ORCID Profile
0000-0002-5747-0391
Current Organisation
University of Bern
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Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 13-05-2014
DOI: 10.5194/ACPD-14-12071-2014
Abstract: Abstract. In January 2010 and December 2011 synoptic scale PSC fields were probed during seven flights of the high altitude research aircraft M-55 Geophysica within the RECONCILE (Reconciliation of essential process parameters for an enhanced predictability of Arctic stratospheric ozone loss and its climate interaction.) and the ESSenCe (ESSenCe: ESA Sounder C aign) projects. Particle size distributions in a diameter range between 0.46 μm and 40 μm were recorded simultaneously by up to four different optical in situ instruments. Three of these particle instruments are based on the detection of forward scattered light by single particles. The fourth instrument is a grey scale optical array imaging probe. Optical particle diameters of up to 35 μm were detected with particle number densities and total particle volumes exceeding previous Arctic measurements. Also, gas phase and particle bound NOy were measured, as well as water vapor concentrations, and other variables. Two remote sensing particle instruments, the Miniature Aerosol Lidar (MAL) and the backscatter sonde (MAS, Multiwavelenght Aerosol Scatterometer) showed the synoptic scale of the encountered PSCs. The particle mode below 2 μm in size diameter has been identified as supercooled ternary solution droplets (STS). The PSC particles in the size range above 2 μm in diameter are considered to consist of nitric acid hydrates or ice, and the particles' high HNO3 content was confirmed by the NOy instrument. Assuming a particle composition of nitric acid trihydrate (NAT), the optically measured size distributions result in particle-phase HNO3 mixing ratios exceeding available stratospheric values. In particular, with respect to the denitrification by sedimentation of large HNO3-contaning particles, generally considered as NAT, our new measurements raise questions concerning composition, shape and nucleation pathways. Measurement uncertainties are discussed concerning probable overestimations of measured particle sizes and volumes. We hypothesize that either a strong asphericity or the particle composition (e.g. water-ice coated with NAT) could explain our observations.
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 11-12-2014
DOI: 10.5194/ACP-14-13223-2014
Abstract: Abstract. The case study presented here focuses on the life cycle of clouds in the anvil region of a tropical deep convective system. During the SCOUT-O3 c aign from Darwin, Northern Australia, the Hector storm system has been probed by the Geophysica high-altitude aircraft. Clouds were observed by in situ particle probes, a backscatter sonde, and a miniature lidar. Additionally, aerosol number concentrations have been measured. On 30 November 2005 a double flight took place and Hector was probed throughout its life cycle in its developing, mature, and dissipating stage. The two flights were four hours apart and focused on the anvil region of Hector in altitudes between 10.5 and 18.8 km (i.e. above 350 K potential temperature). Trajectory calculations, satellite imagery, and ozone measurements have been used to ensure that the same cloud air masses have been probed in both flights. The size distributions derived from the measurements show a change not only with increasing altitude but also with the evolution of Hector. Clearly different cloud to aerosol particle ratios as well as varying ice crystal morphology have been found for the different development stages of Hector, indicating different freezing mechanisms. The development phase exhibits the smallest ice particles (up to 300 μm) with a rather uniform morphology. This is indicative for rapid glaciation during Hector's development. Sizes of ice crystals are largest in the mature stage (larger than 1.6 mm) and even exceed those of some continental tropical deep convective clouds, also in their number concentrations. The backscatter properties and particle images show a change in ice crystal shape from the developing phase to rimed and aggregated particles in the mature and dissipating stages the specific shape of particles in the developing phase cannot be distinguished from the measurements. Although optically thin, the clouds in the dissipating stage have a large vertical extent (roughly 6 km) and persist for at least 6 h. Thus, the anvils of these high-reaching deep convective clouds have a high potential for affecting the tropical tropopause layer by modifying the humidity and radiative budget, as well as for providing favourable conditions for subvisible cirrus formation. The involved processes may also influence the amount of water vapour that ultimately reaches the stratosphere in the tropics.
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 12-05-2014
DOI: 10.5194/ACPD-14-11815-2014
Abstract: Abstract. The case study presented here focusses on the life cycle of clouds in a tropical deep convective system. During the SCOUT-O3 c aign from Darwin, Northern Australia, the Hector storm system has been probed by the Geophysica high altitude aircraft. Clouds were observed by in situ particle probes, a backscatter sonde, and a miniature lidar. Additionally, aerosol number concentrations have been measured. On 30 November 2005 a double flight took place and Hector was probed throughout its life cycle in its developing, mature, and dissipating stage. The two flights were four hours apart and focussed on the anvil region of Hector in altitudes between 10.5 km and 18.8 km (i.e. above 350 K potential temperature). Trajectory calculations and ozone measurements have been used to identify that the same cloud air masses have been probed in both flights. The size distributions derived from the measurements not only show a change with increasing altitude but also with the evolution of Hector. Clearly different aerosol to cloud particle ratios as well as varying ice crystal morphology have been found for the different development stages of Hector, indicating a change in freezing mechanisms. The development phase exhibits the smallest ice particles (up to 300 μm) with a rather uniform morphology. This is indicative for rapid glaciation during Hector's development. Sizes of ice crystals are largest in the mature stage (larger 1.6 mm) and even exceed those of some continental tropical deep convective clouds, also in their number concentrations. The backscatter properties and particle images show a change from frozen droplets in the developing phase to rimed and aggregated particles. The clouds in the dissipating stage have a large vertical extend (roughly 6 km) though optically thin and persist for at least 6 h. This poses a high potential for affecting the tropical tropopause layer background conditions regarding humidity, e.g. through facilitating subvisible cirrus formation, and with this the amount of water vapour that is transported into the stratosphere.
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 14-10-2014
DOI: 10.5194/ACP-14-10785-2014
Abstract: Abstract. In January 2010 and December 2011, synoptic-scale polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) fields were probed during seven flights of the high-altitude research aircraft M-55 Geophysica within the RECONCILE (Reconciliation of essential process parameters for an enhanced predictability of Arctic stratospheric ozone loss and its climate interaction) and the ESSenCe (ESSenCe: ESA Sounder C aign) projects. Particle size distributions in a diameter range between 0.46 and 40μm were recorded by four different optical in situ instruments. Three of these particle instruments are based on the detection of forward-scattered light by single particles. The fourth instrument is a grayscale optical array imaging probe. Optical particle diameters of up to 35μm were detected with particle number densities and total particle volumes exceeding previous Arctic measurements. Also, gas-phase and particle-bound NOy was measured, as well as water vapor concentrations. The optical characteristics of the clouds were measured by the remote sensing lidar MAL (Miniature Aerosol Lidar) and by the in situ backscatter sonde MAS (Multiwavelength Aerosol Scatterometer), showing the synoptic scale of the encountered PSCs. The particle mode below 2μm in size diameter has been identified as supercooled ternary solution (STS) droplets. The PSC particles in the size range above 2μm in diameter are considered to consist of nitric acid hydrates, and the particles' high HNO3 content was confirmed by the NOy instrument. Assuming a particle composition of nitric acid trihydrate (NAT), the optically measured size distributions result in particle-phase HNO3 mixing ratios exceeding available stratospheric values. Therefore the measurement uncertainties concerning probable overestimations of measured particle sizes and volumes are discussed in detail. We hypothesize that either a strong asphericity or an alternate particle composition (e.g., water ice coated with NAT) could explain our observations. In particular, with respect to the denitrification by sedimentation of large HNO3-containing particles, generally considered to be NAT, our new measurements raise questions concerning composition, shape and nucleation pathways. Answering these would improve the numerical simulation of PSC microphysical processes like cloud particle formation, growth and denitrification, which is necessary for better predictions of future polar ozone losses, especially under changing global climate conditions. Generally, it seems that the occurrence of large NAT particles – sometimes termed "NAT rocks" – are a regular feature of synoptic-scale PSCs in the Arctic.
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 14-02-2017
Abstract: Abstract. This study has two objectives: (1) it characterizes contrails at very low temperatures and (2) it discusses convective cirrus in which the contrails occurred. (1) Long-lived contrails and cirrus from overshooting convection are investigated above the tropical tropopause at low temperatures down to −88 °C from measurements with the Russian high-altitude research aircraft M-55 Geophysica, as well as related observations during the SCOUT-O3 field experiment near Darwin, Australia, in 2005. A contrail was observed to persist below ice saturation at low temperatures and low turbulence in the stratosphere for nearly 1 h. The contrail occurred downwind of the decaying convective system Hector of 16 November 2005. The upper part of the contrail formed at 19 km altitude in the tropical lower stratosphere at ∼ 60 % relative humidity over ice at −82 °C. The ∼ 1 h lifetime is explained by engine water emissions, slightly enhanced humidity from Hector, low temperature, low turbulence, and possibly nitric acid hydrate formation. The long persistence suggests large contrail coverage in case of a potential future increase of air traffic in the lower stratosphere. (2) Cirrus observed above the strongly convective Hector cloud on 30 November 2005 was previously interpreted as cirrus from overshooting convection. Here we show that parts of the cirrus were caused by contrails or are mixtures of convective and contrail cirrus. The in situ data together with data from an upward-looking lidar on the German research aircraft Falcon, the CPOL radar near Darwin, and NOAA-AVHRR satellites provide a sufficiently complete picture to distinguish between contrail and convective cirrus parts. Plume positions are estimated based on measured or analyzed wind and parameterized wake vortex descent. Most of the non-volatile aerosol measured over Hector is traceable to aircraft emissions. Exhaust emission indices are derived from a self-match experiment of the Geophysica in the polar stratosphere in 2010. The number of ice particles in the contrails is less than 1 % of the number of non-volatile aerosol particles, possibly because of sublimation losses and undetected very small ice particles. The radar data show that the ice water content in convective overshoots is far higher than measured along the flight path. These findings add insight into overshooting convection and are of relevance with respect to hydration of the lower stratosphere.
No related grants have been discovered for Renaud Matthey.