P2.36
Drizzle in marine stratocumulus over the south eastern Pacific: measurement and role of mesoscale organization
David Leon, Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie, WY; and J. R. Snider and P. Zuidema
Radar, lidar, and microwave radiometer measurements collected onboard the C130 during VOCALS-REx are used to estimate precipitation rates, adiabatic and actual liquid water paths and explore the relationship between mesoscale organization and drizzle. Precipitation rates at cloud base and ~100m above the ocean surface are estimated using reflectivity-rainrate relationships (based on in situ measurements of droplet spectra from VOCALS-REx) and radar-lidar retrievals for sub-cloud flight legs. Precipitation rates vary widely not only between flights and flight legs, but also within individual flight legs as a result of mesoscale circulations on scales of 10 km up to a few 10s of km. Here we examine how these circulations may lead to local enhancements in cloud thickness, and in turn local enhancements in precipitation rate.
Poster Session 2, Cloud Physics Poster Session II
Wednesday, 30 June 2010, 5:30 PM-8:30 PM, Exhibit Hall
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