A trajectory-based classification of ERA-Interim ice clouds in the region of the North Atlantic storm track
A two-type classification of ice clouds (cirrus) is introduced, based on the liquid and ice water content, LWC and IWC, along air parcel backward trajectories from the clouds. In situ cirrus has no LWC along the trajectory segment containing IWC; it forms via nucleation from the gas phase. In contra...
Published in: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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Language: | English |
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American Geophysical Union
2016
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Online Access: | https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/104095/ https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/104095/1/wernli_grl_2016.pdf https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068922 |
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ftleedsuniv:oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:104095 2023-05-15T17:29:29+02:00 A trajectory-based classification of ERA-Interim ice clouds in the region of the North Atlantic storm track Wernli, H Boettcher, M Joos, H Miltenberger, AK Spichtinger, P 2016-06-28 text https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/104095/ https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/104095/1/wernli_grl_2016.pdf https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068922 en eng American Geophysical Union https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/104095/1/wernli_grl_2016.pdf Wernli, H, Boettcher, M, Joos, H et al. (2 more authors) (2016) A trajectory-based classification of ERA-Interim ice clouds in the region of the North Atlantic storm track. Geophysical Research Letters, 43 (12). pp. 6657-6664. ISSN 1944-8007 Article NonPeerReviewed 2016 ftleedsuniv https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068922 2023-01-30T21:45:38Z A two-type classification of ice clouds (cirrus) is introduced, based on the liquid and ice water content, LWC and IWC, along air parcel backward trajectories from the clouds. In situ cirrus has no LWC along the trajectory segment containing IWC; it forms via nucleation from the gas phase. In contrast, liquid-origin cirrus has both LWC and IWC along their backward trajectories; it forms via lifting from the lower troposphere and freezing of mixed-phase clouds. This classification is applied to 12 years of ERA-Interim ice clouds in the North Atlantic region. Between 400 and 500 hPa more than 50% are liquid-origin cirrus, whereas this frequency decreases strongly with altitude (<10% at 200 hPa). The relative frequencies of the two categories vary only weakly with season. More than 50% of in situ cirrus occur on top of liquid-origin cirrus, indicating that they often form in response to the strong lifting accompanying the formation of liquid-origin cirrus. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic White Rose Research Online (Universities of Leeds, Sheffield & York) Geophysical Research Letters 43 12 6657 6664 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
White Rose Research Online (Universities of Leeds, Sheffield & York) |
op_collection_id |
ftleedsuniv |
language |
English |
description |
A two-type classification of ice clouds (cirrus) is introduced, based on the liquid and ice water content, LWC and IWC, along air parcel backward trajectories from the clouds. In situ cirrus has no LWC along the trajectory segment containing IWC; it forms via nucleation from the gas phase. In contrast, liquid-origin cirrus has both LWC and IWC along their backward trajectories; it forms via lifting from the lower troposphere and freezing of mixed-phase clouds. This classification is applied to 12 years of ERA-Interim ice clouds in the North Atlantic region. Between 400 and 500 hPa more than 50% are liquid-origin cirrus, whereas this frequency decreases strongly with altitude (<10% at 200 hPa). The relative frequencies of the two categories vary only weakly with season. More than 50% of in situ cirrus occur on top of liquid-origin cirrus, indicating that they often form in response to the strong lifting accompanying the formation of liquid-origin cirrus. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Wernli, H Boettcher, M Joos, H Miltenberger, AK Spichtinger, P |
spellingShingle |
Wernli, H Boettcher, M Joos, H Miltenberger, AK Spichtinger, P A trajectory-based classification of ERA-Interim ice clouds in the region of the North Atlantic storm track |
author_facet |
Wernli, H Boettcher, M Joos, H Miltenberger, AK Spichtinger, P |
author_sort |
Wernli, H |
title |
A trajectory-based classification of ERA-Interim ice clouds in the region of the North Atlantic storm track |
title_short |
A trajectory-based classification of ERA-Interim ice clouds in the region of the North Atlantic storm track |
title_full |
A trajectory-based classification of ERA-Interim ice clouds in the region of the North Atlantic storm track |
title_fullStr |
A trajectory-based classification of ERA-Interim ice clouds in the region of the North Atlantic storm track |
title_full_unstemmed |
A trajectory-based classification of ERA-Interim ice clouds in the region of the North Atlantic storm track |
title_sort |
trajectory-based classification of era-interim ice clouds in the region of the north atlantic storm track |
publisher |
American Geophysical Union |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/104095/ https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/104095/1/wernli_grl_2016.pdf https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068922 |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_relation |
https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/104095/1/wernli_grl_2016.pdf Wernli, H, Boettcher, M, Joos, H et al. (2 more authors) (2016) A trajectory-based classification of ERA-Interim ice clouds in the region of the North Atlantic storm track. Geophysical Research Letters, 43 (12). pp. 6657-6664. ISSN 1944-8007 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068922 |
container_title |
Geophysical Research Letters |
container_volume |
43 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
6657 |
op_container_end_page |
6664 |
_version_ |
1766123628313706496 |