Observed Co-variability of Aerosol-Cloud Processes and Meteorological Regimes in Continental Clouds

Abstract:

High-resolution, limited area models can represent cloud physics explicitly, but aerosol is typically included with much less detail. Linking cloud microphysics to aerosol variability in a realistic way for understanding aerosol indirect effects, the radiative impacts of aerosol-cloud interactions, requires observations to appropriately constrain the models. The microphysical processes that drive indirect effects occur at the cloud scale, however their ultimate radiative impacts are a function of the larger meteorological context in which they are embedded. We use 13 years of high-resolution cloud microphysical and aerosol property measurements in various continental meteorological regimes to better understand the co-variability of aerosol-cloud processes at the cloud scale and meteorological conditions at larger scales. Better characterization of this co-variability will serve model evaluation and development at finer process scales.