Exploring Observed and Simulated Liquid-ice Mass Partitioning in Stratiform and Convective Mixed-phase Clouds

Description

Mixed-phase clouds play an important role in the water and energy cycle; however, it is particularly challenging to correctly simulate these clouds in numerical models. The liquid-ice mass partitioning (LIMP) in stratiform and convective mixed-phase clouds are critical in regulating cloud radiative properties, precipitation generation and cloud lifecycles, therefore LIMP needs to be properly simulated. Our recent progresses in analyzing observed and model simulated LIMP will be reported: 1) Stratiform mixed-phase cloud properties derived from long-term ACRF measurements at the Barrow site and from global A-train satellite measurements are analyzed to characterize LIMP in stratiform mixed-phase clouds. 2) CAM5 simulated LIMP are compared with these observations, which highlights significant model deficiencies. 3) Due to limitations in studying convective clouds with remote sensing measurements, in situ measured cloud microphysical properties are used to characterize LIMP in convective mixed-phase clouds. Statistics of convective cloud properties from MC3E at SGP site are compared with convective cloud properties sampled in other regions. 4) WRF model simulations with bin cloud microphysics are used to explore new ice nucleation parameterizations and other aspects of microphysical parameterizations in order to replicate observed LIMP in convective clouds. 5) The observed systematic differences in the temperature dependence of LIMP between stratiform and convective clouds suggest the necessity to treat ice generation differently for different types of clouds.