Effects of aerosols on cloud and precipitation characteristics for distinct cloud regimes derived from MODIS

Abstract:

We investigate the effects of aerosols on cloud and precipitation characteristics for distinct cloud regimes derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The cloud regimes are derived from a clustering analysis of a decade-long dataset of MODIS daily Level-3 joint histograms of Cloud Top Pressure (CTP) and Cloud Optical Depth (COD). These cloud regimes represent distinct dynamical, thermodynamical, and structural features over the globe and serve as an appropriate basis to study possible effects of aerosols on cloud microphysical changes and precipitation.

The objective of our analysis is to reveal cloud-aerosol relationships through links between MODIS aerosol loading changes and cloud regime variations and to examine, in addition, regime precipitation characteristics for different aerosol conditions using Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) data sets that have been spatiotemporally matched with MODIS. Furthermore, differences in regime transitions from morning (Terra) to afternoon (Aqua) under different aerosol environments are studied in order to understand diverse responses to aerosols of low- and high-cloud dominated regimes.