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Fan Mei
,
Hailong Wang
,
Zihua Zhu
,
Damao Zhang
,
Qi Zhang
,
Jerome D. Fast
,
William I. Gustafson Jr.
,
Xiang-Yu Li
,
Beat Schmid
,
Christopher Niedek
,
Jason Tomlinson
, and
Connor Flynn

Abstract

The spatial distribution of ambient aerosol particles significantly impacts aerosol–radiation–cloud interactions, which contribute to the largest uncertainty in global anthropogenic radiative forcing estimations. However, the atmospheric boundary layer and lower free troposphere have not been adequately sampled in terms of spatiotemporal resolution, hindering a comprehensive characterization of various atmospheric processes and impeding our understanding of the Earth system. To address this research data gap, we have leveraged the development of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and advanced measurement techniques to obtain mesoscale spatial data on aerosol microphysical and optical properties around the U.S. Southern Great Plains (SGP) atmospheric observatory. Our study also benefits from state-of-the-art laboratory facilities that include three-dimensional molecular imaging techniques enabled by secondary ion mass spectrometry and nanogram-level chemical composition analysis via micronebulization aerosol mass spectrometry. Through our study, we have developed a framework for observation–modeling integration, enabling an examination of how various assumptions about the organic–inorganic components mixing state, inferred from chemical analysis, affect clouds and radiation in observation-constrained model simulations. By integrating observational constraints (derived from offline chemical analysis of the aerosol surface using collected samples) with in situ UAS observations, we have identified a prominent role of organic-enriched nanometer layers located at the surface of aerosol particles in determining profiles of aerosol optical and hygroscopic properties over the SGP observatory. Furthermore, we have improved the agreement between predicted clouds and ground-based cloud lidar measurements. This UAS–model–laboratory integration exemplifies how these new advanced capabilities can significantly enhance our understanding of aerosol–radiation–cloud interactions.

Open access
Gijs de Boer
,
Mark Ivey
,
Beat Schmid
,
Dale Lawrence
,
Darielle Dexheimer
,
Fan Mei
,
John Hubbe
,
Albert Bendure
,
Jasper Hardesty
,
Matthew D. Shupe
,
Allison McComiskey
,
Hagen Telg
,
Carl Schmitt
,
Sergey Y. Matrosov
,
Ian Brooks
,
Jessie Creamean
,
Amy Solomon
,
David D. Turner
,
Christopher Williams
,
Maximilian Maahn
,
Brian Argrow
,
Scott Palo
,
Charles N. Long
,
Ru-Shan Gao
, and
James Mather

Abstract

Thorough understanding of aerosols, clouds, boundary layer structure, and radiation is required to improve the representation of the Arctic atmosphere in weather forecasting and climate models. To develop such understanding, new perspectives are needed to provide details on the vertical structure and spatial variability of key atmospheric properties, along with information over difficult-to-reach surfaces such as newly forming sea ice. Over the last three years, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has supported various flight campaigns using unmanned aircraft systems [UASs, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drones] and tethered balloon systems (TBSs) at Oliktok Point, Alaska. These activities have featured in situ measurements of the thermodynamic state, turbulence, radiation, aerosol properties, cloud microphysics, and turbulent fluxes to provide a detailed characterization of the lower atmosphere. Alongside a suite of active and passive ground-based sensors and radiosondes deployed by the DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program through the third ARM Mobile Facility (AMF-3), these flight activities demonstrate the ability of such platforms to provide critically needed information. In addition to providing new and unique datasets, lessons learned during initial campaigns have assisted in the development of an exciting new community resource.

Full access
Jerome D. Fast
,
Larry K. Berg
,
Lizbeth Alexander
,
David Bell
,
Emma D’Ambro
,
John Hubbe
,
Chongai Kuang
,
Jiumeng Liu
,
Chuck Long
,
Alyssa Matthews
,
Fan Mei
,
Rob Newsom
,
Mikhail Pekour
,
Tamara Pinterich
,
Beat Schmid
,
Siegfried Schobesberger
,
John Shilling
,
James N. Smith
,
Stephen Springston
,
Kaitlyn Suski
,
Joel A. Thornton
,
Jason Tomlinson
,
Jian Wang
,
Heng Xiao
, and
Alla Zelenyuk

Abstract

Shallow convective clouds are common, occurring over many areas of the world, and are an important component in the atmospheric radiation budget. In addition to synoptic and mesoscale meteorological conditions, land–atmosphere interactions and aerosol–radiation–cloud interactions can influence the formation of shallow clouds and their properties. These processes exhibit large spatial and temporal variability and occur at the subgrid scale for all current climate, operational forecast, and cloud-system-resolving models; therefore, they must be represented by parameterizations. Uncertainties in shallow cloud parameterization predictions arise from many sources, including insufficient coincident data needed to adequately represent the coupling of cloud macrophysical and microphysical properties with inhomogeneity in the surface-layer, boundary layer, and aerosol properties. Predictions of the transition of shallow to deep convection and the onset of precipitation are also affected by errors in simulated shallow clouds. Coincident data are a key factor needed to achieve a more complete understanding of the life cycle of shallow convective clouds and to develop improved model parameterizations. To address these issues, the Holistic Interactions of Shallow Clouds, Aerosols and Land Ecosystems (HI-SCALE) campaign was conducted near the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains site in north-central Oklahoma during the spring and summer of 2016. We describe the scientific objectives of HI-SCALE as well as the experimental approach, overall weather conditions during the campaign, and preliminary findings from the measurements. Finally, we discuss scientific gaps in our understanding of shallow clouds that can be addressed by analysis and modeling studies that use HI-SCALE data.

Full access
Adam C. Varble
,
Stephen W. Nesbitt
,
Paola Salio
,
Joseph C. Hardin
,
Nitin Bharadwaj
,
Paloma Borque
,
Paul J. DeMott
,
Zhe Feng
,
Thomas C. J. Hill
,
James N. Marquis
,
Alyssa Matthews
,
Fan Mei
,
Rusen Öktem
,
Vagner Castro
,
Lexie Goldberger
,
Alexis Hunzinger
,
Kevin R. Barry
,
Sonia M. Kreidenweis
,
Greg M. McFarquhar
,
Lynn A. McMurdie
,
Mikhail Pekour
,
Heath Powers
,
David M. Romps
,
Celeste Saulo
,
Beat Schmid
,
Jason M. Tomlinson
,
Susan C. van den Heever
,
Alla Zelenyuk
,
Zhixiao Zhang
, and
Edward J. Zipser

Abstract

The Cloud, Aerosol, and Complex Terrain Interactions (CACTI) field campaign was designed to improve understanding of orographic cloud life cycles in relation to surrounding atmospheric thermodynamic, flow, and aerosol conditions. The deployment to the Sierras de Córdoba range in north-central Argentina was chosen because of very frequent cumulus congestus, deep convection initiation, and mesoscale convective organization uniquely observable from a fixed site. The C-band Scanning Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Precipitation Radar was deployed for the first time with over 50 ARM Mobile Facility atmospheric state, surface, aerosol, radiation, cloud, and precipitation instruments between October 2018 and April 2019. An intensive observing period (IOP) coincident with the RELAMPAGO field campaign was held between 1 November and 15 December during which 22 flights were performed by the ARM Gulfstream-1 aircraft. A multitude of atmospheric processes and cloud conditions were observed over the 7-month campaign, including numerous orographic cumulus and stratocumulus events; new particle formation and growth producing high aerosol concentrations; drizzle formation in fog and shallow liquid clouds; very low aerosol conditions following wet deposition in heavy rainfall; initiation of ice in congestus clouds across a range of temperatures; extreme deep convection reaching 21-km altitudes; and organization of intense, hail-containing supercells and mesoscale convective systems. These comprehensive datasets include many of the first ever collected in this region and provide new opportunities to study orographic cloud evolution and interactions with meteorological conditions, aerosols, surface conditions, and radiation in mountainous terrain.

Full access
Jian Wang
,
Rob Wood
,
Michael P. Jensen
,
J. Christine Chiu
,
Yangang Liu
,
Katia Lamer
,
Neel Desai
,
Scott E. Giangrande
,
Daniel A. Knopf
,
Pavlos Kollias
,
Alexander Laskin
,
Xiaohong Liu
,
Chunsong Lu
,
David Mechem
,
Fan Mei
,
Mariusz Starzec
,
Jason Tomlinson
,
Yang Wang
,
Seong Soo Yum
,
Guangjie Zheng
,
Allison C. Aiken
,
Eduardo B. Azevedo
,
Yann Blanchard
,
Swarup China
,
Xiquan Dong
,
Francesca Gallo
,
Sinan Gao
,
Virendra P. Ghate
,
Susanne Glienke
,
Lexie Goldberger
,
Joseph C. Hardin
,
Chongai Kuang
,
Edward P. Luke
,
Alyssa A. Matthews
,
Mark A. Miller
,
Ryan Moffet
,
Mikhail Pekour
,
Beat Schmid
,
Arthur J. Sedlacek
,
Raymond A. Shaw
,
John E. Shilling
,
Amy Sullivan
,
Kaitlyn Suski
,
Daniel P. Veghte
,
Rodney Weber
,
Matt Wyant
,
Jaemin Yeom
,
Maria Zawadowicz
, and
Zhibo Zhang

Abstract

With their extensive coverage, marine low clouds greatly impact global climate. Presently, marine low clouds are poorly represented in global climate models, and the response of marine low clouds to changes in atmospheric greenhouse gases and aerosols remains the major source of uncertainty in climate simulations. The eastern North Atlantic (ENA) is a region of persistent but diverse subtropical marine boundary layer clouds, whose albedo and precipitation are highly susceptible to perturbations in aerosol properties. In addition, the ENA is periodically impacted by continental aerosols, making it an excellent location to study the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) budget in a remote marine region periodically perturbed by anthropogenic emissions, and to investigate the impacts of long-range transport of aerosols on remote marine clouds. The Aerosol and Cloud Experiments in Eastern North Atlantic (ACE-ENA) campaign was motivated by the need of comprehensive in situ measurements for improving the understanding of marine boundary layer CCN budget, cloud and drizzle microphysics, and the impact of aerosol on marine low cloud and precipitation. The airborne deployments took place from 21 June to 20 July 2017 and from 15 January to 18 February 2018 in the Azores. The flights were designed to maximize the synergy between in situ airborne measurements and ongoing long-term observations at a ground site. Here we present measurements, observation strategy, meteorological conditions during the campaign, and preliminary findings. Finally, we discuss future analyses and modeling studies that improve the understanding and representation of marine boundary layer aerosols, clouds, precipitation, and the interactions among them.

Full access
Yongkang Xue
,
Ismaila Diallo
,
Aaron A. Boone
,
Tandong Yao
,
Yang Zhang
,
Xubin Zeng
,
J. David Neelin
,
William K. M. Lau
,
Yan Pan
,
Ye Liu
,
Xiaoduo Pan
,
Qi Tang
,
Peter J. van Oevelen
,
Tomonori Sato
,
Myung-Seo Koo
,
Stefano Materia
,
Chunxiang Shi
,
Jing Yang
,
Constantin Ardilouze
,
Zhaohui Lin
,
Xin Qi
,
Tetsu Nakamura
,
Subodh K. Saha
,
Retish Senan
,
Yuhei Takaya
,
Hailan Wang
,
Hongliang Zhang
,
Mei Zhao
,
Hara Prasad Nayak
,
Qiuyu Chen
,
Jinming Feng
,
Michael A. Brunke
,
Tianyi Fan
,
Songyou Hong
,
Paulo Nobre
,
Daniele Peano
,
Yi Qin
,
Frederic Vitart
,
Shaocheng Xie
,
Yanling Zhan
,
Daniel Klocke
,
Ruby Leung
,
Xin Li
,
Michael Ek
,
Weidong Guo
,
Gianpaolo Balsamo
,
Qing Bao
,
Sin Chan Chou
,
Patricia de Rosnay
,
Yanluan Lin
,
Yuejian Zhu
,
Yun Qian
,
Ping Zhao
,
Jianping Tang
,
Xin-Zhong Liang
,
Jinkyu Hong
,
Duoying Ji
,
Zhenming Ji
,
Yuan Qiu
,
Shiori Sugimoto
,
Weicai Wang
,
Kun Yang
, and
Miao Yu

Abstract

Subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) precipitation prediction in boreal spring and summer months, which contains a significant number of high-signal events, is scientifically challenging and prediction skill has remained poor for years. Tibetan Plateau (TP) spring observed surface ­temperatures show a lag correlation with summer precipitation in several remote regions, but current global land–atmosphere coupled models are unable to represent this behavior due to significant errors in producing observed TP surface temperatures. To address these issues, the Global Energy and Water Exchanges (GEWEX) program launched the “Impact of Initialized Land Temperature and Snowpack on Subseasonal-to-Seasonal Prediction” (LS4P) initiative as a community effort to test the impact of land temperature in high-mountain regions on S2S prediction by climate models: more than 40 institutions worldwide are participating in this project. After using an innovative new land state initialization approach based on observed surface 2-m temperature over the TP in the LS4P experiment, results from a multimodel ensemble provide evidence for a causal relationship in the observed association between the Plateau spring land temperature and summer precipitation over several regions across the world through teleconnections. The influence is underscored by an out-of-phase oscillation between the TP and Rocky Mountain surface temperatures. This study reveals for the first time that high-mountain land temperature could be a substantial source of S2S precipitation predictability, and its effect is probably as large as ocean surface temperature over global “hotspot” regions identified here; the ensemble means in some “hotspots” produce more than 40% of the observed anomalies. This LS4P approach should stimulate more follow-on explorations.

Free access
S. T. Martin
,
P. Artaxo
,
L. Machado
,
A. O. Manzi
,
R. A. F. Souza
,
C. Schumacher
,
J. Wang
,
T. Biscaro
,
J. Brito
,
A. Calheiros
,
K. Jardine
,
A. Medeiros
,
B. Portela
,
S. S. de Sá
,
K. Adachi
,
A. C. Aiken
,
R. Albrecht
,
L. Alexander
,
M. O. Andreae
,
H. M. J. Barbosa
,
P. Buseck
,
D. Chand
,
J. M. Comstock
,
D. A. Day
,
M. Dubey
,
J. Fan
,
J. Fast
,
G. Fisch
,
E. Fortner
,
S. Giangrande
,
M. Gilles
,
A. H. Goldstein
,
A. Guenther
,
J. Hubbe
,
M. Jensen
,
J. L. Jimenez
,
F. N. Keutsch
,
S. Kim
,
C. Kuang
,
A. Laskin
,
K. McKinney
,
F. Mei
,
M. Miller
,
R. Nascimento
,
T. Pauliquevis
,
M. Pekour
,
J. Peres
,
T. Petäjä
,
C. Pöhlker
,
U. Pöschl
,
L. Rizzo
,
B. Schmid
,
J. E. Shilling
,
M. A. Silva Dias
,
J. N. Smith
,
J. M. Tomlinson
,
J. Tóta
, and
M. Wendisch

Abstract

The Observations and Modeling of the Green Ocean Amazon 2014–2015 (GoAmazon2014/5) experiment took place around the urban region of Manaus in central Amazonia across 2 years. The urban pollution plume was used to study the susceptibility of gases, aerosols, clouds, and rainfall to human activities in a tropical environment. Many aspects of air quality, weather, terrestrial ecosystems, and climate work differently in the tropics than in the more thoroughly studied temperate regions of Earth. GoAmazon2014/5, a cooperative project of Brazil, Germany, and the United States, employed an unparalleled suite of measurements at nine ground sites and on board two aircraft to investigate the flow of background air into Manaus, the emissions into the air over the city, and the advection of the pollution downwind of the city. Herein, to visualize this train of processes and its effects, observations aboard a low-flying aircraft are presented. Comparative measurements within and adjacent to the plume followed the emissions of biogenic volatile organic carbon compounds (BVOCs) from the tropical forest, their transformations by the atmospheric oxidant cycle, alterations of this cycle by the influence of the pollutants, transformations of the chemical products into aerosol particles, the relationship of these particles to cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity, and the differences in cloud properties and rainfall for background compared to polluted conditions. The observations of the GoAmazon2014/5 experiment illustrate how the hydrologic cycle, radiation balance, and carbon recycling may be affected by present-day as well as future economic development and pollution over the Amazonian tropical forest.

Full access