Modeling Of Arctic Stratus Cloud Formation And The Maintenance Of The Cloudy Arctic Boundary Layer

• Main Author: Qiuqing Zhang
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1999
• Subjects: Arctic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.37.172; http://www.met.utah.edu/skrueger/homepages/skrueger/qzhang-dissertation.pdf

The formation of Arctic stratus clouds #ASCs# 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 speci#cally 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 i.