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Aerosol partitioning in natural mixed‐phase clouds
Author(s) -
Henning S.,
Bojinski S.,
Diehl K.,
Ghan S.,
Nyeki S.,
Weingartner E.,
Wurzler S.,
Baltensperger U.
Publication year - 2004
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 - 10.1029/2003gl019025
Subject(s) - aerosol , ice crystals , liquid water content , atmospheric sciences , cloud physics , drop (telecommunication) , environmental science , mixed phase , particle (ecology) , phase (matter) , meteorology , materials science , cloud computing , geology , chemistry , physics , telecommunications , oceanography , organic chemistry , computer science , operating system
In situ aerosol and cloud drop microphysical measurements at a high‐alpine site are used to investigate aerosol partitioning between cloud and interstitial phases in natural, mid‐latitude, mixed‐phase clouds. Measurements indicate a decrease in the activated aerosol fraction ( F N ) for particle diameters d P > 100 nm with cloud temperature from F N ∼ 0.54 in summer liquid‐phase clouds to F N ∼ 0.08 in winter mixed‐phase clouds. The latter may be attributed to the Bergeron‐Findeisen mechanism whereby ice crystals grow at the expense of liquid water drops, releasing formerly activated aerosols back into the interstitial phase. This provides a means to distinguish the indirect effects of aerosols on drops and ice crystals.