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The influence of radiation on ice crystal spectrum in the upper troposphere
Author(s) -
Zeng Xiping
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
quarterly journal of the royal meteorological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.744
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1477-870X
pISSN - 0035-9009
DOI - 10.1002/qj.226
Subject(s) - troposphere , tropopause , stratosphere , radiative transfer , ice crystals , atmospheric sciences , radiation , environmental science , precipitation , climatology , physics , meteorology , geology , optics
This theoretical study is carried out to investigate the effect of radiation on ice crystal spectrum in the upper troposphere. First, an explicit expression is obtained for the ice crystal growth rate that takes account of radiative and kinetic effects. Second, the expression is used to quantitatively analyse how radiation broadens the ice crystal spectrum and then to reveal a new precipitation mechanism in the upper troposphere and the stratosphere. Third, the radiative effect is used to explain the subvisual clouds near the tropopause. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society