Detrainment Dominates CCN Concentrations Around Non-Precipitating Convective Clouds Over the Amazon

Ramon C. Braga (Corresponding author), Daniel Rosenfeld, Meinrat O. Andreae, Christopher Pöhlker, Ulrich Pöschl, Christiane Voigt, Bernadett Weinzierl, Manfred Wendisch, Mira L. Pöhlker, Daniel Harrison

Publications: Contribution to journalArticlePeer Reviewed

Abstract

We investigated the relationship between the number concentration of cloud droplets (Nd) in ice-free convective clouds and of particles large enough to act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) measured at the lateral boundaries of cloud elements. The data were collected during the ACRIDICON-CHUVA aircraft campaign over the Amazon Basin. The results indicate that the CCN particles at the lateral cloud boundaries are dominated by detrainment from the cloud. The CCN concentrations detrained from non-precipitating convective clouds are smaller compared to below cloud bases. The detrained CCN particles from precipitating cloud volumes have relatively larger sizes, but lower concentrations. Our findings indicate that CCN particles ingested from below cloud bases are activated into cloud droplets, which evaporate at the lateral boundaries and above cloud base and release the CCN again to ambient cloud-free air, after some cloud processing. These results support the hypothesis that the CCN around the cloud are cloud-processed.
Original languageEnglish
Article numbere2022GL100411
Number of pages11
JournalGeophysical Research Letters
Volume49
Issue number20
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 28 Oct 2022

Funding

We thank the ACRIDICON‐CHUVA team. The ACRIDICON‐CHUVA campaign was supported by the Max Planck Society (MPG), the German Science Foundation (DFG Priority Program SPP 1294), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and a wide range of other institutional partners. CV thanks funding by DFG within co no VO 1504/6‐1. Open access publishing facilitated by Southern Cross University, as part of the Wiley ‐ Southern Cross University agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians. We thank the ACRIDICON-CHUVA team. The ACRIDICON-CHUVA campaign was supported by the Max Planck Society (MPG), the German Science Foundation (DFG Priority Program SPP 1294), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and a wide range of other institutional partners. CV thanks funding by DFG within co no VO 1504/6-1. Open access publishing facilitated by Southern Cross University, as part of the Wiley - Southern Cross University agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

  • 103039 Aerosol physics
  • 105208 Atmospheric chemistry
  • 105206 Meteorology

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