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Derivation of Aerosol Profiles for MC3E Convection Studies and Use in Simulations of the 20 May Squall Line CaseAdvancing understanding of deep convection microphysics via mesoscale modeling studies of well-observed case studies requires observation-based aerosol inputs. Here, we derive hygroscopic aerosol size distribution input profiles from ground-based and airborne measurements for six convection case studies observed during the Midlatitude Continental Convective Cloud Experiment (MC3E) over Oklahoma. We demonstrate use of an input profile in simulations of the only well-observed case study that produced extensive stratiform outflow on 20 May 2011. At well-sampled elevations between -11 and -23 degree C over widespread stratiform rain, ice crystal number concentrations are consistently dominated by a single mode near 400 micrometer in randomly oriented maximum dimension (D[superscript max] ). The ice mass at -23 degree C is primarily in a closely collocated mode, whereas a mass mode near D[superscript max] -1000 micrometer becomes dominant with decreasing elevation to the -11 degree C level, consistent with possible aggregation during sedimentation. However, simulations with and without observation-based aerosol inputs systematically overpredict mass peak D[superscript max] by a factor of 3-5 and underpredict ice number concentration by a factor of 4-10. Previously reported simulations with both two-moment and size-resolved microphysics have shown biases of a similar nature. The observed ice properties are notably similar to those reported from recent tropical measurements. Based on several lines of evidence, we speculate that updraft microphysical pathways determining outflow properties in the 20 May case are similar to a tropical regime, likely associated with warm-temperature ice multiplication that is not well understood or well represented in models.
Document ID
20170004662
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Other
Authors
Fridlind, Ann M.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Xiaowen, Li
(Morgan State Univ. Baltimore, MD, United States)
Wu, Di
(Science Systems and Applications, Inc. Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Van Lier-Walqui, Marcus
(Columbia Univ. New York, NY, United States)
Ackerman, Andrew S.
(NASA Goddard Inst. for Space Studies New York, NY, United States)
Tao, Wei-Kuo
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
McFarquhar, Greg M.
(Illinois Univ. Urbana-Champaign, IL, United States)
Wu, Wei
(Illinois Univ. Urbana-Champaign, IL, United States)
Dong, Xiquan
(Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Wang, Jingyu
(Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Ryzhkov, Alexander
(Oklahoma Univ. Norman, OK, United States)
Zhang, Pengfei
(Oklahoma Univ. Norman, OK, United States)
Poellot, Michael R.
(North Dakota Univ. Grand Forks, ND, United States)
Neumann, Andrea
(North Dakota Univ. Grand Forks, ND, United States)
Tomlinson, Jason M.
(Pacific Northwest National Lab. Richland, WA, United States)
Date Acquired
May 23, 2017
Publication Date
May 15, 2017
Publication Information
Publication: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Publisher: Copernicus
Volume: 17
Issue: 9
ISSN: 1680-7316
e-ISSN: 1680-7324
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN42758/SUPP
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX14AB99A
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG12HP08C
CONTRACT_GRANT: DE-SC0006988
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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