Description:

Many shallow cloud systems are sensitive to changes in aerosol properties, which act as cloud condensation nuclei, modulate cloud microphysical properties, and can influence precipitation formation and cloud-scale dynamics. Ultimately, these controls may alter low-cloud radiative properties and climate. Aerosol particles, in turn, are impacted by shallow-cloud processes. Together, these interactions result in an aerosol–cloud system whose coupling strength is highly variable and is poorly understood in terms of basic process understanding. Correctly representing this coupling in large-scale models has proven challenging. In this session we invite presentations on all topics related to aerosol–cloud interactions in shallow warm-phase clouds, including those addressing basic physical aerosol-cloud processes, the quantification of aerosol indirect effects, cloud and precipitation effects on aerosols, and the coupling between microphysical processes and boundary layer turbulence or mesoscale cloud dynamics. Contributions from recent field campaigns or which explore novel parameterizations and computational techniques are encouraged.