for each solar zenith angle (SZA).     

Sensitivity Study of Anthropogenic Aerosol Indirect Forcing through Cirrus Clouds with CAM5 Using Three Ice Nucleation Parameterizations

Quantifying the radiative forcing due to aerosol–cloud interactions especially through cirrus clouds remains challenging because of our limited understanding of aerosol and cloud processes. In this study, we investigate the anthropogenic aerosol indirect forcing (AIF) through cirrus clouds using the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5) with a state-of-the-art treatment of ice nucleation. We adopt a new approach to isolate anthropogenic AIF through cirrus clouds in which ice nucleation parameterization is driven by prescribed pre-industrial (PI) and presentday (PD) aerosols, respectively. Sensitivities of anthropogenic ice AIF (i.e., anthropogenic AIF through cirrus clouds) to different ice nucleation parameterizations, homogeneous freezing occurrence, and uncertainties in the cloud microphysics scheme are investigated. Results of sensitivity experiments show that the change (PD minus PI) in global annual mean longwave cloud forcing (i.e., longwave anthropogenic ice AIF) ranges from 0.14 to 0.35 W m^–2, the change in global annual mean shortwave cloud forcing (i.e., shortwave anthropogenic ice AIF) from–0.47 to–0.20 W m^–2, and the change in net cloud forcing from–0.12 to 0.05 W m^–2. Our results suggest that different ice nucleation parameterizations are an important factor for the large uncertainty of anthropogenic ice AIF. Furthermore, improved understanding of the spatial and temporal occurrence characteristics of homogeneous freezing events and the mean states of cirrus cloud properties are also important for constraining anthropogenic ice AIF.     

Optical and radiative properties of aerosols during a severe haze episode over the North China Plain in December 2016

The optical and radiative properties of aerosols during a severe haze episode from 15 to 22 December 2016 over Beijing, Shijiazhuang, and Jiaozuo in the North China Plain were analyzed based on the ground-based and satellite data, meteorological observations, and atmospheric environmental monitoring data. The aerosol optical depth at 500 nm was < 0.30 and increased to > 1.4 as the haze pollution developed. The Ångström exponent was > 0.80 for most of the study period. The daily single-scattering albedo was > 0.85 over all of the North China Plain on the most polluted days and was > 0.97 on some particular days. The volumes of fine and coarse mode particles during the haze event were approximately 0.05–0.21 and 0.01–0.43 μm³, respectively—that is, larger than those in the time without haze. The daily absorption aerosol optical depth was about 0.01–0.11 in Beijing, 0.01–0.13 in Shijiazhuang, and 0.01–0.04 in Jiaozuo, and the average absorption Ångström exponent varied between 0.6 and 2.0. The aerosol radiative forcing at the bottom of the atmosphere varied from –23 to –227,–34 to –199, and –29 to –191 W m^–2 for the whole haze period, while the aerosol radiative forcing at the top of the atmosphere varied from –4 to –98, –10 to –51, and –21 to –143 W m^–2 in Beijing, Shijiazhuang, and Jiaozuo, respectively. Satellite observations showed that smoke, polluted dust, and polluted continental components of aerosols may aggravate air pollution during haze episodes. The analysis of the potential source contribution function and concentration-weighted trajectory showed that the contribution from local emissions and pollutants transport from upstream areas were 190–450 and 100–410 μg m^–3, respectively.     

Changes in the cloud properties in response to El Niño: a bivariate approach

We analyse the dependence of the cloud radiative effect (CRE) and cloud amount on mid-tropospheric pressure velocity (ω ₅₀₀) and sea surface temperature (SST) and point out the shortcomings of using these two proxies separately as means to separate cloud regimes. A bivariate approach is proposed to overcome these shortcomings and it is used to systematically investigate marine cloud properties at different spatial and time scales in the present-day (1985–2001) tropical climate. During the 1997–1998 El Niño, the greatest regional change in CRE and cloud cover coincides with the greatest local change in circulation and SST. In addition, we find that the cooling effect of the stratiform low clouds reduces at the rate of approximately 1 W/m² per percent of cloudiness reduction in the subsident cold pools of the Pacific ocean. During El Niño, the transition between different cloud regimes gives rise to opposing cloud feedbacks. The sign of the total feedback is controlled by the cloud optical thickness. More generally, we find that the largest part of the cloud response to El Niño, when averaged over the tropical Pacific, is not directly associated with ω ₅₀₀ and SST changes, so other factors must play a role as well.     

基于CloudSat云分类资料的华北地区云宏观特征分析

利用2007年1月至2008年12月的CloudSat 2B-CLDCLASS-LIDAR云分类资料对华北地区(36°~42°N,110°~120°E)各类云在单层及多层云中的出现频率、平均高度及平均厚度进行统计分析。结果表明:华北地区单层云和多层云出现频率存在明显的季节变化,夏季最大,春秋次之,冬季最小。单层云的出现频率远高于多层云,单层云出现频率在春、夏、秋、冬4个季节分别为44.3%、46.1%、37.8%和32.8%,而多层云中2层云所占比例最大。单层云和多层云各云层平均高度、平均厚度分析显示,3层云上层云顶云底高度最高,3层云下层云顶云底高度最低,单层云平均厚度明显大于多层云,云层数越多,各云层的平均厚度越小。对不同类型云出现频率分析显示,卷云主要出现在单层云及多层云中、上层,高层云和高积云在单层云和多层云各云层中均占有一定的比例,层云主要出现在多层云下层,层积云、积云、深对流云主要出现在单层云及多层云下层,雨层云主要出现在夏季单层云中。卷云、高层云、高积云的平均高度及厚度在不同云系统中存在显著的差异。     

Value-Added Products Derived from 15 Years of High-Quality Surface Solar Radiation Measurements at Xianghe,a Suburban Site in the North China Plain

Surface solar radiation(SSR) is a key component of the energy budget of the Earth’s surface, and it varies at different spatial and temporal scales. Considerable knowledge of how and why SSR varies is crucial to a better understanding of climate change, which surely requires long-term measurements of high quality. The objective of this study is to introduce a value-added SSR dataset from Oct 2004 to Oct 2019 based on measurements taken at Xianghe, a suburban site in the North China Plain; two va...     

A new algorithm to estimate sky condition based on 5 minutes-averaged values of clearness index and relative optical air mass

Summary This work describes a new algorithm to characterize sky condition in intervals of 5 min using four categories of sun exposition: apparent sun with cloud reflection effects; apparent sun without cloud effects; sun partially concealed by clouds; and sun totally concealed by clouds. The algorithm can also be applied to estimate hourly and daily sky condition in terms of the traditional three categories: clear, partially cloudy and cloudy day. It identifies sky conditions within a confidence interval of 95% by minimizing local climate and measurement effects. This is accomplished by using a logistic cumulative probability function to characterize clear sky and Weibull cumulative probability function to represent cloudy sky. Both probability functions are derived from frequency distributions of clearness index, based on 5 minutes-averaged values of global solar irradiance observed at the surface during a period of 6 years in Botucatu, Southeastern of Brazil. The relative sunshine estimated from the new algorithm is statistically comparable to the one derived from Campbell-Stocks sunshine recorder for both daily and monthly values. The new method indicates that the highest frequency of clear sky days occurs in Botucatu during winter (66%) and the lowest during the summer (38%). Partially cloudy condition is the dominant feature during all months of the year.     

基于Ka波段云雷达的六盘山顶云特征分析

利用宁夏六盘山气象站2017年9月至2018年8月的Ka波段云雷达观测资料,统计分析了六盘山顶不同云的出现频率及宏观特征.结果表明:六盘山顶云出现频率最高值在7月,为61％,最低值在12月,为26％;按云层数划分,六盘山顶出现的云主要以1层云、2层云及3层云为主,相对总云的月平均出现频率分别为68％—86％、14％—2...     

南半球中高纬度区域不同类型云的辐射特性

利用CloudSat的2B-CLDCLASS-LIDAR云分类产品和2B-FLXHR-LIDAR辐射产品4 a（2007-2010年）的数据,定量分析了单层云（高云、中云、低云）和3种双层云（如:高云与中云共存、高云与低云共存以及中云与低云共存）在南半球中高纬度（40°-65°S）的云量、云辐射强迫和云辐射加热率。其中云辐射加热率定义为有云时的大气加热率廓线与晴空大气加热率廓线的差值。结果表明:研究区域盛行单层低云和单层中云,其云量分别为44.1%和10.3%。并且,中云重叠低云在双层云中云量也是最大（8.7%）。不同类型云的云量也显著影响着其云辐射强迫。单层低云在大气层顶、地表以及大气中的净云辐射强迫分别是-64.8、-56.5和-8.4 W/m2,其绝对值大于其他类型云。虽然单层的中云在大气层顶和地表的净辐射强迫也为负值,但其在大气中的净云辐射强迫为正值（2.3 W/m2）。最后,讨论了不同类型云对大气中辐射能量垂直分布的影响。所有类型云的短波（或长波）云辐射加热率都随高度升高表现为由负值转为正值（或由正值转为负值）。对于大部分云,其净云辐射加热率主要由长波云辐射加热率决定。这些研究结果旨在为模式中云重叠参数化方案在区域的适用性评估及改进提供观测依据。      

不同形状冰晶权重假定对冰云光学和辐射特性的影响

在BCC_RAD辐射传输模式和包含多形状冰晶粒子的冰云光学性质参数化方案的基础上,详细分析了不同冰晶粒子权重选取对冰云光学和辐射特性的影响。结果显示,不同形状冰晶粒子权重的选取对长波带平均消光系数、单次散射比、不对称因子和短波带平均不对称因子均有较大的影响。冰晶粒子权重选取对长波辐射通量有很大影响:对长波向下辐射通量,权重选择不同可在云底处造成高达10.50 W/m2的差别;对长波向上辐射通量,权重选择不同可在云顶处造成高达15.05 W/m2的差别。冰晶粒子权重选择对短波辐射通量也存在较大影响:对短波向下辐射通量,权重选择不同可在云底处造成高达12.48 W/m2的差别;对短波向上辐射通量,权重选择不同可在云顶处造成高达10.23 W/m2的差别。冰晶粒子权重选择对长波加热率影响较大,在云顶处和云底处分别可达1.31和-2.06 K/d。研究表明,不同形状冰晶粒子权重的选取对冰云光学性质和辐射计算均有较大的影响,在长波区间尤其明显。      

On the radiation characteristics of Antarctic Sea Ice

Abstract

Radiative measurements were carried out continuously during a cruise from Australia to Antarctica during austral summer 1995/96. Both shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes were measured. Some of the results are:

• The incoming solar radiation had a mean value of 217 W m^–2; this was a relatively weak value due to the large amount of fractional cloud cover observed. The sun was, for a large part of the trip, above the horizon for 24 hours a day.

• The reflectivity varied widely, not only as a function of sea‐ice concentration, but also as a function of ice type.

• Snow covered pack ice gave the highest albedo values (<70%), while flooded sea ice and thin ice reflected much less (<30%).

• For each sea‐ice type, short term observations showed a good relationship between albedo and ice concentration.

• The albedo increased with decreasing solar elevation.

• The net longwave radiation was negative (mean –27 W m–2); this small absolute value is due to a high amount of fractional cloud cover. There was a weak diurnal variation with a maximum loss (–33 W m^–2) in the early afternoon.

• On the average, the net radiation was positive for 17 hours, and negative for 7 hours a day. However, the duration of a positive balance depended strongly on the surface albedo.

• For the observed albedo values, modelling results showed that the net radiation was always positive when averaged over a day. The magnitude, however, depended strongly on the surface albedo, varying by more than the factor of three.

     

A Comparison of Cloud Layers from Ground and Satellite Active Remote Sensing at the Southern Great Plains ARM Site

Using the data collected over the Southern Great Plains ARM site from 2006 to 2010, the surface Active Remote Sensing of Cloud(ARSCL) and Cloud Sat-CALIPSO satellite(CC) retrievals of total cloud and six specified cloud types [low, mid–low(ML), high–mid–low(HML), mid, high–mid(HM) and high] were compared in terms of cloud fraction(CF), cloud-base height(CBH), cloud-top height(CTH) and cloud thickness(CT), on different temporal scales, to identify their respective advantages and limitations. Good agreement between the two methods was exhibited in the total CF. However, large discrepancies were found between the cloud distributions of the two methods at a high(240-m) vertical grid spacing. Compared to the satellites, ARSCL retrievals detected more boundary layer clouds, while they underestimated high clouds. In terms of the six specific cloud types, more low- and mid-level clouds but less HML- and high-level clouds were detected by ARSCL than by CC. In contrast, the ARSCL retrievals of ML- and HM-level clouds agreed more closely with the estimations from the CC product. Lower CBHs tended to be reported by the surface data for low-, ML- and HML-level clouds; however, higher CTHs were often recorded by the satellite product for HML-, HM- and high-level clouds. The mean CTs for low- and ML-level cloud were similar between the two products; however, the mean CTs for HML-, mid-, HM- and high-level clouds from ARSCL were smaller than those from CC.     

Modeling Study of Aerosol Indirect Effects on Global Climate with an AGCM

Aerosol indirect effects (AIEs) on global climate were quantitatively investigated by introducing aerosol-cloud interaction parameterizations for water stratus clouds into an AGCM (BCC AGCM2.0.1), which was developed by the National Climate Center of the China Meteorological Administration. The study yielded a global annual mean of -1.14 W m-2 for the first indirect radiative forcing (IRF), with an obvious seasonal change. In summer, large forcing mainly occurred in mid to high latitudes of the Northern Hem...     

A process oriented characterization of tropical oceanic clouds for climate model evaluation, based on a statistical analysis of daytime A-train observations

This paper aims at characterizing how different key cloud properties (cloud fraction, cloud vertical distribution, cloud reflectance, a surrogate of the cloud optical depth) vary as a function of the others over the tropical oceans. The correlations between the different cloud properties are built from 2?years of collocated A-train observations (CALIPSO-GOCCP and MODIS) at a scale close to cloud processes; it results in a characterization of the physical processes in tropical clouds, that can be used to better understand cloud behaviors, and constitute a powerful tool to develop and evaluate cloud parameterizations in climate models. First, we examine a case study of shallow cumulus cloud observed simultaneously by the two sensors (CALIPSO, MODIS), and develop a methodology that allows to build global scale statistics by keeping the separation between clear and cloudy areas at the pixel level (250, 330?m). Then we build statistical instantaneous relationships between the cloud cover, the cloud vertical distribution and the cloud reflectance. The vertical cloud distribution indicates that the optically thin clouds (optical thickness <1.5) dominate the boundary layer over the trade wind regions. Optically thick clouds (optical thickness >3.4) are composed of high and mid-level clouds associated with deep convection along the ITCZ and SPCZ and over the warm pool, and by stratocumulus low level clouds located along the East coast of tropical oceans. The cloud properties are analyzed as a function of the large scale circulation regime. Optically thick high clouds are dominant in convective regions (CF?>?80?%), while low level clouds with low optical thickness (<3.5) are present in regimes of subsidence but in convective regimes as well, associated principally to low cloud fractions (CF?<?50?%). A focus on low-level clouds allows us to quantify how the cloud optical depth increases with cloud top altitude and with cloud fraction.     

Evaluating the Impacts of Cloud Microphysical and Overlap Parameters on Simulated Clouds in Global Climate Models

The improvement of the accuracy of simulated cloud-related variables, such as the cloud fraction, in global climate models (GCMs) is still a challenging problem in climate modeling. In this study, the influence of cloud microphysics schemes (one-moment versus two-moment schemes) and cloud overlap methods (observation-based versus a fixed vertical decorrelation length) on the simulated cloud fraction was assessed in the BCC_AGCM2.0_CUACE/Aero. Compared with the fixed decorrelation length method, the observation-based approach produced a significantly improved cloud fraction both globally and for four representative regions. The utilization of a two-moment cloud microphysics scheme, on the other hand, notably improved the simulated cloud fraction compared with the one-moment scheme; specifically, the relative bias in the global mean total cloud fraction decreased by 42.9%–84.8%. Furthermore, the total cloud fraction bias decreased by 6.6% in the boreal winter (DJF) and 1.64% in the boreal summer (JJA). Cloud radiative forcing globally and in the four regions improved by 0.3%?1.2% and 0.2%?2.0%, respectively. Thus, our results showed that the interaction between clouds and climate through microphysical and radiation processes is a key contributor to simulation uncertainty.     

华东地区夏季云微物理结构的飞机观测分析

利用飞机搭载云粒子探头对2014年8月12-28日华东地区云的空间分布特征进行了探测,分析了云的垂直结构和水平分布特征,结合同时探测的气溶胶数据,探讨了云与气溶胶的相互作用关系。探测结果表明,安徽地区层状云云滴平均数浓度在24~297 cm^-3,液态含水量在0.04~0.13 g·m^-3,云滴数浓度随云底高度升高而减小,云滴粒径则随云底升高而增大。层积云(Sc)和雨层云(Ns)的云滴数浓度在云底最高,随高度上升浓度下降,液态含水量在云中部最高,云顶和云底处较低,高层云(As)云滴数浓度和液态含水量峰值均出现在云中上部。云的水平分布不均匀,云粒子双峰分布区域对应液态含水量高值区。Ns对气溶胶清除作用明显,清除方式以活化清除为主、碰并清除为辅。     

Observational Characteristics of Cloud Vertical Profiles over the Continent of East Asia from the CloudSat Data

The CloudSat satellite data from June 2006 to April 2011 are used to investigate the characteristics of cloud vertical profiles over East Asia(20°-50°N,80°-120°E),with particular emphasis on the profiles of precipitative clouds in comparison with those of nonprecipitative clouds,as well as the seasonal variations of these profiles.There are some obvious differences between the precipitative and nonprecipitative cloud profiles.Generally,precipitative clouds mainly locate below 8 km with radar reflectivity in the range of-20 to 15 dBZ and maximum values appearing within 2-4-km height,and the clouds usually reach the ground;while nonprecipitative clouds locate in the layers of 4-12 km with radar reflectivity between-28 and 0 dBZ and maximum values within 8-10-km height.There are also some differences among the liquid precipitative,solid precipitative,and possible drizzle precipitative cloud profiles.In precipitative clouds,radar reflectivity increases rapidly from 11 to 7 km in vertical,implying that condensation and collision-coalescence processes play a crucial role in the formation of large-size drops.The frequency distribution of temperature at-15℃ is consistent with the highest frequency of radar reflectivity in solid precipitative clouds,which suggests that the temperatures near-15℃ are conductive to deposition and accretion processes.The vertical profiles of liquid precipitative clouds show almost the same distributions in spring,summer,and autumn but with differences in winter at mainly lower levels.In contrast,the vertical profiles of solid precipitative clouds change from spring to winter with an alternate double and single high-frequency core,which is consistent with variations of the frequency distribution of temperature at-15℃.The vertical profiles of nonprecipitative clouds show a little change with season.The observations also show that the precipitation events over East Asia are mostly related to deep convective clouds and nimbostratus clouds.These results are expected to be useful for evaluation of weather and climate models and for improvement of microphysical parameterizations in numerical models.