Aerosol Effects on Warm Clouds and Light Precipitation Using High-resolution Ground-based Observations and Model Simulations

Aerosol Effects on Warm Clouds and Light Precipitation Using High-resolution Ground-based Observations and Model Simulations PDF Author: Julian A.L. Mann
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Model Simulations of Aerosol Effects on Clouds and Precipitation in Comparison with ARM Data

Model Simulations of Aerosol Effects on Clouds and Precipitation in Comparison with ARM Data PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 4

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Observation-based studies have shown that the aerosol cloud lifetime effect or the increase of cloud liquid water path (LWP) with increased aerosol loading may have been overestimated in climate models. Here, we simulate shallow warm clouds on 05/27/2011 at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) measurement site established by Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program using a single column version of a global climate model (Community Atmosphere Model or CAM) and a cloud resolving model (CRM). The LWP simulated by CAM increases substantially with aerosol loading while that in the CRM does not. The increase of LWP in CAM is caused by a large decrease of the autoconversion rate when cloud droplet number increases. In the CRM, the autoconversion rate is also reduced, but this is offset or even outweighed by the increased evaporation of cloud droplets near cloud top, resulting in an overall decrease in LWP. Our results suggest that climate models need to include the dependence of cloud top growth and the evaporation/condensation process on cloud droplet number concentrations.

The Impact of Aerosol-cloud-radiation Interaction on California Weather

The Impact of Aerosol-cloud-radiation Interaction on California Weather PDF Author: Hsiang-He Lee
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781321363142
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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The source-oriented Weather Research and Forecasting chemistry model (SOWC) was modified to include warm/cold cloud processes and applied to investigate 1) how source-oriented aerosols influence fog formation and optical properties in the atmosphere, 2) how aerosol mixing state influences cloud and ice formation and atmospheric optical properties during a winter storm, and 3) the direct, semi-direct, and indirect effects of long-range transport dust on severe weather over California and the Eastern Pacific. SOWC tracks 6-dimensional chemical variables (X, Z, Y, Size Bins, Source Types, Species) through an explicit simulation of atmospheric chemistry and physics. In this study, all aerosol source types can activate to form cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) based on the Köhler theory, but the dust is the only source of ice nuclei (IN). Furthermore, a new source-oriented cloud module in the two-moment Purdue Lin microphysics scheme, and a new module with all source-oriented hydrometeors (cloud, ice, rain, snow and graupel) in the Morrison two-moment microphysics scheme were implemented into the SOWC model to study fog events and winter storm cases, respectively. In Chapter 2, the enhanced SOWC model was used to study a fog event that occurred on January 17th, 2011, in the Central Valley of California. The SOWC reasonably portrays the spatial distribution and duration of the fog event consistent with observations. The source-oriented mixture representation of particles reduced cloud droplet number relative to the internal mixture approach that artificially coats hydrophobic particles with hygroscopic components. The fraction of aerosols activating into CCN at a supersaturation of 0.5% in the Central Valley decreased from 86% in the internal mixture model to 68% in the source-oriented model. This increased the surface energy flux by 3-5 W m-2 and surface temperature by as much as 0.15 K. In Chapter 3, the enhanced SOWC model was used to study a winter storm that occurred on March 6th, 2011, in California. Compared to ground based observations, SOWC with the modified Morrison microphysics scheme and modified Goddard radiation schemes predicted reasonable precipitation, but the onset of precipitation is delayed by 5 hours. Immersion freezing was the main mechanism for ice nuclei formation. Secondary coatings on dust particles increased IN from immersion freezing but decreased IN from contact freezing. Increasing CCN and IN in the internal mixing experiment produced more ice crystals and cloud droplets but did not significantly alter total perception under the conditions studied. However, because of the reducing riming efficiency from snow to graupel in the source-oriented mixing experiment, it resulted more snowfall (less rainfall) on the ground, especially over the mountain area. In Chapter 4, the SOWC model was used to understand the direct, semi-direct, and indirect effects of long-range transport dust on severe weather over Eastern Pacific Ocean. The maximum averaged IN nucleation rate increased 36% after adding long-range transport dust. Because clouds in mid-latitude originate precipitately via the ice phase, an increase in IN can enhance ice formation from supercooled water by heterogenetic freezing (mainly contact freezing) and then to alter hydrometer water amount. Adding long-range transport dust increased the mixing ratio and number concentration for almost all hydrometers. However, the changes of adding local dust in local+LR_dust from LR_dust is more complicated due to the importance of hydrometers in the cumulus scheme. The change in the strength of convection after adding long-range transport dust (or local dust) also produces a noticeable distinction in the precipitation pattern, but the total precipitation did not have major difference after adding long-range transport dust (or local dust).

Aerosol Pollution Impact on Precipitation

Aerosol Pollution Impact on Precipitation PDF Author: Zev Levin
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402086903
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 399

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Life on Earth is critically dependent upon the continuous cycling of water between oceans, continents and the atmosphere. Precipitation (including rain, snow, and hail) is the primary mechanism for transporting water from the atmosphere back to the Earth’s surface. It is also the key physical process that links aspects of climate, weather, and the global hydrological cycle. Changes in precipitation regimes and the frequency of extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, severe ice/snow storms, monsoon fluctuations and hurricanes are of great potential importance to life on the planet. One of the factors that could contribute to precipitation modification is aerosol pollution from various sources such as urban air pollution and biomass burning. Natural and anthropogenic changes in atmospheric aerosols might have important implications for precipitation by influencing the hydrological cycle, which in turn could feed back to climate changes. From an Earth Science perspective, a key question is how changes expected in climate will translate into changes in the hydrological cycle, and what trends may be expected in the future. We require a much better understanding and hence predictive capability of the moisture and energy storages and exchanges among the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, continents and biological systems. This book is a review of our knowledge of the relationship between aerosols and precipitation reaching the Earth's surface and it includes a list of recommendations that could help to advance our knowledge in this area.

Clouds in the Perturbed Climate System

Clouds in the Perturbed Climate System PDF Author: Jost Heintzenberg
Publisher: Strungmann Forum Reports
ISBN: 9780262012874
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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More than half the globe is covered by visible clouds.

Aerosol-Cloud Interactions from Urban, Regional, to Global Scales

Aerosol-Cloud Interactions from Urban, Regional, to Global Scales PDF Author: Yuan Wang
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3662471752
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 100

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The studies in this dissertation aim at advancing our scientific understandings about physical processes involved in the aerosol-cloud-precipitation interaction and quantitatively assessing the impacts of aerosols on the cloud systems with diverse scales over the globe on the basis of the observational data analysis and various modeling studies. As recognized in the Fifth Assessment Report by the Inter-government Panel on Climate Change, the magnitude of radiative forcing by atmospheric aerosols is highly uncertain, representing the largest uncertainty in projections of future climate by anthropogenic activities. By using a newly implemented cloud microphysical scheme in the cloud-resolving model, the thesis assesses aerosol-cloud interaction for distinct weather systems, ranging from individual cumulus to mesoscale convective systems. This thesis also introduces a novel hierarchical modeling approach that solves a long outstanding mismatch between simulations by regional weather models and global climate models in the climate modeling community. More importantly, the thesis provides key scientific solutions to several challenging questions in climate science, including the global impacts of the Asian pollution. As scientists wrestle with the complexities of climate change in response to varied anthropogenic forcing, perhaps no problem is more challenging than the understanding of the impacts of atmospheric aerosols from air pollution on clouds and the global circulation.

Aerosol Characterization in the Southeastern U.S. Using Satellite Data for Applications to Air Quality and Climate

Aerosol Characterization in the Southeastern U.S. Using Satellite Data for Applications to Air Quality and Climate PDF Author: Erica J. Alston
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Air
Languages : en
Pages :

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Tropospheric aerosol information from NASA satellites in space has reached the milestone of ten years of continuous measurements. These higher resolution satellite aerosol records allow for a broader regional perspective than can be gained using only sparsely located ground based monitoring sites. Decadal satellite aerosol data have the potential to advance knowledge of the climatic impacts of aerosols through better understanding of solar dimming/brightening and radiative forcings on regional scales, as well as aid in air quality applications. The goal of this thesis is to develop and implement methodologies for using satellite remotely sensed data in conjunction with ground based observations and modeling for characterization of regional aerosol variations with applications to air quality and climate studies in the Southeastern U.S. This region is of special interest because of distinct aerosol types, less warming climate trends compared to the rest of U.S., and growing population. To support this primary goal, a technique is developed that exploits the statistical relationship between PM2.5 (particulate matter that has an aerodynamic radius of 2.5 æm or less) and satellite AOD (Aerosol Optical Depth) from MODIS (Moderate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) where a probabilistic approach is used for air quality assessments in the metropolitan Atlanta area. The metropolitan Atlanta area experiences the poorest air quality during the warmer seasons. We found that satellite AODs capture a significant portion of PM2.5 concentration variability during the warmer months of the year with correlation values above 0.5 for a majority of co-located (in time and space) ground based PM2.5 monitors, which is significant at the 95% confidence interval. The developed probabilistic approach uses five years of satellite AOD, PM2.5 and their related AQI (Air Quality Index) to predict future AQI based solely on AOD retrievals through the use of AOD thresholds, e.g., 80% of Code Green AQI days have AOD below 0.3. This approach has broad applicability for concerned stakeholders in that it allows for quick dissemination of pertinent air quality data in near-real time around a satellite overpass. Examination of the use of multiple satellite sensors to aid in investigating the impacts of biomass burning in the region is performed. The utility of data fusion is evaluated in understanding the effects of the large wildfire that burned in May 2007. This wildfire caused PM2.5 in the metropolitan Atlanta area to exceed healthy levels with some measurements surpassing 150 æg/m3 during the month. OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) AI (Aerosol Index), which qualitatively measures absorbing aerosols, have high values of more than 1.5 during May 26 - 31, 2007. CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations) a space based lidar was used to determine the vertical structure of the atmosphere across the region during the active fire period. CALIPSO was able to identify wildfire aerosols both within the planetary boundary layer (likely affects local air quality) and aloft where aerosol transport occurs. This has important implications for climatic studies specifically aerosol radiative effects. In-depth analysis of the satellite and ground based aerosol data records over the past decade (2000 - 2009) are performed from a climatic perspective. The long temporal scale allowed for better characterization of seasonality, interannual variability, and trends. Spatial analysis of ten years of AOD from both MODIS and MISR (Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer) showed little variability of AOD during the winter with mean AOD below 0.1 for the entire region, while the summer had decidedly more variability with mean AOD around 0.33 for MODIS and 0.3 for MISR. Seasonal analysis of the PM2.5 revealed that summer means are twice as high as winter means for PM2.5. All of the datasets show interannual variability that suggests with time AOD and PM2.5 are decreasing, but seasonal variability obscured the detection of any appreciable trends in AOD; however, once the seasonal influence was removed through the creation of monthly anomalies there were decreasing trends in AOD, but only MODIS had a trend of -0.00434 (per month) that statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Satellite and ground-based data are used to assess the radiative impacts of aerosols in the region. The regional TOA (Top Of the Atmosphere) direct radiative forcing is estimated by utilizing satellite AOD from MODIS and MISR both on Terra, along with satellite derived cloud fraction, surface albedo (both from MODIS), and single scattering albedo (SSA) from MISR data from 2000 - 2009. Estimated TOA forcing varied from between - 6 to -3 W/m2 during the winter, and during the warmer months there is more variation with [delta]F varying between -28 to -12.6 W/m2 for MODIS and -26 to -11 W/m2 for MISR. The results suggest that when AOD, cloud fraction and surface albedo are all consider they add an additional 6 W/m2 of TOA forcing compared to TOA forcing due to aerosol effects only. Varying SSA can create changes in TOA forcing of about 5 W/m2. With removal of the seasonal variability timeseries anomaly trend analysis revealed that estimated TOA forcing is decreasing (becoming less negative) with MODIS based estimates statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Optical and radiative 1-D radiative transfer modeling is performed to assess the daily mean TOA forcing and forcing at the surface for representative urban and background aerosol mixtures for summer and winter. During the winter, modeled TOA forcing is -2.8 and -5 W/m2 for the WB and WU cases, and the modeled summer TOA forcings (SB = -13.3 W/m2) also generally agree with earlier estimates. While surface forcings varied from -3 to -210 W/m2. The radiative forcing efficiency at the TOA (amount of forcing per unit of AOD at 550 nm) varied from -9 to - 72 W/m2 [tau]-1, and RFE at the surface varied from -50 to -410 W/m2 [tau]-1. It was found that the forcing efficiency for biomass burning aerosols are similar to the forcing efficiency of background aerosols during the summer that highlights the importance of possible increased biomass burning activity. Ultimately, the methodologies developed in this work can be implemented by the remote sensing community and have direct applicability for society as a whole.

The Effects of Aerosol-cloud Interactions on Warm Cloud Properties

The Effects of Aerosol-cloud Interactions on Warm Cloud Properties PDF Author: Alyson Douglas
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
When aerosols enter the atmosphere through anthropogenic and natural activities, they interact with clouds in the atmosphere in what is termed aerosol-cloud interactions (ACI). ACI alter the cloud's radiative properties by acting as cloud condensation nuclei within the cloud, thereby reducing the mean drop size and increasing the cloud's albedo and cooling the earth by reflecting incoming shortwave radiation in what is termed the first indirect effect. By reducing the mean drop size throughout the cloud, aerosol also act to delay precipitation formation, leading to larger, longer lived clouds and further cooling the earth in a process known as the second indirect effect. Using four years of satellite observations, the overall impact of aerosols on warm cloud radiative effect is evaluated. Warm clouds are defined as clouds with cloud top temperatures below freezing level. The estimates are constrained within regimes of stability, relative humidity of the free atmosphere, and by the scene liquid water path to control for how meteorology modulates the strength and sign of ACI. The sum of the first and second indirect effect, estimates of how aerosols alter the warm cloud shortwave effect and cloud fraction, are compared to an estimate of the full indirect effect, which includes all changes to the warm cloud shortwave radiative effect. The decomposed, or summative, indirect effect (-0.26 +/- .15 Wm2) is less than the full indirect effect (-0.32 +/- .16 Wm2), though they lie within each other's uncertainty estimates. When the decomposed indirect effect is further constrained by precipitation, the estimate decreases to .21 +/- .15 Wm2. The difference between the full indirect effect forcing and the decomposed forcings may be secondary indirect effects not included in our decomposition. The second indirect effect includes not only the cloud extent broadening, but the cloud depth increasing. This deepening response may increase warming due to a larger longwave cloud radiative effect. The longwave indirect effect susceptibility is decomposed to determine how large it may potentially be and whether it could offset any cooling due to the shortwave indirect effect. We find the longwave indirect effect does have the potential to offset cooling through cloud deepening in regions where the shortwave indirect effect is extremely small, however the magnitude of the longwave component is sensitive to the diurnal cycle. Cloud deepening signals clouds may be invigorated, or experiencing a state where precipitation formation and turbulence increase due to ACI. The effects of aerosol on precipitation formation and vertical motion are investigated using WALRUS, an algorithm of latent heating within the cloud determined using CloudSat radar returns. The LWP is constrained to thicker clouds 150 gm2

A Plan for a Research Program on Aerosol Radiative Forcing and Climate Change

A Plan for a Research Program on Aerosol Radiative Forcing and Climate Change PDF Author: Panel on Aerosol Radiative Forcing and Climate Change
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309588871
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 180

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This book recommends the initiation of an "integrated" research program to study the role of aerosols in the predicted global climate change. Current understanding suggest that, even now, aerosols, primarily from anthropogenic sources, may be reducing the rate of warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to specific research recommendations, this book forcefully argues for two kinds of research program integration: integration of the individual laboratory, field, and theoretical research activities and an integrated management structure that involves all of the concerned federal agencies.

Investigating Aerosol Effects on Clouds, Precipitation and Regional Climate in US and China by Means of Ground-based and Satellite Observations and a Global Climate Model

Investigating Aerosol Effects on Clouds, Precipitation and Regional Climate in US and China by Means of Ground-based and Satellite Observations and a Global Climate Model PDF Author: Feng Niu
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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