Comparing parameterized versus measured microphysical properties of tropical convective cloud bases during the ACRIDICON-CHUVA campaign

Ramon Campos Braga; Daniel Rosenfeld; Ralf Weigel; Tina Jurkat; Meinrat O. Andreae; Manfred Wendisch; Mira L. Poehlker; Thomas Klimach; Ulrich Poeschl; Christopher Poehlker; Christiane Voigt; Christoph Mahnke; Stephan Borrmann; Rachel I. Albrecht; Sergej Molleker; Daniel A. Vila; Luiz A. T. Machado; Paulo Artaxo

doi:10.5194/acp-17-7365-2017

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Comparing parameterized versus measured microphysical properties of tropical convective cloud bases during the ACRIDICON-CHUVA campaign

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Comparing parameterized versus measured microphysical properties of tropical convective cloud bases during the ACRIDICON-CHUVA campaign

Ramon Campos Braga, Daniel Rosenfeld, Ralf Weigel, Tina Jurkat, Meinrat O. Andreae, Manfred Wendisch, Mira L. Poehlker, Thomas Klimach, Ulrich Poeschl, Christopher Poehlker, …

Atmospheric chemistry and physics, Vol.17(12), pp.7365-7386

20/06/2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-7365-2017

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The objective of this study is to validate parameterizations that were recently developed for satellite retrievals of cloud condensation nuclei supersaturation spectra, NCCN(S), at cloud base alongside more traditional parameterizations connecting NCCN(S) with cloud base updrafts and drop concentrations. This was based on the HALO aircraft measurements during the ACRIDICON–CHUVA campaign over the Amazon region, which took place in September 2014. The properties of convective clouds were measured with a cloud combination probe (CCP), a cloud and aerosol spectrometer (CAS-DPOL), and a CCN counter onboard the HALO aircraft. An intercomparison of the cloud drop size distributions (DSDs) and the cloud water content (CWC) derived from the different instruments generally shows good agreement within the instrumental uncertainties. To this end, the directly measured cloud drop concentrations (Nd) near cloud base were compared with inferred values based on the measured cloud base updraft velocity (Wb) and NCCN(S) spectra. The measurements of Nd at cloud base were also compared with drop concentrations (Na) derived on the basis of an adiabatic assumption and obtained from the vertical evolution of cloud drop effective radius (re) above cloud base. The measurements of NCCN(S) and Wb reproduced the observed Nd within the measurements uncertainties when the old (1959) Twomey's parameterization was used. The agreement between the measured and calculated Nd was only within a factor of 2 with attempts to use cloud base S, as obtained from the measured Wb, Nd, and NCCN(S). This underscores the yet unresolved challenge of aircraft measurements of S in clouds. Importantly, the vertical evolution of re with height reproduced the observation-based nearly adiabatic cloud base drop concentrations, Na. The combination of these results provides aircraft observational support for the various components of the satellite-retrieved methodology that was recently developed to retrieve NCCN(S) under the base of convective clouds. This parameterization can now be applied with the proper qualifications to cloud simulations and satellite retrievals.

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Title: Comparing parameterized versus measured microphysical properties of tropical convective cloud bases during the ACRIDICON-CHUVA campaign
Creators: Ramon Campos Braga - National Institute for Space Research
Daniel Rosenfeld - Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Ralf Weigel - Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Tina Jurkat - German Aerospace Center
Meinrat O. Andreae - Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
Manfred Wendisch - Leipzig University
Mira L. Poehlker - Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
Thomas Klimach - Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
Ulrich Poeschl - Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
Christopher Poehlker - Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
Christiane Voigt - German Aerospace Center
Christoph Mahnke - Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Stephan Borrmann - Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Rachel I. Albrecht - Universidade de São Paulo
Sergej Molleker - Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
Daniel A. Vila - National Institute for Space Research
Luiz A. T. Machado - National Institute for Space Research
Paulo Artaxo - Universidade de São Paulo
Publication Details: Atmospheric chemistry and physics, Vol.17(12), pp.7365-7386
Publisher: Copernicus Gesellschaft Mbh
Number of pages: 22
Grant note: FP7-603445 / project BACCHUS, European Commission CNPq; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPQ) FP7-AAT-2012-3.5.1-1 / EU Project HAIC CAPES; Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES) FAPESP (Sao Paulo Research Foundation); Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP) 01LG1205A / German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF; Bundesministerium fur Bildung und Forschung) within the joint ROMIC-SPITFIRE project; Federal Ministry of Education & Research (BMBF) ACRIDICON-CHUVA campaign by the Max Planck Society German Aerospace Center (DLR); Helmholtz Association; German Aerospace Centre (DLR) DFG SPP 1294 HALO; VO1504/4-1; JU 3059/1-1 / German Science Foundation; German Research Foundation (DFG) SPP 1294 / German Science Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft; DFG) within the DFG priority program; German Research Foundation (DFG)
Identifiers: 991013093611502368
Academic Unit: Faculty of Science and Engineering
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

Comparing parameterized versus measured microphysical properties of tropical convective cloud bases during the ACRIDICON-CHUVA campaign

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