Publication Abstracts

Sinclair et al. 2021

Sinclair, K., B. van Diedenhoven, B. Cairns, M. Alexandrov, A. Dzambo, and T. L'Ecuyer, 2021: Inference of precipitation in warm stratiform clouds using remotely sensed observations of the cloud top droplet size distribution. Geophys. Res. Lett., 48, no. 10, e2021GL092547, doi:10.1029/2021GL092547.

Drizzle is a common feature of warm stratiform clouds and it influences their radiative effects by modulating their physical properties and lifecycle. An important component of drizzle formation are processes that lead to a broadening of the droplet size distribution (DSD). Here, we examine observations of cloud and drizzle properties retrieved using colocated airborne measurements from a polarimeter and radar. We observe a bimodal DSD as the aircraft transects drizzling open-cells whereby the larger mode reaches a maximum size near cloud center and the smaller mode remains relatively constant in size. We review similarities between our observations with droplet growth processes and their connections with precipitation onset. We estimate droplet sedimentation using the cloud top DSD and find a correlation with rain water path of 0.82. We also discuss how changes in liquid water paths and droplet concentrations may act to enhance or suppress precipitation.

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BibTeX Citation

@article{si00400o,
  author={Sinclair, K. and van Diedenhoven, B. and Cairns, B. and Alexandrov, M. and Dzambo, A. and L'Ecuyer, T.},
  title={Inference of precipitation in warm stratiform clouds using remotely sensed observations of the cloud top droplet size distribution},
  year={2021},
  journal={Geophysical Research Letters},
  volume={48},
  number={10},
  pages={e2021GL092547},
  doi={10.1029/2021GL092547},
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - JOUR
ID  - si00400o
AU  - Sinclair, K.
AU  - van Diedenhoven, B.
AU  - Cairns, B.
AU  - Alexandrov, M.
AU  - Dzambo, A.
AU  - L'Ecuyer, T.
PY  - 2021
TI  - Inference of precipitation in warm stratiform clouds using remotely sensed observations of the cloud top droplet size distribution
JA  - Geophys. Res. Lett.
JO  - Geophysical Research Letters
VL  - 48
IS  - 10
SP  - e2021GL092547
DO  - 10.1029/2021GL092547
ER  -

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