New Insights into the Vertical Structure of Clouds in Polar Lows, using Radar‐Lidar Satellite Observations

• Published in: Geophysical Research Letters
• Main Authors: Listowski, Constantino, Rojo, Mathias, Claud, Chantal, Delanoë, Julien, Rysman, Jean-François, Cazenave, Quitterie, Noer, G.
• Other Authors: Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), DAM Île-de-France (DAM/DIF), Direction des Applications Militaires (DAM), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (UMR 8539) (LMD), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-École des Ponts ParisTech (ENPC)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Département des Géosciences - ENS Paris, École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL), SPACE - LATMOS, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Norwegian Meteorological Institute Oslo (MET)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2020
• Subjects: [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-AO-PH]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics [physics.ao-ph]; [SDU.STU.ME]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Meteorology; Nordic Seas
• Online Access: https://insu.hal.science/insu-02909117; https://insu.hal.science/insu-02909117/document; https://insu.hal.science/insu-02909117/file/2020GL088785.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL088785

International audience For the first time, we characterize the vertical distribution of cloud microphysical properties in polar lows (PLs). We base our investigation on colocations found between A-Train satellites overpasses and 82 PL occurrences evidenced from AVHRR observations in the Nordic Seas. We use the raDAR/liDAR DARDAR satellite cloud products to retrieve the thermodynamic phase and ice microphysical properties of clouds (ice water content [IWC] and ice crystal effective radius [r eff ]). Two thirds of the investigated PLs show cloud tops higher than commonly documented (5 km), and up to 9 km. PLs are largely dominated by the ice phase, with more supercooled liquid occurrences in the eye. We also show that spiraliform clouds have larger average IWC in the few kilometers below cloud top, by up to a factor of 2, compared to comma-shaped PLs. Plain Language Summary Polar lows are intense maritime cyclones posing serious threats to mariners and coastal populations. Due to their limited size and sudden development, operational forecast struggles to correctly predict them. Additionally, the limited amount of observational constraints renders improvements of simulations difficult. We provide the first statistical analyses of cloud microphysical properties of these storms using radar and lidar satellite observations. We demonstrate much higher cloud tops than usually assumed. We highlight the cloud phase, describe the vertical distribution of ice mass and crystal size, and stress some differences between spiraliform and comma-shaped cyclones. These new constraints can be readily used to improve polar lows' simulations.