Modeling of Arctic Stratus Cloud Formation and the Maintenance of the Cloudy Arctic Boundary Layer

Modeling of Arctic Stratus Cloud Formation and the Maintenance of the Cloudy Arctic Boundary Layer PDF Author: Chʻiu-chʻing Chang
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Climatic changes
Languages : en
Pages : 396

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Book Description
"The formation of Arctic stratus clouds (ASC) and the maintenance of the cloudy Arctic boundary layer are studied with two models: a one-dimensional radiative-convective model and a three-dimensional large eddy simulation (LES) model. The one-dimensional radiative-convective model consists of a comprehensive radiative module, a cloud parameterization with detailed microphysics and a convective adjustment scheme. The model is designed specifically for studying ASC formation. With this model, the roles of radiation and cloud microphysics in the formation of ASCs and multiple cloud layers are investigated. The simulations reproduce both single and multiple cloud layers that were observed with inversions of temperature and humidity occurring near the cloud top. The detailed cloud microstructure produced by the model also compares well with the observations. The physics of the formation of both single and multiple cloud layers is investigated. Radiative cooling plays a key role during the initial stage of cloud formation in a atmosphere. It leads to a continual temperature decrease promoting water vapor condensation on available cloud condensation nuclei. The vertical distribution of humidity and temperature determines the radiative cooling and eventually where and when the cloud forms. The observed temperature inversion may also be explained by radiative cooling. The three-dimensional LES model is adopted to evaluate the one-dimensional model, especially the convective adjustment scheme. The advantages and limitations of the one-dimensional model are discussed. The LES results suggest that the convective adjustment scheme is capable of capturing the main features of the vertical heat and moisture fluxes in the cloudy Arctic boundary layer. The LES model is also used to investigate the maintenance of the cloudy Arctic boundary layer. The turbulence in the cloudy Arctic boundary layer is primarily maintained by the bouyancy effect due to the cloud top cooling. It is found that weak large scale downward motion aids in cloud development and maintenance"--3.

Modeling of Arctic Stratus Cloud Formation and the Maintenance of the Cloudy Arctic Boundary Layer

Modeling of Arctic Stratus Cloud Formation and the Maintenance of the Cloudy Arctic Boundary Layer PDF Author: Chʻiu-chʻing Chang
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Climatic changes
Languages : en
Pages : 396

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Book Description
"The formation of Arctic stratus clouds (ASC) and the maintenance of the cloudy Arctic boundary layer are studied with two models: a one-dimensional radiative-convective model and a three-dimensional large eddy simulation (LES) model. The one-dimensional radiative-convective model consists of a comprehensive radiative module, a cloud parameterization with detailed microphysics and a convective adjustment scheme. The model is designed specifically for studying ASC formation. With this model, the roles of radiation and cloud microphysics in the formation of ASCs and multiple cloud layers are investigated. The simulations reproduce both single and multiple cloud layers that were observed with inversions of temperature and humidity occurring near the cloud top. The detailed cloud microstructure produced by the model also compares well with the observations. The physics of the formation of both single and multiple cloud layers is investigated. Radiative cooling plays a key role during the initial stage of cloud formation in a atmosphere. It leads to a continual temperature decrease promoting water vapor condensation on available cloud condensation nuclei. The vertical distribution of humidity and temperature determines the radiative cooling and eventually where and when the cloud forms. The observed temperature inversion may also be explained by radiative cooling. The three-dimensional LES model is adopted to evaluate the one-dimensional model, especially the convective adjustment scheme. The advantages and limitations of the one-dimensional model are discussed. The LES results suggest that the convective adjustment scheme is capable of capturing the main features of the vertical heat and moisture fluxes in the cloudy Arctic boundary layer. The LES model is also used to investigate the maintenance of the cloudy Arctic boundary layer. The turbulence in the cloudy Arctic boundary layer is primarily maintained by the bouyancy effect due to the cloud top cooling. It is found that weak large scale downward motion aids in cloud development and maintenance"--3.

Cloud-Scale Numerical Modeling of the Arctic Boundary Layer

Cloud-Scale Numerical Modeling of the Arctic Boundary Layer PDF Author: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781721290482
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 36

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Book Description
The research objective of this NASA grant-funded project was to determine in detail how large-scale processes. in combination with cloud-scale radiative, microphysical, and dynamical processes, govern the formation and multi-layered structure of Arctic stratus clouds. This information will be useful for developing and improving 1D (one dimensional) boundary layer models for the Arctic. Also, to quantitatively determine the effects of leads on the large-scale budgets of sensible heat, water vapor, and condensate in a variety of Arctic winter conditions. This information will be used to identify the most important lead-flux processes that require parameterization in climate models. Our approach was to use a high-resolution numerical model, the 2D (two dimensional) University of Utah Cloud Resolving Model (UU CRM), and its 1D version, the University of Utah Turbulence Closure Model (UU TCM), a boundary layer model based on third-moment turbulence closure, as well as a large-eddy simulation (LES) model originally developed by C.H. Moeng. Kruegen, Steven K. and Delnore, Victor E. (Technical Monitor) Langley Research Center

Mixed-Phase Clouds

Mixed-Phase Clouds PDF Author: Constantin Andronache
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 012810550X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 302

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Book Description
Mixed-Phase Clouds: Observations and Modeling presents advanced research topics on mixed-phase clouds. As the societal impacts of extreme weather and its forecasting grow, there is a continuous need to refine atmospheric observations, techniques and numerical models. Understanding the role of clouds in the atmosphere is increasingly vital for current applications, such as prediction and prevention of aircraft icing, weather modification, and the assessment of the effects of cloud phase partition in climate models. This book provides the essential information needed to address these problems with a focus on current observations, simulations and applications. - Provides in-depth knowledge and simulation of mixed-phase clouds over many regions of Earth, explaining their role in weather and climate - Features current research examples and case studies, including those on advanced research methods from authors with experience in both academia and the industry - Discusses the latest advances in this subject area, providing the reader with access to best practices for remote sensing and numerical modeling

Cloudy Boundary Layers of the Arctic

Cloudy Boundary Layers of the Arctic PDF Author: James O. Pinto
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Boundary layer (Meteorology)
Languages : en
Pages : 568

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Book Description


Biennial Report

Biennial Report PDF Author: University of Alaska Fairbanks. Geophysical Institute
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Geophysics
Languages : en
Pages : 420

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Book Description


Dissertation Abstracts International

Dissertation Abstracts International PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Dissertations, Academic
Languages : en
Pages : 680

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Book Description


Radiative Interactions Between Arctic Sea Ice and Boundary Layer Stratus Clouds

Radiative Interactions Between Arctic Sea Ice and Boundary Layer Stratus Clouds PDF Author: Elizabeth Eby Ebert
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Sea ice
Languages : en
Pages : 186

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Book Description


An Observation and Modeling Study of Arctic Multilayered Mixed-phase Boundary Layer Clouds

An Observation and Modeling Study of Arctic Multilayered Mixed-phase Boundary Layer Clouds PDF Author: Hui Lai
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
To better understand the dynamic and thermodynamic processes that form and maintain Arctic multilayered mixed-phase clouds, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) radiances, High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) backscatter, and Ka-band ARM zenith radar (KAZR) returns along with balloon-borne sounding thermodynamic profiles, were analyzed from 1-3 May 2013. The observations, together with ERA-Interim Reanalysis data, indicate that three cloud regimes were present during this period. Frontal clouds occurred in a north to south band with Barrow located on their eastern edge at 00:00 UTC 2 May. By mid-day the frontal clouds had moved into the Barrow region. A broad low-altitude stratus deck existed to the west and north of Barrow, advecting into the Barrow region by the end of 2 May as the frontal clouds cleared the region. The stratus deck remained over Barrow throughout 3 May and several days beyond it. Boundary layer cellular convection was the predominant cloud type in the vicinity of the low pressure to the east and north of Barrow on 1-2 May.On 2 May 2013 shallow single- and multi-layered, mixed-phase clouds observed by the HSRL and KAZR were present above Barrow, Alaska, leading at various times to pristine crystals, rimed crystals and aggregates of crystals at the surface. During this case study period, a weak surface trough was located to the north and east of Barrow with a high pressure ridge to its west. The associated surface front was located over Barrow and extended to the north over the Arctic Ocean. High spatial (250-m) pixel resolution MODIS radiances show low level cloud streets in the vicinity of Barrow and just to its east oriented perpendicular to the mean wind around 00:00 UTC 2 May. Low altitude cloud streets also existed to the west of Barrow at this time, though oriented parallel to the mean wind. Finally, additional cloud streets to the southwest of Barrow and perpendicular to the mean wind also were present but in the higher altitude frontal clouds. The low altitude cloud streets just to the east and west of Barrow, and under the frontal cloud layer, were the source of the multilayered clouds on this day; this study focused on the ones to the west. These cloud streets formed in an environment of strong vertical wind shear with an underlying shallow buoyant layer near the surface.The Weather and Research Forecasting (WRF) model was used to conduct mesoscale simulations for this day and the two surrounding ones. For the three-day period from 1-3 May 2013 the 27-km spatial grid spacing WRF model reproduced mesoscale geopotential height, wind, relative humidity and sea-level pressure fields similar to those contained in the (0.75 lat/lon) ERA-Interim Reanalysis. Moreover, the model was able to reproduce the three cloud systems evident in the observations: the low cloud-liquid stratus to the west of Barrow, the deep frontal cloud layer in the vicinity of Barrow, and the more convective cloud cells with heights in-between to the east of Barrow.In the WRF modeling approach six nested domains were used with horizontal grid spacings starting from 27 km and scaling down in ratios of 3 to 1, with the finest domain run in large eddy simulation mode at 111-m horizontal grid spacing in an attempt to capture the short (~ 1.5-km) wavelength of the cloud streets apparent in the satellite data. Model results show that warm air advection and surface radiative heating created enhanced near surface instability, providing the buoyancy necessary to drive the initial convection. These buoyant parcels entered the region of strong vertical shear, leading to Richardson numbers around 0.2 and the conditions favorable for the formation of roll clouds. The wavelengths of the roll clouds produced by the inner four nested domains varied from 33 km for the outermost 3-km domain to 1 km for the finest 0.111-km grid spacing domain. The finest grid spacing domain roll-cloud wavelengths were comparable to those observed by MODIS, illustrating the necessity of using a grid spacing sufficiently small to place at least 7 to 10 grid points across a roll in order to resolve it.

Arctic mixed-phase clouds : Macro- and microphysical insights with a numerical model

Arctic mixed-phase clouds : Macro- and microphysical insights with a numerical model PDF Author: Loewe, Katharina
Publisher: KIT Scientific Publishing
ISBN: 3731506866
Category : Physics
Languages : en
Pages : 174

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Book Description
This work provides new insights into macro- and microphysical properties of Arctic mixed-phase clouds: first, by comparing semi-idealized large eddy simulations with observations; second, by dissecting the influences of different surface types and boundary layer structures on Arctic mixed- phase clouds; third, by elucidating the dissipation process; and finally by analyzing the main microphysical processes inside Arctic mixed-phase clouds.

Mesoscale Modeling During Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment

Mesoscale Modeling During Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 5

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Book Description
Mixed-phase arctic stratus clouds are the predominant cloud type in the Arctic (Curry et al. 2000) and through various feedback mechanisms exert a strong influence on the Arctic climate. Perhaps one of the most intriguing of their features is that they tend to have liquid tops that precipitate ice. Despite the fact that this situation is colloidally unstable, these cloud systems are quite long lived - from a few days to over a couple of weeks. It has been hypothesized that mixed-phase clouds are maintained through a balance between liquid water condensation resulting from the cloud-top radiative cooling and ice removal by precipitation (Pinto 1998; Harrington et al. 1999). In their modeling study Harrington et al. (1999) found that the maintenance of this balance depends strongly on the ambient concentration of ice forming nucleus (IFN). In a follow-up study, Jiang et al. (2002), using only 30% of IFN concentration predicted by Meyers et al. (1992) IFN parameterization were able to obtain results similar to the observations reported by Pinto (1998). The IFN concentration measurements collected during the Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (M-PACE), conducted in October 2004 over the North Slope of Alaska and the Beaufort Sea (Verlinde et al. 2005), also showed much lower values then those predicted (Prenne, pers. comm.) by currently accepted ice nucleation parameterizations (e.g. Meyers et al. 1992). The goal of this study is to use the extensive IFN data taken during M-PACE to examine what effects low IFN concentrations have on mesoscale cloud structure and coastal dynamics.