Identification

Title

Characterization of Southern Ocean boundary layer clouds using airborne radar, lidar, and in situ cloud data: Results from SOCRATES

Abstract

Climate and numerical weather prediction models struggle to accurately predict radiative forcing over the Southern Ocean (SO), as the amount of clouds and their phases are poorly represented in such models due to a lack of observations upon which to base parameterizations. To address this, a novel particle identification (PID) scheme, based upon airborne radar and lidar data, was applied to data collected during the Southern Ocean Clouds, Aerosol, Radiation Transport Experimental Study (SOCRATES) to assess the vertical structure of SO boundary layer clouds. A comparison between the PID scheme and in situ phase data from SOCRATES showed relatively good agreement between the two data types. The convectivity of the clouds sampled during SOCRATES was determined using the novel Echo Classification from COnvectivity for Vertically pointing radars product. The PID and in situ data were then used synergistically to identify the following features of cloud vertical structure: (a) Supercooled liquid water was very common (Probability, P similar to 80%) at cloud top for convective and stratiform clouds; (b) Supercooled large drops with maximum dimensions >95 mu m frequently appear within a hundred meters below cloud top, particularly within convective clouds (Max P 35%-45%), but also within stratiform clouds (Max P 20%-30%); (c) Ice production was associated with convective activity, with P similar to 20% at cloud top, increasing to 50%-70% 200 m below top, compared to P < 30% everywhere in stratiform clouds; (d) Convective clouds were found to be more vertically heterogeneous than stratiform clouds.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7fr01gf

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2022-11-16T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact