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Combined satellite and radar retrievals of drop concentration and CCN at convective cloud base
Author(s) -
Rosenfeld Daniel,
Fischman Baruch,
Zheng Youtong,
Goren Tom,
Giguzin David
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2014gl059453
Subject(s) - cloud base , cloud condensation nuclei , environmental science , satellite , meteorology , supersaturation , radar , cloud top , effective radius , cloud computing , convection , atmospheric sciences , liquid water content , drop (telecommunication) , geology , aerosol , physics , computer science , astrophysics , astronomy , telecommunications , galaxy , thermodynamics , operating system
The number of activated cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) into cloud drops at the base of convective clouds ( N a ) is retrieved based on the high‐resolution (375 m) satellite retrievals of vertical profiles of convective cloud drop effective radius ( r e ). The maximum cloud base supersaturation ( S ) is calculated when N a is combined with radar‐measured updraft and yields CCN( S ), 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 N a 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 N a can be used for the assimilation of the combined CCN and updraft effects on clouds in models.