학술논문

Do We Observe Aerosol Impacts on DSDs in Strongly Forced Tropical Thunderstorms?
Document Type
Article
Source
Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences. Sep2011, Vol. 68 Issue 9, p1902-1910. 9p. 2 Charts, 2 Graphs, 2 Maps.
Subject
*THUNDERSTORMS
*ATMOSPHERIC aerosols
*PARTICLE size distribution
*POLARIMETRY
*THERMODYNAMICS
*RADAR
Language
ISSN
0022-4928
Abstract
Rain drop size distributions retrieved from polarimetric radar measurements over regularly occurring thunderstorms over the islands north of Darwin, Australia, are used to test if aerosol contributions to the probability distributions of the drop size distribution parameters (median volume diameter and normalized intercept parameter) are detectable. The observations reported herein are such that differences in cloud properties arising from thermodynamic differences are minimized but even so may be a factor. However, there is a clear signature that high aerosol concentrations are correlated with smaller number concentrations and larger drops. This may be associated with enhanced ice multiplication processes for low aerosol concentration storms or other processes such as invigoration of the updrafts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]