The impact of surface forcing conditions on Arctic cloud-aerosol interactions

In this study, we investigate how different surfacing forcing conditions observed during spring and fall in the Arctic produce differences in the microphysical and macrophysical properties of clouds and the surface energy balance, as well as different sensitivities to aerosol distributions. We present results from focused model studies identifying the impact of open water off the coast of Alaska on cloud formation processes and the sensitivity to Arctic aerosols over Barrow, Alaska. These studies use the Weather Research Forecast model run at 1 km resolution and are validated with observations taken during April 2008 in the ARM Indirect and Semi-Direct Aerosol Campaign (ISDAC) and October 2004 during the Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (M-PACE).