Study of Droplet Activation in Thin Clouds Using Ground-Based Raman Lidar and Ancillary Remote Sensors

A methodology for the study of cloud droplet activation based on the measurements performed with ground-based multi-wavelength Raman lidars and ancillary remote sensors collected at CNR-IMAA observatory, Potenza, South Italy, is presented. The study is focused on the observation of thin warm clouds....

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Main Authors: Rosoldi Marco, Madonna Fabio, Claramunt Pilar Gumà, Pappalardo Gelsomina
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: EDP Sciences 2016-01-01
Series:EPJ Web of Conferences
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201611916008
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author Rosoldi Marco
Madonna Fabio
Claramunt Pilar Gumà
Pappalardo Gelsomina
author_facet Rosoldi Marco
Madonna Fabio
Claramunt Pilar Gumà
Pappalardo Gelsomina
author_sort Rosoldi Marco
collection DOAJ
description A methodology for the study of cloud droplet activation based on the measurements performed with ground-based multi-wavelength Raman lidars and ancillary remote sensors collected at CNR-IMAA observatory, Potenza, South Italy, is presented. The study is focused on the observation of thin warm clouds. Thin clouds are often also optically thin: this allows the cloud top detection and the full profiling of cloud layers using ground-based Raman lidar. Moreover, broken clouds are inspected to take advantage of their discontinuous structure in order to study the variability of optical properties and water vapor content in the transition from cloudy regions to cloudless regions close to the cloud boundaries. A statistical study of this variability leads to identify threshold values for the optical properties, enabling the discrimination between clouds and cloudless regions. These values can be used to evaluate and improve parameterizations of droplet activation within numerical models. A statistical study of the co-located Doppler radar moments allows to retrieve droplet size and vertical velocities close to the cloud base. First evidences of a correlation between droplet vertical velocities measured at the cloud base and the aerosol effective radius observed in the cloud-free regions of the broken clouds are found.
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spelling doaj.art-efa9fcf71b754ce2b0939554df6a264e2022-12-21T22:45:38ZengEDP SciencesEPJ Web of Conferences2100-014X2016-01-011191600810.1051/epjconf/201611916008epjconf_ilrc2016_16008Study of Droplet Activation in Thin Clouds Using Ground-Based Raman Lidar and Ancillary Remote SensorsRosoldi Marco0Madonna Fabio1Claramunt Pilar Gumà2Pappalardo Gelsomina3Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Metodologie per l’Analisi Ambientale (IMAA)Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Metodologie per l’Analisi Ambientale (IMAA)Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Metodologie per l’Analisi Ambientale (IMAA)Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Metodologie per l’Analisi Ambientale (IMAA)A methodology for the study of cloud droplet activation based on the measurements performed with ground-based multi-wavelength Raman lidars and ancillary remote sensors collected at CNR-IMAA observatory, Potenza, South Italy, is presented. The study is focused on the observation of thin warm clouds. Thin clouds are often also optically thin: this allows the cloud top detection and the full profiling of cloud layers using ground-based Raman lidar. Moreover, broken clouds are inspected to take advantage of their discontinuous structure in order to study the variability of optical properties and water vapor content in the transition from cloudy regions to cloudless regions close to the cloud boundaries. A statistical study of this variability leads to identify threshold values for the optical properties, enabling the discrimination between clouds and cloudless regions. These values can be used to evaluate and improve parameterizations of droplet activation within numerical models. A statistical study of the co-located Doppler radar moments allows to retrieve droplet size and vertical velocities close to the cloud base. First evidences of a correlation between droplet vertical velocities measured at the cloud base and the aerosol effective radius observed in the cloud-free regions of the broken clouds are found.http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201611916008
spellingShingle Rosoldi Marco
Madonna Fabio
Claramunt Pilar Gumà
Pappalardo Gelsomina
Study of Droplet Activation in Thin Clouds Using Ground-Based Raman Lidar and Ancillary Remote Sensors
EPJ Web of Conferences
title Study of Droplet Activation in Thin Clouds Using Ground-Based Raman Lidar and Ancillary Remote Sensors
title_full Study of Droplet Activation in Thin Clouds Using Ground-Based Raman Lidar and Ancillary Remote Sensors
title_fullStr Study of Droplet Activation in Thin Clouds Using Ground-Based Raman Lidar and Ancillary Remote Sensors
title_full_unstemmed Study of Droplet Activation in Thin Clouds Using Ground-Based Raman Lidar and Ancillary Remote Sensors
title_short Study of Droplet Activation in Thin Clouds Using Ground-Based Raman Lidar and Ancillary Remote Sensors
title_sort study of droplet activation in thin clouds using ground based raman lidar and ancillary remote sensors
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201611916008
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