Urbanek, Benedikt and Groß, Silke Martha and Schäfler, Andreas and Wirth, Martin (2017) Determining stages of cirrus evolution: a cloud classification scheme. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 10, pp. 1653-1664. Copernicus Publications. doi: 10.5194/amt-10-1653-2017. ISSN 1867-1381.
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Official URL: https://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/10/1653/2017/
Abstract
Cirrus clouds impose high uncertainties on climate prediction, as knowledge on important processes is still incomplete. For instance it remains unclear how cloud microphysical and radiative properties change as the cirrus evolves. Recent studies classify cirrus clouds into categories including in situ, orographic, convective and liquid origin clouds and investigate their specific impact. Following this line, we present a novel scheme for the classification of cirrus clouds that addresses the need to determine specific stages of cirrus evolution. Our classification scheme is based on airborne Differential Absorption and High Spectral Resolution Lidar measurements of atmospheric water vapor, aerosol depolarization, and backscatter, together with model temperature fields and simplified parameterizations of freezing onset conditions. It identifies regions of supersaturation with respect to ice (ice-supersaturated regions, ISSRs), heterogeneous and homogeneous nucleation, depositional growth, and ice sublimation and sedimentation with high spatial resolution. Thus, all relevant stages of cirrus evolution can be classified and characterized. In a case study of a gravity lee-wave-influenced cirrus cloud, encountered during the ML-CIRRUS flight campaign, the applicability of our classification is demonstrated. Revealing the structure of cirrus clouds, this valuable tool might help to examine the influence of evolution stages on the cloud's net radiative effect and to investigate the specific variability of optical and microphysical cloud properties in upcoming research.
Item URL in elib: | https://elib.dlr.de/108098/ | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Document Type: | Article | ||||||||||||||||||||
Title: | Determining stages of cirrus evolution: a cloud classification scheme | ||||||||||||||||||||
Authors: |
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Date: | 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Atmospheric Measurement Techniques | ||||||||||||||||||||
Refereed publication: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
Open Access: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
Gold Open Access: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
In SCOPUS: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
In ISI Web of Science: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
Volume: | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||
DOI: | 10.5194/amt-10-1653-2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Page Range: | pp. 1653-1664 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Publisher: | Copernicus Publications | ||||||||||||||||||||
ISSN: | 1867-1381 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Status: | Published | ||||||||||||||||||||
Keywords: | cirrus, lidar, classification | ||||||||||||||||||||
HGF - Research field: | Aeronautics, Space and Transport | ||||||||||||||||||||
HGF - Program: | Space | ||||||||||||||||||||
HGF - Program Themes: | Earth Observation | ||||||||||||||||||||
DLR - Research area: | Raumfahrt | ||||||||||||||||||||
DLR - Program: | R EO - Earth Observation | ||||||||||||||||||||
DLR - Research theme (Project): | R - Atmospheric and climate research | ||||||||||||||||||||
Location: | Oberpfaffenhofen | ||||||||||||||||||||
Institutes and Institutions: | Institute of Atmospheric Physics > Lidar | ||||||||||||||||||||
Deposited By: | Groß, Silke Martha | ||||||||||||||||||||
Deposited On: | 21 Nov 2016 08:17 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Last Modified: | 14 Nov 2023 12:43 |
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