TY - JOUR
T1 - Cloud-Top Phase Characterization of Extratropical Cyclones over the Northeast and Midwest United States
T2 - Results from IMPACTS
AU - Zaremba, Troy J.
AU - Rauber, Robert M.
AU - Heimes, Kaylee
AU - Yorks, John E.
AU - Finlon, Joseph A.
AU - Nicholls, Stephen D.
AU - Selmer, Patrick
AU - McMurdie, Lynn A.
AU - McFarquhar, Greg M.
N1 - Acknowledgments. Field campaigns of this size depend on the dedication and support of many individuals and institutions. We thank everyone involved in the planning, execution, and support of the IMPACTS field campaign. We also thank the NASA Earth Science Division (ESD) and Earth Venture Suborbital Program under the NASA Airborne Science Program for their support of this program. We especially thank the crews from the NASA P-3 Orion and the NASA Earth Resources 2 aircrafts. This work was funded by the NASA Earth Venture Suborbital-3 (EVS-3) program under Grants 80NSSC19K0355 (UIUC), 80NSSC19K0338 (UW), and 80NSSC19K0399 (OU). We also thank Dr. Ali Tokay and two anonymous reviewer’s for comments and suggestions that helped substantially improve the quality of the paper.
PY - 2024/2
Y1 - 2024/2
N2 - Cloud-top phase (CTP) impacts cloud albedo and pathways for ice particle nucleation, growth, and fallout within extratropical cyclones. This study uses airborne lidar, radar, and Rapid Refresh analysis data to characterize CTP within extratropical cyclones as a function of cloud-top temperature (CTT). During the 2020, 2022, and 2023 Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms (IMPACTS) field campaign deployments, the Earth Resources 2 (ER-2) aircraft flew 26 research flights over the northeast and midwest United States to sample the cloud tops of a variety of extratropical cyclones. A training dataset was developed to create probabilistic phase classifications based on Cloud Physics Lidar measurements of known ice and liquid clouds. These classifications were then used to quantify dominant CTP in the top 150 m of clouds sampled by the Cloud Physics Lidar in storms during IMPACTS. Case studies are presented illustrating examples of supercooled liquid water at cloud top at different CTT ranges (238, CTTs, 2358C) within extratropical cyclones. During IMPACTS, 19.2% of clouds had supercooled liquid water present at cloud top. Supercooled liquid was the dominant phase in extratropical cyclone cloud tops when CTTs were .2208C. Liquid-bearing cloud tops were found at CTTs as cold as 2378C.
AB - Cloud-top phase (CTP) impacts cloud albedo and pathways for ice particle nucleation, growth, and fallout within extratropical cyclones. This study uses airborne lidar, radar, and Rapid Refresh analysis data to characterize CTP within extratropical cyclones as a function of cloud-top temperature (CTT). During the 2020, 2022, and 2023 Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms (IMPACTS) field campaign deployments, the Earth Resources 2 (ER-2) aircraft flew 26 research flights over the northeast and midwest United States to sample the cloud tops of a variety of extratropical cyclones. A training dataset was developed to create probabilistic phase classifications based on Cloud Physics Lidar measurements of known ice and liquid clouds. These classifications were then used to quantify dominant CTP in the top 150 m of clouds sampled by the Cloud Physics Lidar in storms during IMPACTS. Case studies are presented illustrating examples of supercooled liquid water at cloud top at different CTT ranges (238, CTTs, 2358C) within extratropical cyclones. During IMPACTS, 19.2% of clouds had supercooled liquid water present at cloud top. Supercooled liquid was the dominant phase in extratropical cyclone cloud tops when CTTs were .2208C. Liquid-bearing cloud tops were found at CTTs as cold as 2378C.
KW - Cloud water/phase
KW - Extratropical cyclones
KW - Lidars/Lidar observations
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U2 - 10.1175/JAS-D-23-0123.1
DO - 10.1175/JAS-D-23-0123.1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85184997880
SN - 0022-4928
VL - 81
SP - 341
EP - 361
JO - Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
JF - Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
IS - 2
ER -