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Overview of Microphysical Properties of Summertime Boundary Layer Clouds Observed During FIRE.ACE |
SPEC Incorporated
plawson@specinc.com
We present an overview of the microphysical properties of summertime Arctic boundary-layer clouds, using data collected by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) C-130 research aircraft during May and July 1998. Data from the cloud particle imager (CPI) are analyzed to separate water drops from ice particles, compute water and ice particle size distributions, and identify the types of hydrometeors. An assessment of the quality of the microphysical measurements is presented. The role of boundary layer mixing in the evolution of the dropsize spectra is examined. Cloud microphysical inhomogeneity is examined in detail for a mixed phase boundary layer cloud observed during May.
