The Prevalence of Cloud Layers and the Surface Radiative Impact of Their Phase During Different Synoptic Regimes at McMurdo Station, Antarctica

Cloud layers in the polar regions have a substantial impact on the surface net radiation. This net radiation effect can be significant even when the cloud layers are optically thin (and consist of liquid droplets), and has been identified as the source of past widespread melting events. Better understanding of the processes that ultimately lead and support cloud layer persistence can validate and potentially improve the performance of climate models in the polar regions, particularly in Antarctica, where there is a paucity of detailed observations.

In this study, unprecedented cloud layer properties extracted from multiple-instrument measurements as part of the ARM AWARE campaign at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, are presented. The cloud parameters (e.g., Doppler velocity, liquid-cloud base height, liquid water path, etc.) are characterized based on the governing synoptic regimes, which are classified by using self-organizing maps (SOMs). The cloud layer influence on the net surface radiation in these synoptic regimes is examined and evaluated.