Long term cloud-aerosol interaction at ARM SGP facility and China Loess Plateau

Abstract:

Increases in aerosol loading might invigorate development of warm-based mixed-phase clouds (aerosol invigoration effect, AIV), but suppress the boundary shallow clouds (aerosol microphysical effect, AME) as previous studies. Using extensive observations at the ARM SGP site (2000-2011) and China SACOL (2006-2010), the aerosol impacts on both mixed-phase cloud and shallow clouds have been identified and analyzed. Based on the initial results, aerosol-mediated TOA and surface Cloud Radiation Forcing (CRF) has been quantified. Over the SGP site, the long-term daily mean aerosol-mediated TOA and surface CRF due to the AIV is positive in sign, and 29.3 Wm^-2 and 22.2 Wm^-2 in magnitude, respectively. And aerosol-mediated TOA and surface CRF due to the AME is negative in sign, and ranging from 3.8 W/m² to - 20.9 W/m² when cloud LWP increase from 0.0 to 800 g/m². The results over SACOL are under processing.