Vertical Distributions of Aerosol and Cloud Microphysical Properties and the Aerosol Impact on a Continental Cumulus Cloud Based on Aircraft Measurements From the Loess Plateau of China
Based on aircraft measurements of aerosols and continental cumulus clouds made over the Loess Plateau of China (Xinzhou, Shanxi Province) on 30 July 2020, this study focuses on the vertical profiles of microphysical properties of aerosols and cumulus clouds, and use them to study aerosol-cloud inter...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2021.808861/full |
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| author | Zhaoxin Cai Zhaoxin Cai Zhanqing Li Peiren Li Junxia Li Hongping Sun Xin Gao Yiran Peng Yuying Wang Dongmei Zhang Gang Ren |
| author_facet | Zhaoxin Cai Zhaoxin Cai Zhanqing Li Peiren Li Junxia Li Hongping Sun Xin Gao Yiran Peng Yuying Wang Dongmei Zhang Gang Ren |
| author_sort | Zhaoxin Cai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Based on aircraft measurements of aerosols and continental cumulus clouds made over the Loess Plateau of China (Xinzhou, Shanxi Province) on 30 July 2020, this study focuses on the vertical profiles of microphysical properties of aerosols and cumulus clouds, and use them to study aerosol-cloud interactions. During the study period, the boundary layer was stable with a height ∼1,500 m above sea level. Aerosols in the boundary layer mainly came from local emissions, while aerosols above this layer were mostly dust aerosols transported over long distances. Vertical profiles of aerosols and cloud condensation nuclei were obtained, and aerosol activation ratios at different supersaturation (SS) levels ranged from 0.16 to 0.32 at 0.2% SS and 0.70 to 0.85 at 0.8% SS. A thick cumulus cloud in the development stage was observed from the bottom to the top with the horizontal dimension of 10 km by 7 km, the cloud-base height of 2,450 m (15.8°C), and the cloud-top height of 5,400 m (−3°C). The maximum updraft velocity near the cloud top was 13.45 m s−1, and the maximum downdraft velocity occuring in the upper-middle part of the cloud was 4.44 ms−1. The temperature inside the cloud was higher than the outside, with their difference being positively correlated with the cloud water content. The temperature lapse rate inside the cloud was about −6.5°C km−1. The liquid water content and droplet effective radius (Re) increased with increasing height. The cloud droplet number concentration (Nc) increased first then decreased, peaking in the middle and lower part of the cloud, the average values of Nc and Re were 767.9 cm−3 and 5.17 μm, respectively. The cloud droplet spectrum had a multi-peak distribution, with the first appearing at ∼4.5 μm. SS in the cloud first increased then decreased with height. The maximum SS is ∼0.7% appearing at ∼3,800 m. The conversion rate of intra-cloud aerosols to cloud droplets was between 0.2 and 0.54, with the ratio increasing gradually with increasing height. The cloud droplet spectral dispersion and Nc were positively correlated. The aerosol indirect effect (AIE) was estimated to be 0.245 and 0.16, based on Nc and Re, respectively. The cloud droplet dispersion mainly attenuated the AIE, up to ∼34.7%. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:29:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-799adaf7d23443f7b4bdc67f4e93283d |
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| issn | 2296-665X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:29:20Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
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| series | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-799adaf7d23443f7b4bdc67f4e93283d2022-12-22T04:04:33ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Environmental Science2296-665X2022-01-01910.3389/fenvs.2021.808861808861Vertical Distributions of Aerosol and Cloud Microphysical Properties and the Aerosol Impact on a Continental Cumulus Cloud Based on Aircraft Measurements From the Loess Plateau of ChinaZhaoxin Cai0Zhaoxin Cai1Zhanqing Li2Peiren Li3Junxia Li4Hongping Sun5Xin Gao6Yiran Peng7Yuying Wang8Dongmei Zhang9Gang Ren10Artificial Precipitation and Lightning Protection Technology Center, Meteorological Disasters Defense Technology Center, Meteorological Bureau of Shanxi Province, Taiyuan, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United StatesArtificial Precipitation and Lightning Protection Technology Center, Meteorological Disasters Defense Technology Center, Meteorological Bureau of Shanxi Province, Taiyuan, ChinaKey Laboratory for Cloud Physics of China Meteorological Administration, CMA Weather Modification Center, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing, ChinaArtificial Precipitation and Lightning Protection Technology Center, Meteorological Disasters Defense Technology Center, Meteorological Bureau of Shanxi Province, Taiyuan, ChinaService Center of Meteorological Bureau of Shanxi Province, Taiyuan, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, ChinaKey Laboratory for Aerosol–Cloud–Precipitation of China Meteorological Administration, School of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, ChinaArtificial Precipitation and Lightning Protection Technology Center, Meteorological Disasters Defense Technology Center, Meteorological Bureau of Shanxi Province, Taiyuan, ChinaBased on aircraft measurements of aerosols and continental cumulus clouds made over the Loess Plateau of China (Xinzhou, Shanxi Province) on 30 July 2020, this study focuses on the vertical profiles of microphysical properties of aerosols and cumulus clouds, and use them to study aerosol-cloud interactions. During the study period, the boundary layer was stable with a height ∼1,500 m above sea level. Aerosols in the boundary layer mainly came from local emissions, while aerosols above this layer were mostly dust aerosols transported over long distances. Vertical profiles of aerosols and cloud condensation nuclei were obtained, and aerosol activation ratios at different supersaturation (SS) levels ranged from 0.16 to 0.32 at 0.2% SS and 0.70 to 0.85 at 0.8% SS. A thick cumulus cloud in the development stage was observed from the bottom to the top with the horizontal dimension of 10 km by 7 km, the cloud-base height of 2,450 m (15.8°C), and the cloud-top height of 5,400 m (−3°C). The maximum updraft velocity near the cloud top was 13.45 m s−1, and the maximum downdraft velocity occuring in the upper-middle part of the cloud was 4.44 ms−1. The temperature inside the cloud was higher than the outside, with their difference being positively correlated with the cloud water content. The temperature lapse rate inside the cloud was about −6.5°C km−1. The liquid water content and droplet effective radius (Re) increased with increasing height. The cloud droplet number concentration (Nc) increased first then decreased, peaking in the middle and lower part of the cloud, the average values of Nc and Re were 767.9 cm−3 and 5.17 μm, respectively. The cloud droplet spectrum had a multi-peak distribution, with the first appearing at ∼4.5 μm. SS in the cloud first increased then decreased with height. The maximum SS is ∼0.7% appearing at ∼3,800 m. The conversion rate of intra-cloud aerosols to cloud droplets was between 0.2 and 0.54, with the ratio increasing gradually with increasing height. The cloud droplet spectral dispersion and Nc were positively correlated. The aerosol indirect effect (AIE) was estimated to be 0.245 and 0.16, based on Nc and Re, respectively. The cloud droplet dispersion mainly attenuated the AIE, up to ∼34.7%.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2021.808861/fullcontinental cumulus cloudsaerosolaerosol indirect effectspectral dispersionaircraft observation |
| spellingShingle | Zhaoxin Cai Zhaoxin Cai Zhanqing Li Peiren Li Junxia Li Hongping Sun Xin Gao Yiran Peng Yuying Wang Dongmei Zhang Gang Ren Vertical Distributions of Aerosol and Cloud Microphysical Properties and the Aerosol Impact on a Continental Cumulus Cloud Based on Aircraft Measurements From the Loess Plateau of China Frontiers in Environmental Science continental cumulus clouds aerosol aerosol indirect effect spectral dispersion aircraft observation |
| title | Vertical Distributions of Aerosol and Cloud Microphysical Properties and the Aerosol Impact on a Continental Cumulus Cloud Based on Aircraft Measurements From the Loess Plateau of China |
| title_full | Vertical Distributions of Aerosol and Cloud Microphysical Properties and the Aerosol Impact on a Continental Cumulus Cloud Based on Aircraft Measurements From the Loess Plateau of China |
| title_fullStr | Vertical Distributions of Aerosol and Cloud Microphysical Properties and the Aerosol Impact on a Continental Cumulus Cloud Based on Aircraft Measurements From the Loess Plateau of China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vertical Distributions of Aerosol and Cloud Microphysical Properties and the Aerosol Impact on a Continental Cumulus Cloud Based on Aircraft Measurements From the Loess Plateau of China |
| title_short | Vertical Distributions of Aerosol and Cloud Microphysical Properties and the Aerosol Impact on a Continental Cumulus Cloud Based on Aircraft Measurements From the Loess Plateau of China |
| title_sort | vertical distributions of aerosol and cloud microphysical properties and the aerosol impact on a continental cumulus cloud based on aircraft measurements from the loess plateau of china |
| topic | continental cumulus clouds aerosol aerosol indirect effect spectral dispersion aircraft observation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2021.808861/full |
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