Modeling and polarimetric radar studies of single- and multi-layered Arctic mixed-phase clouds

Poster PDF

Description

Our research group has recently pursued three investigative lines to advance our understanding of Arctic mixed-phase clouds. First, we performed simulations of a single-layered mixed-phase cloud with the Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) version of the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS). The simulations were designed to examine the dynamical and microphysical response of the supercooled liquid cloud to ice precipitation falling into it from above. Second, we conducted a mesoscale modeling study of observed multi-layered mixed-phase clouds with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The simulations were used to test the sensitivity of multiple liquid layers and intermittent precipitation to the initial conditions, parameterization options, and selected microphysical parameters. In the third study, we compared bin microphysical model output with radar observations via a radar forward simulator to quantify the impacts of vapor depositional growth on the polarimetric radar variables. Sensitivity tests designed to capture depositional growth uncertainties were also pursued. We present results from these three studies as a prologue to further discussions on each one of them.