An Evaluation of Phase, Aerosol-Cloud Interactions and Microphysical Properties of Single- and Multi-Layer Clouds Over the Southern Ocean Using in Situ Observations From SOCRATES
Publication Date
8-16-2023
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
Volume
128
Issue
15
DOI
10.1029/2023JD038610
Abstract
Single- and multi-layer clouds are commonly observed over the Southern Ocean in varying synoptic settings, yet few studies have characterized and contrasted their properties. This study provides a statistical analysis of the microphysical properties of single- and multi-layer clouds using in-situ observations acquired during the Southern Ocean Cloud-Radiation Aerosol Transport Experimental Study. The relative frequencies of ice-containing samples (i.e., mixed and ice phase) for multi-layer clouds are 0.05–0.25 greater than for single-layer clouds, depending on cloud layer height. In multi-layer clouds, the lowest cloud layers have the highest ice-containing sample frequencies, which decrease with increasing cloud layer height up to the third highest cloud layer. This suggests a prominent seeder-feeder mechanism over the region. Ice nucleating particle (cloud condensation nuclei) concentrations are positively (negatively) correlated with ice-containing sample frequencies in select cases. Differences in microphysical properties are observed for single- and multi-layer clouds. Drop concentrations (size distributions) are greater (narrower) for single-layer clouds compared with the lowest multi-layer clouds. When differentiating cloud layers by top (single- and highest multi-layer clouds) and non-top layers (underlying multi-layer clouds), total particle size distributions (including liquid and ice) are similarly broader for non-top cloud layers. Additionally, drop concentrations in coupled environments are approximately double those in decoupled environments.
Funding Number
AGS‐160486
Funding Sponsor
National Science Foundation
Keywords
aerosol-cloud interactions, cloud microphysics, Southern Ocean
Department
Meteorology and Climate Science
Recommended Citation
John J. D’Alessandro, Greg M. McFarquhar, Jeffrey L. Stith, Minghui Diao, Paul J. DeMott, Christina S. McCluskey, Thomas C.J. Hill, Greg C. Roberts, and Kevin J. Sanchez. "An Evaluation of Phase, Aerosol-Cloud Interactions and Microphysical Properties of Single- and Multi-Layer Clouds Over the Southern Ocean Using in Situ Observations From SOCRATES" Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres (2023). https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JD038610
