Widespread polar stratospheric ice clouds in the 2015-2016 Arctic winter - implications for ice nucleation

• Published in: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
• Main Authors: Voigt, Christiane, Dörnbrack, Andreas, Wirth, Martin, Groß, Silke Martha, Pitts, Michael, Poole, Lamont, Baumann, Robert, Ehard, Benedikt, Sinnhuber, Björn-Martin, Woiwode, Wolfgang, Oelhaf, Hermann
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2018
• Subjects: Wolkenphysik; Lidar; Atmosphärische Spurenstoffe; Arctic
• Online Access: https://elib.dlr.de/122606/; https://elib.dlr.de/122606/1/Voigt_acp_2018.pdf; https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-15623-2018

The 2015-2016 stratospheric winter was the coldest in the 36-year climatological data record. The extreme conditions promoted the formation of persistent Arctic polar stratospheric ice clouds. An extended ice PSC detected by airborne lidar in January 2016 shows a second mode with higher particle depolarization ratios. Back-trajectories from the high-depol ice matched to CALIOP PSC curtains provide evidence for ice nucleation on NAT. The novel data consolidate our understanding of PSC formation.