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Thermodynamics and Microphysics Relation During CAIPEEX-I

Bera, Sudarsan ; Prabha, T. V. ; Malap, N. ; Patade, S. LU ; Konwar, M. ; Murugavel, P. and Axisa, D. (2019) In Pure and Applied Geophysics 176(1). p.371-388
Abstract

Influence of the environmental thermodynamics on the microphysics of deep cumulus clouds over different parts of India is studied using in situ airborne observations from the Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement EXperiment (CAIPEEX) during 2009. This study provides an understanding of the thermodynamics–microphysics relation over the Indian summer-monsoon region. Relatively stronger updraft and turbulence are noted in the pre-monsoon cloud base layers compared to that of the monsoon clouds. It is illustrated from the in situ observations as well as from a microphysical parcel model that the vertical variation of cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC) has a well-defined peak at a certain height above the cloud base.... (More)

Influence of the environmental thermodynamics on the microphysics of deep cumulus clouds over different parts of India is studied using in situ airborne observations from the Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement EXperiment (CAIPEEX) during 2009. This study provides an understanding of the thermodynamics–microphysics relation over the Indian summer-monsoon region. Relatively stronger updraft and turbulence are noted in the pre-monsoon cloud base layers compared to that of the monsoon clouds. It is illustrated from the in situ observations as well as from a microphysical parcel model that the vertical variation of cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC) has a well-defined peak at a certain height above the cloud base. This elevated CDNC peak is found to be connected with the cloud parcel buoyancy and cumulative convective available potential energy (cCAPE). Higher parcel buoyancy above the cloud base of dry pre-monsoon clouds is associated with stronger in-cloud updraft velocity, higher supersaturation and higher droplet number concentration (in addition to aerosol effect). Higher adiabatic fraction and lower entrainment rate are observed in polluted clouds where boundary layer moisture is low, compared to clean clouds. Relative dispersion of droplet size distribution is found to vary concurrently with air mass characteristics and aerosol number concentration observed over different locations during the experiment. Aerosol–precipitation relationships are also investigated from the observation. Maximum reflectivity and rain rates showed a direct link with boundary layer water vapor content rather than with subcloud aerosol number concentration.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Pure and Applied Geophysics
volume
176
issue
1
pages
18 pages
publisher
Birkhäuser Verlag
external identifiers
  • scopus:85061367233
ISSN
0033-4553
DOI
10.1007/s00024-018-1942-6
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
dbcbe2dc-f933-410f-a3a3-ae240ce185a1
date added to LUP
2019-02-19 12:12:00
date last changed
2022-04-25 21:26:30
@article{dbcbe2dc-f933-410f-a3a3-ae240ce185a1,
  abstract     = {{<p>Influence of the environmental thermodynamics on the microphysics of deep cumulus clouds over different parts of India is studied using in situ airborne observations from the Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement EXperiment (CAIPEEX) during 2009. This study provides an understanding of the thermodynamics–microphysics relation over the Indian summer-monsoon region. Relatively stronger updraft and turbulence are noted in the pre-monsoon cloud base layers compared to that of the monsoon clouds. It is illustrated from the in situ observations as well as from a microphysical parcel model that the vertical variation of cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC) has a well-defined peak at a certain height above the cloud base. This elevated CDNC peak is found to be connected with the cloud parcel buoyancy and cumulative convective available potential energy (cCAPE). Higher parcel buoyancy above the cloud base of dry pre-monsoon clouds is associated with stronger in-cloud updraft velocity, higher supersaturation and higher droplet number concentration (in addition to aerosol effect). Higher adiabatic fraction and lower entrainment rate are observed in polluted clouds where boundary layer moisture is low, compared to clean clouds. Relative dispersion of droplet size distribution is found to vary concurrently with air mass characteristics and aerosol number concentration observed over different locations during the experiment. Aerosol–precipitation relationships are also investigated from the observation. Maximum reflectivity and rain rates showed a direct link with boundary layer water vapor content rather than with subcloud aerosol number concentration.</p>}},
  author       = {{Bera, Sudarsan and Prabha, T. V. and Malap, N. and Patade, S. and Konwar, M. and Murugavel, P. and Axisa, D.}},
  issn         = {{0033-4553}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{371--388}},
  publisher    = {{Birkhäuser Verlag}},
  series       = {{Pure and Applied Geophysics}},
  title        = {{Thermodynamics and Microphysics Relation During CAIPEEX-I}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00024-018-1942-6}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00024-018-1942-6}},
  volume       = {{176}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}