Search Results
Detrainment Dominates CCN Concentrations Around Non-Precipitating Convective Clouds Over the Amazon
2022, Braga, Ramon C., Rosenfeld, Daniel, Andreae, Meinrat O., Pöhlker, Christopher, Pöschl, Ulrich, Voigt, Christiane, Weinzierl, Bernadett, Wendisch, Manfred, Pöhlker, Mira L., Harrison, Daniel
We investigated the relationship between the number concentration of cloud droplets (Nd) in ice-free convective clouds and of particles large enough to act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) measured at the lateral boundaries of cloud elements. The data were collected during the ACRIDICON-CHUVA aircraft campaign over the Amazon Basin. The results indicate that the CCN particles at the lateral cloud boundaries are dominated by detrainment from the cloud. The CCN concentrations detrained from non-precipitating convective clouds are smaller compared to below cloud bases. The detrained CCN particles from precipitating cloud volumes have relatively larger sizes, but lower concentrations. Our findings indicate that CCN particles ingested from below cloud bases are activated into cloud droplets, which evaporate at the lateral boundaries and above cloud base and release the CCN again to ambient cloud-free air, after some cloud processing. These results support the hypothesis that the CCN around the cloud are cloud-processed.
Seasonal variability of heterogeneous ice formation in stratiform clouds over the Amazon Basin
2014, Seifert, Patric, Kunz, Clara, Baars, Holger, Ansmann, Albert, Bühl, Johannes, Senf, Fabian, Engelmann, Ronny, Althausen, Dietrich, Artaxo, Paulo
Based on 11months of polarization lidar observations in the Amazon Basin near Manaus, Brazil (2.3°S, 60°W), the relationship between temperature and heterogeneous ice formation efficiency in stratiform clouds was evaluated in the cloud top temperature range between -40 and 0°C. Between -30 and 0°C, ice-containing clouds are a factor of 1.5 to 2 more frequent during the dry season. Free-tropospheric aerosol backscatter profiles revealed a twofold to tenfold increase in aerosol load during the dry season and a Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate - Interim Implementation reanalysis data set implies that the aerosol composition during the dry season is strongly influenced by biomass burning aerosol, whereas other components such as mineral dust do not vary strongly between the seasons. The injection of smoke accompanied by the likely dispersion of biological material, soil dust, or ash particles was identified as a possible source for the increased ice formation efficiency during the dry season. Key Points A unique 1year stratiform cloud data set was obtained for the Amazon Basin During the dry season, ice forms more efficient than during the wet season Biomass burning aerosols must be the source of ice nuclei during the dry season.