A long-term study of aerosol-cloud interactions and their radiative effect at the Southern Great Plains using ground-based measurements

Autor(es)

Sena, Elisa T. ; McComiskey, Allison ; Feingold, Graham

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics; v. 16, n. 17, p. 11301-11318, SEP 13 2016.
• Citações Web of Science: 5

Resumo

Empirical estimates of the microphysical response of cloud droplet size distribution to aerosol perturbations are commonly used to constrain aerosol-cloud interactions in climate models. Instead of empirical microphysical estimates, here macroscopic variables are analyzed to address the influence of aerosol particles and meteorological descriptors on instantaneous cloud albedo and the radiative effect of shallow liquid water clouds. Long-term ground-based measurements from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program over the Southern Great Plains are used. A broad statistical analysis was performed on 14 years of coincident measurements of low clouds, aerosol, and meteorological properties. Two cases representing conflicting results regarding the relationship between the aerosol and the cloud radiative effect were selected and studied in greater detail. Microphysical estimates are shown to be very uncertain and to depend strongly on the methodology, retrieval technique and averaging scale. For this continental site, the results indicate that the influence of the aerosol on the shallow cloud radiative effect and albedo is weak and that macroscopic cloud properties and dynamics play a much larger role in determining the instantaneous cloud radiative effect compared to microphysical effects. On a daily basis, aerosol shows no correlation with cloud radiative properties (correlation = -0.01 +/- 0.03), whereas the liquid water path shows a clear signal (correlation = 0.56 +/- 0.02). (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 14/04181-2 - Um estudo de longo prazo da interação aerossol-nuvem e seus impactos no clima utilizando sensoriamento remoto em solo na Amazônia Central
• Beneficiário: Elisa Thome Sena
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Exterior - Estágio de Pesquisa - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 13/08582-9 - Os impactos de emissões urbanas de Manaus e de desflorestamento no balanço radiativo da Amazônia
• Beneficiário: Elisa Thome Sena
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado