Skip to main content

Microphysical, radiative, and dynamical impacts of thin cirrus clouds on humidity in the tropical tropopause layer and lower stratosphere

Author(s): Dinh, Tra; Fueglistaler, Stephan

Download
To refer to this page use: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/pr1x63b49m
Abstract: Cloud‐resolving numerical simulations are carried out to study how in situ formed cirrus affect the humidity in the tropical tropopause layer and lower stratosphere. Cloud‐induced impacts on the specific humidity are evaluated separately in terms of (i) the dehydration efficiency and (ii) the increase in the saturation mixing ratio associated with cloud radiatively induced temperature adjustment. The numerical results show that the dehydration efficiency of cirrus clouds, which is measured by the domain average relative humidity, varies within 100 ± 15% in all model configurations (with/without heterogeneous ice nucleation and with/without cloud radiative heating and cloud dynamics). A larger impact on the specific humidity comes from temperature increase (of a few kelvins) induced by cloud heating. The latter is found to scale approximately linearly with the domain average ice mass. Resolving the cloud radiatively induced circulations approximately doubles the domain average ice mass and associated cloud‐induced temperature change.
Publication Date: 4-Sep-2014
Electronic Publication Date: 16-Oct-2014
Citation: Dinh, Tra, and Stephan Fueglistaler. "Microphysical, radiative, and dynamical impacts of thin cirrus clouds on humidity in the tropical tropopause layer and lower stratosphere." Geophysical Research Letters 41, no. 19 (2014): 6949-6955. doi:10.1002/2014GL061289.
DOI: doi:10.1002/2014GL061289
ISSN: 0094-8276
EISSN: 1944-8007
Pages: 6949 - 6955
Type of Material: Journal Article
Journal/Proceeding Title: Geophysical Research Letters
Version: Final published version. Article is made available in OAR by the publisher's permission or policy.



Items in OAR@Princeton are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.