Combined satellite and radar retrievals of drop concentration and CCN at convective cloud base. Issue 9 (7th May 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rosenfeld, Daniel; Fischman, Baruch; Zheng, Youtong; Goren, Tom; Giguzin, David
• Is Part Of: Geophysical research letters. Volume 41:Issue 9(2014:May)
• Page Start: 3259
• Page End: 3265
• Publication Date: 2014-05-07
• Subjects: Geophysics -- Periodicals; Planets -- Periodicals; Lunar geology -- Periodicals; 550
• DOI: 10.1002/2014GL059453
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0094-8276

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>The number of activated cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) into cloud drops at the base of convective clouds (<italic>N_a</italic>) is retrieved based on the high‐resolution (375 m) satellite retrievals of vertical profiles of convective cloud drop effective radius (<italic>r_e</italic>). The maximum cloud base supersaturation (<italic>S</italic>) is calculated when <italic>N_a</italic> is combined with radar‐measured updraft and yields CCN(<italic>S</italic>), which was validated well against ground‐based CCN measurements during the conditions of well‐mixed boundary layer over the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric System Research Southern Great Plains site. Satellite retrieving <italic>N_a</italic> is a new capability, which is one essential component of simultaneous measurements of cloud microstructure and CCN from space by using clouds as natural CCN chambers. This has to be complemented by a methodology for satellite estimates of cloud base updraft, which is yet to be developed and demonstrated. In the mean time, the retrieved <italic>N_a</italic> can be used for the assimilation of the combined CCN and updraft effects on clouds in models.</p> </abstract>