Marine and Continental CCN and Low-level stratiform cloud processes and properties

Low-level Cloud processes and properties, as well as their interactions with aerosols, are extremely important parts of the climate system. Their treatment in climate models is one of the largest sources of uncertainty in predicting any potential future climate change. As concluded in Randall et al. (IPCC Chapter 8, 2008) “Cloud feedbacks have been confirmed as a primary source of the inter-model differences, with low clouds making the largest contribution. In this study, we have collected and processed/retrieved 15 years of ARM SGP observations and 19 months of ARM AMF deployment at the Azores to partially answer the following questions:

1) What factors determine the formation-dissipation processes and diurnal cycles of low-level stratiform clouds in both marine and continental regions? 2) How do the continental and marine CCNs impact their cloud microphysical properties? 3) What are the similarities and differences between marine and continental low-level stratiform cloud macrophysical and microphysical properties?