Cloud droplets to drizzle: Contribution of transition drops to microphysical and optical properties of marine stratocumulus clouds

Susanne Glienke; Alexander B. Kostinski; J. Fugal; R. A. Shaw; S. Borrmann; J. Stith

doi:10.1002/2017gl074430

journal article Open Access Aug 11, 2017

Cloud droplets to drizzle: Contribution of transition drops to microphysical and optical properties of marine stratocumulus clouds

Susanne Glienke

Alexander B. Kostinski J. Fugal R. A. Shaw S. Borrmann J. Stith

Geophysical Research Letters Vol. 44 No. 15 pp. 8002-8010 · American Geophysical Union (AGU)

View at Publisher Save 10.1002/2017gl074430

Abstract

AbstractAircraft measurements of the ubiquitous marine stratocumulus cloud type, with over 3000 km of in situ data from the Pacific during the Cloud System Evolution in the Trades experiment, show the ability of the Holographic Detector for Clouds (HOLODEC) instrument to smoothly interpolate the small and large droplet data collected with Cloud Droplet Probe and 2DC instruments. The combined, comprehensive instrument suite reveals a surprisingly large contribution in the predrizzle size range of 40–80 μm (transition droplets, or drizzlets), a range typically not measured and assumed to reside in a condensation‐to‐collision minimum between cloud droplet and drizzle modes. Besides shedding light on the onset of collision coalescence, drizzlets are essential contributors to optical and chemical properties because of a substantial contribution to the total surface area. When adjusted to match spatial resolution of spaceborne remote sensing, the missing drizzlets bring in situ measurements to closer agreement with satellite observations.

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Details

Published: Aug 11, 2017
Vol/Issue: 44(15)
Pages: 8002-8010
License: View

Authors

S

Susanne Glienke

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Germany; Michigan Technological University Houghton Michigan USA

A

Alexander B. Kostinski

Michigan Technological University Houghton Michigan USA

J

J. Fugal

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Germany; Max Planck Institute for Chemistry Mainz Germany

R

R. A. Shaw

Michigan Technological University Houghton Michigan USA

S

S. Borrmann

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Germany; Max Planck Institute for Chemistry Mainz Germany

J

J. Stith

National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder Colorado USA

Funding

National Science Foundation Award: AGS‐1623429

Cite This Article

Susanne Glienke, Alexander B. Kostinski, J. Fugal, et al. (2017). Cloud droplets to drizzle: Contribution of transition drops to microphysical and optical properties of marine stratocumulus clouds. Geophysical Research Letters, 44(15), 8002-8010. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017gl074430

Cloud droplets to drizzle: Contribution of transition drops to microphysical and optical properties of marine stratocumulus clouds

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