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Cloud Studies with the Droplet Aerosol Analyzer

Berghof, Maria LU (2015)
Abstract
Climate change and atmospheric aerosols are a threat for human health and life.

Reducing aerosol emissions would save human lives close to the aerosol source,

but could lead to more death due to the implications of a warmer climate. Aerosol

particles acting as cloud or ice nuclei can induce a change in cloud properties

and thus indirectly induce a change in planetary albedo, which is considered the

major reason of changes in planetary albedo associated with global warming.

Because of the complexity of the interaction between aerosols and clouds,

uncertainties in cloud parametrization remain the major cause of discrepancies

between cloud observations and simulations.... (More)
Climate change and atmospheric aerosols are a threat for human health and life.

Reducing aerosol emissions would save human lives close to the aerosol source,

but could lead to more death due to the implications of a warmer climate. Aerosol

particles acting as cloud or ice nuclei can induce a change in cloud properties

and thus indirectly induce a change in planetary albedo, which is considered the

major reason of changes in planetary albedo associated with global warming.

Because of the complexity of the interaction between aerosols and clouds,

uncertainties in cloud parametrization remain the major cause of discrepancies

between cloud observations and simulations. Thus, improving the understanding

of aerosol-cloud-interactions is one of the keys for reducing uncertainty in

the estimate of the total anthropogenic radiative forcing and climate sensitivity.

Climate sensitivity is important for quantifying risks and probabilities, and the

development of adaption strategies.

The Droplet Aerosol Analyzer (DAA) was developed to study aerosol-cloud

interaction and is unique in providing the number and the direct relationship

between cloud droplet and residual particle size. For this purpose a more automatic

version with better time resolution (10 min) and an improved and more

automated inversion algorithm has been developed to better suit the needs of

long-term measurements.

Between June and October 2010 aerosol-cloud interaction measurements have

been performed at the summit of Mt. Brocken (51.80 N, 10.62 E, 1142 m a.s.l.)

in central Germany. For this period the aerosol and cloud properties and the

droplet activation regime regarding the ratio between updraft velocity and particle

number concentration (w=Ntot), have been determined.

The relation between cloud droplet number concentration Nd;tot and total

number concentration Ntot, updraft velocity wpred, and size distribution shape

R_0.1um has been determined for three overlapping w=Ntot-intervals.

As expected, for increasing w=Ntot-ratio (from the transitional regime towards

aerosol limited regime) the relative sensitivity ofNd;tot against w decreases while

the relative sensitivity of Nd;tot against Ntot increases. The influence of the size

distribution shape R_0.1um was examined and the absolute relative sensitivity of

Nd;tot against R_0.1um was observed to decrease from the transitional towards the

aerosol limited regime.

The onset of ’roll-off’, where an increase in Ntot does not lead to a proportional

increase in Nd;tot, shifted towards higher total number concentration for

increasing w=Ntot-ratio. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Dr. Virtanan, Annele, University of Eastern Finland, Department of Applied Physics, Kuopio, Finland
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Cloud, Aerosol, DAA
pages
139 pages
publisher
Division of Nuclear Physics
defense location
Rydberg Hall, Department of Physics, Sölvegatan 14C, Lund University Faculty of Engineering, Lund
defense date
2015-11-13 09:00:00
ISBN
978-91-7623-485-3
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Nuclear Physics (Faculty of Technology) (011013007)
id
10104415-099c-47ba-a8e8-97377787b7f9 (old id 8057620)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 10:34:22
date last changed
2018-11-21 20:59:33
@phdthesis{10104415-099c-47ba-a8e8-97377787b7f9,
  abstract     = {{Climate change and atmospheric aerosols are a threat for human health and life.<br/><br>
Reducing aerosol emissions would save human lives close to the aerosol source,<br/><br>
but could lead to more death due to the implications of a warmer climate. Aerosol<br/><br>
particles acting as cloud or ice nuclei can induce a change in cloud properties<br/><br>
and thus indirectly induce a change in planetary albedo, which is considered the<br/><br>
major reason of changes in planetary albedo associated with global warming.<br/><br>
Because of the complexity of the interaction between aerosols and clouds,<br/><br>
uncertainties in cloud parametrization remain the major cause of discrepancies<br/><br>
between cloud observations and simulations. Thus, improving the understanding<br/><br>
of aerosol-cloud-interactions is one of the keys for reducing uncertainty in<br/><br>
the estimate of the total anthropogenic radiative forcing and climate sensitivity.<br/><br>
Climate sensitivity is important for quantifying risks and probabilities, and the<br/><br>
development of adaption strategies.<br/><br>
The Droplet Aerosol Analyzer (DAA) was developed to study aerosol-cloud<br/><br>
interaction and is unique in providing the number and the direct relationship<br/><br>
between cloud droplet and residual particle size. For this purpose a more automatic<br/><br>
version with better time resolution (10 min) and an improved and more<br/><br>
automated inversion algorithm has been developed to better suit the needs of<br/><br>
long-term measurements.<br/><br>
Between June and October 2010 aerosol-cloud interaction measurements have<br/><br>
been performed at the summit of Mt. Brocken (51.80 N, 10.62 E, 1142 m a.s.l.)<br/><br>
in central Germany. For this period the aerosol and cloud properties and the<br/><br>
droplet activation regime regarding the ratio between updraft velocity and particle<br/><br>
number concentration (w=Ntot), have been determined.<br/><br>
The relation between cloud droplet number concentration Nd;tot and total<br/><br>
number concentration Ntot, updraft velocity wpred, and size distribution shape<br/><br>
R_0.1um has been determined for three overlapping w=Ntot-intervals.<br/><br>
As expected, for increasing w=Ntot-ratio (from the transitional regime towards<br/><br>
aerosol limited regime) the relative sensitivity ofNd;tot against w decreases while<br/><br>
the relative sensitivity of Nd;tot against Ntot increases. The influence of the size<br/><br>
distribution shape R_0.1um was examined and the absolute relative sensitivity of<br/><br>
Nd;tot against R_0.1um was observed to decrease from the transitional towards the<br/><br>
aerosol limited regime.<br/><br>
The onset of ’roll-off’, where an increase in Ntot does not lead to a proportional<br/><br>
increase in Nd;tot, shifted towards higher total number concentration for<br/><br>
increasing w=Ntot-ratio.}},
  author       = {{Berghof, Maria}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-7623-485-3}},
  keywords     = {{Cloud; Aerosol; DAA}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Division of Nuclear Physics}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  title        = {{Cloud Studies with the Droplet Aerosol Analyzer}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5570466/8057648.pdf}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}