Classification of Arctic multilayer clouds using radiosonde and radar data in Svalbard
Multilayer clouds (MLCs) occur more often in the Arctic than globally. In this study we present the results of a detection algorithm applied to radiosonde and radar data from an 1-year time period in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. Multilayer cloud occurrence is found on 29 % of the investigated days. These m...
Published in: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Text |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2019
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-5111-2019 https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/19/5111/2019/ |
id |
ftcopernicus:oai:publications.copernicus.org:acp70623 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftcopernicus:oai:publications.copernicus.org:acp70623 2023-05-15T15:00:29+02:00 Classification of Arctic multilayer clouds using radiosonde and radar data in Svalbard Vassel, Maiken Ickes, Luisa Maturilli, Marion Hoose, Corinna 2019-04-16 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-5111-2019 https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/19/5111/2019/ eng eng doi:10.5194/acp-19-5111-2019 https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/19/5111/2019/ eISSN: 1680-7324 Text 2019 ftcopernicus https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-5111-2019 2019-12-24T09:49:18Z Multilayer clouds (MLCs) occur more often in the Arctic than globally. In this study we present the results of a detection algorithm applied to radiosonde and radar data from an 1-year time period in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. Multilayer cloud occurrence is found on 29 % of the investigated days. These multilayer cloud cases are further analysed regarding the possibility of ice crystal seeding, meaning that an ice crystal can survive sublimation in a subsaturated layer between two cloud layers when falling through this layer. For this we analyse profiles of relative humidity with respect to ice to identify super- and subsaturated air layers. Then the sublimation of an ice crystal of an assumed initial size of r =400 µ m on its way through the subsaturated layer is calculated. If the ice crystal still exists when reaching a lower supersaturated layer, ice crystal seeding can potentially take place. Seeding cases are found often, in 23 % of the investigated days (100 % includes all days, as well as non-cloudy days). The identification of seeding cases is limited by the radar signal inside the subsaturated layer. Clearly separated multilayer clouds, defined by a clear interstice in the radar image, do not interact through seeding (9 % of the investigated days). There are various deviations between the relative humidity profiles and the radar images, e.g. due to the lack of ice-nucleating particles (INPs) and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Additionally, horizontal wind drift of the radiosonde and time restriction when comparing radiosonde and radar data cause further deviations. In order to account for some of these deviations, an evaluation by manual visual inspection is done for the non-seeding cases. Text Arctic Ny Ålesund Ny-Ålesund Svalbard Copernicus Publications: E-Journals Arctic Ny-Ålesund Svalbard Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 19 7 5111 5126 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Copernicus Publications: E-Journals |
op_collection_id |
ftcopernicus |
language |
English |
description |
Multilayer clouds (MLCs) occur more often in the Arctic than globally. In this study we present the results of a detection algorithm applied to radiosonde and radar data from an 1-year time period in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. Multilayer cloud occurrence is found on 29 % of the investigated days. These multilayer cloud cases are further analysed regarding the possibility of ice crystal seeding, meaning that an ice crystal can survive sublimation in a subsaturated layer between two cloud layers when falling through this layer. For this we analyse profiles of relative humidity with respect to ice to identify super- and subsaturated air layers. Then the sublimation of an ice crystal of an assumed initial size of r =400 µ m on its way through the subsaturated layer is calculated. If the ice crystal still exists when reaching a lower supersaturated layer, ice crystal seeding can potentially take place. Seeding cases are found often, in 23 % of the investigated days (100 % includes all days, as well as non-cloudy days). The identification of seeding cases is limited by the radar signal inside the subsaturated layer. Clearly separated multilayer clouds, defined by a clear interstice in the radar image, do not interact through seeding (9 % of the investigated days). There are various deviations between the relative humidity profiles and the radar images, e.g. due to the lack of ice-nucleating particles (INPs) and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Additionally, horizontal wind drift of the radiosonde and time restriction when comparing radiosonde and radar data cause further deviations. In order to account for some of these deviations, an evaluation by manual visual inspection is done for the non-seeding cases. |
format |
Text |
author |
Vassel, Maiken Ickes, Luisa Maturilli, Marion Hoose, Corinna |
spellingShingle |
Vassel, Maiken Ickes, Luisa Maturilli, Marion Hoose, Corinna Classification of Arctic multilayer clouds using radiosonde and radar data in Svalbard |
author_facet |
Vassel, Maiken Ickes, Luisa Maturilli, Marion Hoose, Corinna |
author_sort |
Vassel, Maiken |
title |
Classification of Arctic multilayer clouds using radiosonde and radar data in Svalbard |
title_short |
Classification of Arctic multilayer clouds using radiosonde and radar data in Svalbard |
title_full |
Classification of Arctic multilayer clouds using radiosonde and radar data in Svalbard |
title_fullStr |
Classification of Arctic multilayer clouds using radiosonde and radar data in Svalbard |
title_full_unstemmed |
Classification of Arctic multilayer clouds using radiosonde and radar data in Svalbard |
title_sort |
classification of arctic multilayer clouds using radiosonde and radar data in svalbard |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-5111-2019 https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/19/5111/2019/ |
geographic |
Arctic Ny-Ålesund Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Ny-Ålesund Svalbard |
genre |
Arctic Ny Ålesund Ny-Ålesund Svalbard |
genre_facet |
Arctic Ny Ålesund Ny-Ålesund Svalbard |
op_source |
eISSN: 1680-7324 |
op_relation |
doi:10.5194/acp-19-5111-2019 https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/19/5111/2019/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-5111-2019 |
container_title |
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
container_volume |
19 |
container_issue |
7 |
container_start_page |
5111 |
op_container_end_page |
5126 |
_version_ |
1766332578022817792 |