National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Publication Abstracts

Tornow et al. 2025, submitted

Tornow, F., E. Crosbie, A. Fridlind, A.S. Ackerman, L.D. Ziemba, G. Elsaesser, B. Cairns, D. Painemal, S. Chellappan, P. Zuidema, C. Voigt, S. Kirschler, and A. Sorooshian, 2025: High accumulation mode aerosol concentration and moderate aerosol hygroscopicity limit impacts of recent particle formation on Northwest Atlantic post-frontal clouds. Geophys. Res. Lett., submitted.

Postfrontal cloud regime transitions often result from strong aerosol-cloud-precipitation interaction. Using ACTIVATE measurements and focusing on the marine boundary layer upwind of clouds, we show a diurnal pattern of evolving aerosol particle size distributions (PSD): a nucleation mode that grows in size between 12 and 17 LT, likely initiated by new particle formation (NPF), and an accumulation mode that increases in concentration during daytime. Selecting the day of strongest size growth, we examine implications for the downwind cloud deck through quasi-Lagrangian large-eddy simulations. Using an upwind PSD prior to 12 LT, we find a moderate aerosol hygroscopicity to best match downwind cloud observational constraints from flight measurements and satellite retrievals. Switching to a PSD near 17 LT, greater cloud droplet number concentrations delay precipitation onset and keep albedo elevated for longer, primarily driven by increased accumulation mode concentrations, which also inhibit activation of smaller modes despite their growth after NPF.

• View preprint on ESS Open Archive.
• Please note that the linked preprint is in review and is not the accepted text.

Export citation: [ BibTeX ] [ RIS ]

@unpublished{to01300f,
  author={Tornow, F. and Crosbie, E. and Fridlind, A. and Ackerman, A. S. and Ziemba, L. D. and Elsaesser, G. and Cairns, B. and Painemal, D. and Chellappan, S. and Zuidema, P. and Voigt, C. and Kirschler, S. and Sorooshian, A.},
  title={High accumulation mode aerosol concentration and moderate aerosol hygroscopicity limit impacts of recent particle formation on Northwest Atlantic post-frontal clouds},
  year={2025},
  journal={Geophysical Research Letters},
  note={Manuscript submitted for publication}
}

TY  - UNPB
ID  - to01300f
AU  - Tornow, F.
AU  - Crosbie, E.
AU  - Fridlind, A.
AU  - Ackerman, A. S.
AU  - Ziemba, L. D.
AU  - Elsaesser, G.
AU  - Cairns, B.
AU  - Painemal, D.
AU  - Chellappan, S.
AU  - Zuidema, P.
AU  - Voigt, C.
AU  - Kirschler, S.
AU  - Sorooshian, A.
PY  - 2025
TI  - High accumulation mode aerosol concentration and moderate aerosol hygroscopicity limit impacts of recent particle formation on Northwest Atlantic post-frontal clouds
JA  - Geophys. Res. Lett.
JO  - Geophysical Research Letters
ER  -

• Return to Publications Homepage