Recorded presentation5.5
Multi-Satellite Observations of Aerosol, Ice Clouds and Precipitation Relations over Asia
Jonathon H. Jiang, JPL, Pasadena, CA; and H. Su, S. Massie, and M. Schoeberl
Aerosol-cloud-precipitation interaction is a challenging problem in climate research and model predictions. Estimates of aerosol impacts on clouds and precipitation have been difficult and the few previous observational studies have shown conflicting results, especially over Asia. This study uses NASA's A-Train and other satellite measurements to quantitatively assess aerosol influence on clouds and precipitation. We separate Asia into two regions, East Asia and South Asia, due to their differences in dynamics and aerosol compositions. In East Asia, polluted clouds are associated with larger ice particles and stronger precipitation during March-April-May than clean clouds for the same amount of cloud ice water content (IWC); the opposite occurs during June-July-August and September-October-November. In South Asia, polluted clouds are associated with smaller ice particles and weaker precipitation in all seasons than clean clouds for the same amount of IWC. Using Bi-Variate-Composite (BVC) analysis, we show that ice cloud particle size and precipitation are influenced by the combined effects of aerosol pollution and convection strength.
Session 5, Aerosol direct and indirect effects
Wednesday, 14 January 2009, 8:30 AM-10:00 AM, Room 131B
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