Cloud fraction mediates the aerosol optical depth - cloud top height relationship
The observed strong link between aerosol optical depth (<em>τ</em>) and cloud top pressure (<em>p</em><sub>top</sub>) has frequently been interpreted as the invigoration of convective clouds by aerosol, with increased <em>τ</em> being strongly correlat...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
2014
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| Subjects: |
| _version_ | 1797091076335468544 |
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| author | Gryspeerdt, E Stier, P Grandey, B |
| author_facet | Gryspeerdt, E Stier, P Grandey, B |
| author_sort | Gryspeerdt, E |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | The observed strong link between aerosol optical depth (<em>τ</em>) and cloud top pressure (<em>p</em><sub>top</sub>) has frequently been interpreted as the invigoration of convective clouds by aerosol, with increased <em>τ</em> being strongly correlated with decreases in <em>p</em><sub>top</sub> (increases in cloud top height). A strong correlation between <em>τ</em> and cloud fraction (<em>f</em><sub><em>c</em></sub>) has also been observed. Using satellite-retrieved data, here we show that <em>p</em><sub>top</sub> is also strongly correlated to <em>f</em><sub><em>c</em></sub>, and when combined with the strong sensitivity between <em>f</em><sub><em>c</em></sub> and <em>τ</em>, a large proportion of the relationship between <em>p</em><sub>top</sub> and <em>τ</em>can be reconstructed. Given the uncertainties about the influence of aerosol-cloud interactions on the <em>τ</em>-<em>f</em><sub><em>c</em></sub> relationship, this suggests that a large fraction of the <em>τ</em>-<em>p</em><sub>top</sub> correlation may not be due to aerosol effects. Influences such as aerosol humidification and meteorology play an important role and should therefore be considered in studies of aerosol-cloud interactions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T03:27:53Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:b9ae0276-30ad-4eb6-8d37-c6dcfde94aa1 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T03:27:53Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | Blackwell Publishing Ltd |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:b9ae0276-30ad-4eb6-8d37-c6dcfde94aa12022-03-27T05:04:35ZCloud fraction mediates the aerosol optical depth - cloud top height relationshipJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:b9ae0276-30ad-4eb6-8d37-c6dcfde94aa1Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Planetary physicsEnvironmentEnglishSymplectic Elements at OxfordBlackwell Publishing Ltd2014Gryspeerdt, EStier, PGrandey, BThe observed strong link between aerosol optical depth (<em>τ</em>) and cloud top pressure (<em>p</em><sub>top</sub>) has frequently been interpreted as the invigoration of convective clouds by aerosol, with increased <em>τ</em> being strongly correlated with decreases in <em>p</em><sub>top</sub> (increases in cloud top height). A strong correlation between <em>τ</em> and cloud fraction (<em>f</em><sub><em>c</em></sub>) has also been observed. Using satellite-retrieved data, here we show that <em>p</em><sub>top</sub> is also strongly correlated to <em>f</em><sub><em>c</em></sub>, and when combined with the strong sensitivity between <em>f</em><sub><em>c</em></sub> and <em>τ</em>, a large proportion of the relationship between <em>p</em><sub>top</sub> and <em>τ</em>can be reconstructed. Given the uncertainties about the influence of aerosol-cloud interactions on the <em>τ</em>-<em>f</em><sub><em>c</em></sub> relationship, this suggests that a large fraction of the <em>τ</em>-<em>p</em><sub>top</sub> correlation may not be due to aerosol effects. Influences such as aerosol humidification and meteorology play an important role and should therefore be considered in studies of aerosol-cloud interactions. |
| spellingShingle | Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Planetary physics Environment Gryspeerdt, E Stier, P Grandey, B Cloud fraction mediates the aerosol optical depth - cloud top height relationship |
| title | Cloud fraction mediates the aerosol optical depth - cloud top height relationship |
| title_full | Cloud fraction mediates the aerosol optical depth - cloud top height relationship |
| title_fullStr | Cloud fraction mediates the aerosol optical depth - cloud top height relationship |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cloud fraction mediates the aerosol optical depth - cloud top height relationship |
| title_short | Cloud fraction mediates the aerosol optical depth - cloud top height relationship |
| title_sort | cloud fraction mediates the aerosol optical depth cloud top height relationship |
| topic | Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Planetary physics Environment |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gryspeerdte cloudfractionmediatestheaerosolopticaldepthcloudtopheightrelationship AT stierp cloudfractionmediatestheaerosolopticaldepthcloudtopheightrelationship AT grandeyb cloudfractionmediatestheaerosolopticaldepthcloudtopheightrelationship |