Field experiment for cloud-aerosol interaction study in the arctic Svalbard

Description

Clouds and aerosols are key elements having the potential to change climate by their radiative effects on the energy balance in the global climate system. In the Arctic, we have been continuing ground-based remote-sensing measurements for clouds and aerosols using a sky radiometer, a micropulse lidar, and an all-sky camera in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard. In addition to the regular operations, we are planning an intensive observation campaign for clouds in May 2011. This campaign aims at low-level clouds to investigate cloud optical and microphysical properties and cloud-aerosol interaction processes in the Arctic, mainly from cloud radiation measurements and active remote-sensing at the surface, and in situ microphysics measurements at a mountain-side facility located 470 meters high. The instrumentation for in situ measurements includes conventional cloud microphysics probes and a newly developed cloud particle microscopic imager. An aerosol particle counter to be placed in the ropeway cabin is used for measuring particle size distribution to see the difference between in-cloud and out-of-cloud conditions. In this poster, the experimental design will be introduced and discussed for further experimental studies of cloud-aerosol interaction.