Evidence for the Predominance of Mid-Tropospheric Aerosols as Subtropical Anvil Cloud Nuclei
Authors
Fridlind, Ann M.
Ackerman, Andrew S.
Jensen, Eric J.
Heymsfield, Andrew J.
Poellot, Michael R.
Stevens, David E.
Wang, Donghai
Miloshevich, Larry M.
Baumgardner, Darrel
Lawson, R. Paul
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Date of Issue
2004-04-30
Date
2004-04-30
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Abstract
NASA’s recent Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and Cirrus Layers–Florida
Area Cirrus Experiment focused on anvil cirrus clouds, an important but poorly
understood element of our climate system. The data obtained included the first
comprehensive measurements of aerosols and cloud particles throughout the
atmospheric column during the evolution of multiple deep convective storm
systems. Coupling these new measurements with detailed cloud simulations
that resolve the size distributions of aerosols and cloud particles, we found
several lines of evidence indicating that most anvil crystals form on midtropospheric
rather than boundary-layer aerosols. This result defies conventional
wisdom and suggests that distant pollution sources may have a greater
effect on anvil clouds than do local sources.
Type
Description
Science, Vol. 304, 718-722.
Series/Report No
Department
Center for Interdisciplinary Remotely Piloted Aircraft Studies (CIRPAS)
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This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.