PNNL

Abstract

Atmospheric aerosols may control the formation, maintenance, and dissipation of cumuli by changing their microphysics. Recent observational and modeling results exist both in support and against strong potential impacts of aerosol [1-3]. Typically, the aerosol impact on water clouds has been investigated for regions with high aerosol loading and/or large atmospheric moisture [4]. Can we provide observational evidence of the aerosol-cloud relationship for a relatively dry continental region with low/moderate aerosol burden? To address this question, we revisit the aerosol-cloud relationship at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility (ACRF) Southern Great Plains (SGP) site. In comparison with highly polluted regions, the SGP site is characterized by relatively small-to-moderate aerosol loading. Also, moisture content is small-to-moderate (compared to marine and coastal regions) for the SGP site. Because cumulus clouds have important impacts on climate forcing estimations [5] and are susceptible to aerosol effects [6], we focus on fair-weather cumuli (FWC) and their association with aerosol concentration and other potentially important factors. This association is investigated using a new 8-year aerosol and cloud climatology (2000-2007) developed with collocated and coincident surface and satellite observations.