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1. Aerosol and Cloud Experiments in the Eastern North Atlantic (ACE-ENA)

   Wang, Jian ; Dong, Xiquan et ( January 2021 , Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society)

   null (Ed.)

   With their extensive coverage, marine low clouds greatly impact global climate. Presently, marine low clouds are poorly represented in global climate models, and the response of marine low clouds to changes in atmospheric greenhouse gases and aerosols remains the major source of uncertainty in climate simulations. The Eastern North Atlantic (ENA) is a region of persistent but diverse subtropical marine boundary layer clouds, whose albedo and precipitation are highly susceptible to perturbations in aerosol properties. In addition, the ENA is periodically impacted by continental aerosols, making it an excellent location to study the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) budget in a remote marine region periodically perturbed by anthropogenic emissions, and to investigate the impacts of long-range transport of aerosols on remote marine clouds. The Aerosol and Cloud Experiments in Eastern North Atlantic (ACE-ENA) campaign was motivated by the need of comprehensive in-situ measurements for improving the understanding of marine boundary layer CCN budget, cloud and drizzle microphysics, and the impact of aerosol on marine low cloud and precipitation. The airborne deployments took place from June 21 to July 20, 2017 and January 15 to February 18, 2018 in the Azores. The flights were designed to maximize the synergy between in-situ airborne measurements and ongoing long-term observations at a ground site. Here we present measurements, observation strategy, meteorological conditions during the campaign, and preliminary findings. Finally, we discuss future analyses and modeling studies that improve the understanding and representation of marine boundary layer aerosols, clouds, precipitation, and the interactions among them. 

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2. Profiles of MBL Cloud and Drizzle Microphysical Properties Retrieved From Ground‐Based Observations and Validated by Aircraft In Situ Measurements Over the Azores

   https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JD032205  

   Wu, Peng ; Dong, Xiquan ; Xi, Baike ; Tian, Jingjing ; Ward, Dale M. ( May 2020 , Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres)

   The profiles of marine boundary layer (MBL) cloud and drizzle microphysical properties are important for studying the cloud‐to‐rain conversion and growth processes in MBL clouds. However, it is challenging to simultaneously retrieve both cloud and drizzle microphysical properties within an MBL cloud layer using ground‐based observations. In this study, methods were developed to first decompose drizzle and cloud reflectivity in MBL clouds from Atmospheric Radiation Measurement cloud radar reflectivity measurements and then simultaneously retrieve cloud and drizzle microphysical properties during the Aerosol and Cloud Experiments in the Eastern North Atlantic (ACE‐ENA) campaign. These retrieved microphysical properties, such as cloud and drizzle particle size (r_candr_m,d), their number concentration (N_candN_d) and liquid water content (LWC_candLWC_d), have been validated by aircraft in situ measurements during ACE‐ENA (~158 hr of aircraft data). The mean surface retrieved (in situ measured)r_c,N_c, andLWC_care 10.9 μm (11.8 μm), 70 cm⁻³(60 cm⁻³), and 0.21 g m⁻³(0.22 g m⁻³), respectively. For drizzle microphysical properties, the retrieved (in situ measured)r_d,N_d, andLWC_dare 44.9 μm (45.1 μm), 0.07 cm⁻³(0.08 cm⁻³), and 0.052 g m⁻³(0.066 g m⁻³), respectively. Treating the aircraft in situ measurements as truth, the estimated median retrieval errors are ~15% forr_c, ~35% forN_c, ~30% forLWC_candr_d, and ~50% forN_dandLWC_d. The findings from this study will provide insightful information for improving our understanding of warm rain processes, as well as for improving model simulations. More studies are required over other climatic regions.

    

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3. Measurement report: Cloud processes and the transport of biological emissions affect southern ocean particle and cloud condensation nuclei concentrations

   https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-3427-2021  

   Sanchez, Kevin J. ; Roberts, Gregory C. ; Saliba, Georges ; Russell, Lynn M. ; Twohy, Cynthia ; Reeves, Michael J. ; Humphries, Ruhi S. ; Keywood, Melita D. ; Ward, Jason P. ; McRobert, Ian M. ( January 2021 , Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics)

   null (Ed.)

   Abstract. Long-range transport of biogenic emissions from the coastof Antarctica, precipitation scavenging, and cloud processing are the mainprocesses that influence the observed variability in Southern Ocean (SO)marine boundary layer (MBL) condensation nuclei (CN) and cloud condensationnuclei (CCN) concentrations during the austral summer. Airborne particlemeasurements on the HIAPER GV from north–south transects between Hobart,Tasmania, and 62∘ S during the Southern Ocean Clouds, RadiationAerosol Transport Experimental Study (SOCRATES) were separated into fourregimes comprising combinations of high and low concentrations of CCN andCN. In 5 d HYSPLIT back trajectories, air parcels with elevated CCNconcentrations were almost always shown to have crossed the Antarctic coast,a location with elevated phytoplankton emissions relative to the rest of theSO in the region south of Australia. The presence of high CCN concentrationswas also consistent with high cloud fractions over their trajectory,suggesting there was substantial growth of biogenically formed particlesthrough cloud processing. Cases with low cloud fraction, due to the presenceof cumulus clouds, had high CN concentrations, consistent with previouslyreported new particle formation in cumulus outflow regions. Measurementsassociated with elevated precipitation during the previous 1.5 d of theirtrajectory had low CCN concentrations indicating CCN were effectivelyscavenged by precipitation. A coarse-mode fitting algorithm was used todetermine the primary marine aerosol (PMA) contribution, which accounted for<20 % of CCN (at 0.3 % supersaturation) and cloud dropletnumber concentrations. Vertical profiles of CN and large particleconcentrations (Dp>0.07 µm) indicated that particleformation occurs more frequently above the MBL; however, the growth ofrecently formed particles typically occurs in the MBL, consistent with cloudprocessing and the condensation of volatile compound oxidation products. CCN measurements on the R/V Investigator as part of the second Clouds, Aerosols,Precipitation, Radiation and atmospheric Composition Over the southeRn Ocean(CAPRICORN-2) campaign were also conducted during the same period as theSOCRATES study. The R/V Investigator observed elevated CCN concentrations near Australia,likely due to continental and coastal biogenic emissions. The Antarcticcoastal source of CCN from the south, CCN sources from the midlatitudes, andenhanced precipitation sink in the cyclonic circulation between the Ferreland polar cells (around 60∘ S) create opposing latitudinalgradients in the CCN concentration with an observed minimum in the SObetween 55 and 60∘ S. The SOCRATES airbornemeasurements are not influenced by Australian continental emissions butstill show evidence of elevated CCN concentrations to the south of60∘ S, consistent with biogenic coastal emissions. In addition, alatitudinal gradient in the particle composition, south of the Australianand Tasmanian coasts, is apparent in aerosol hygroscopicity derived from CCNspectra and aerosol particle size distribution. The particles are morehygroscopic to the north, consistent with a greater fraction of sea saltfrom PMA, and less hygroscopic to the south as there is more sulfate andorganic particles originating from biogenic sources in coastal Antarctica. 

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4. Environmental Effects on Aerosol-Cloud Interaction in non-precipitating MBL clouds over the Eastern North Atlantic

   Zheng, X. ( January 2021 , ACP)

   null (Ed.)

   Over the eastern north Atlantic (ENA) ocean, a total of 21 non-drizzling single-layer marine boundary layer (MBL) stratus and stratocumulus cloud caseperiods are selected in order to investigate the impacts of the environmental variables on the aerosol-cloud interaction (ACI_r) using the ground-based measurements from the Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) facility at the ENA site during the period 2016 – 2018. The ACI_r represents the relative change of cloud-droplet effective radius r_e with respect to the relative change of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentration (N_CCN) in the water vapor stratified environment. The ACI_r values vary from -0.004 to 0.207 with increasing precipitable water vapor (PWV) conditions, indicating that r_e is more sensitive to the CCN loading under sufficient water vapor supply, owing to the combined effect of enhanced condensational growth and coalescence processes associated with higher N_c and PWV. The environmental effects on ACI_r are examined by stratifying the data into different lower tropospheric stability (LTS) and vertical component of turbulence kinetic energy (TKE_w) regimes. The higher LTS normally associates with a more adiabatic cloud layer and a lower boundary layer and thus results in higher CCN to cloud droplet conversion and ACI_r. The ACI_r values under a range of PWV double from low TKE_w to high TKE_w regime, indicating a strong impact of turbulence on the ACI_r. The stronger boundary layer turbulence represented by higher TKE_w strengthens the connection and interaction between cloud microphysical properties and the underneath CCN and moisture sources. With sufficient water vapor and low CCN loading, the active coalescence process broadens the cloud droplet size distribution spectra, and consequently results in an enlargement of r_e. The enhanced N_c conversion and condensational growth induced by more intrusions of CCN effectively decrease r_e, which jointly presents as the increased ACI_r. The TKE_w median value of 0.08 m^2 s^(-2) suggests a feasible way in distinguishing the turbulence-enhanced aerosol-cloud interaction in non-drizzling MBL clouds. 

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5. What Are the Similarities and Differences in Marine Boundary Layer Cloud and Drizzle Microphysical Properties During the ACE‐ENA and MARCUS Field Campaigns?

   https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JD037109  

   Marcovecchio, Alexa. R. ; Xi, Baike ; Zheng, Xiaojian ; Wu, Peng ; Dong, Xiquan ; Behrangi, Ali ( September 2023 , Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres)

   This study compares macrophysical and microphysical properties of single‐layered, liquid‐dominant MBL clouds from the Measurements of Aerosols, Radiation, and Clouds over the Southern Ocean (MARCUS) (above 60°S) and the ARM East North Atlantic (ENA) site during the Aerosol and Cloud Experiments in Eastern North Atlantic (ACE‐ENA) field campaign. A total of 1,136 (16.5% of clouds) and 6,034 5‐min cloud samples are selected from MARCUS and ARM ENA in this study. MARCUS clouds have higher cloud‐top heights, thicker cloud layers, larger liquid water path, and colder cloud temperatures than ENA. Thinner, warmer MBL clouds at ENA can contain higher layer‐mean liquid water content due to higher cloud and ocean surface temperatures along with greater precipitable water vapor (PWV). MARCUS has a higher drizzle frequency rate (71.8%) than ENA (45.1%). Retrieved cloud and drizzle microphysical properties from each field campaign show key differences. MARCUS clouds feature smaller cloud droplets, whereas ENA clouds have larger cloud droplets, especially at the upper region of the cloud. From cloud top to cloud base, drizzle drop sizes increase while number concentrations decrease. Drizzle drop radius and number concentration decrease from cloud base to drizzle base due to net evaporation, and MARCUS' lower specific humidity leads to a higher drizzle base than ENA. The broader surface pressure and lower tropospheric stability (LTS) distributions during MARCUS have demonstrated that there are different synoptic patterns for selected cases during MARCUS with less PWV, while ENA is dominated by high pressure systems with nearly doubled PWV.

    

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