Extended Abstract (100K)4.7
The total water budget of nocturnal stratocumulus
Margreet C. vanZanten, University of California, Los Angeles, CA; and B. Stevens, G. Vali, and D. Lenschow
In-situ and remotely sensed data is used to evaluate the water budget of nocturnal stratocumulus observed during DYCOMS-II. The in-situ microphysical data are used to evaluate and calibrate radar reflectivity/rainrate relationships. These relationships are then used to enable us to (better) interpret radar data in area's where no in-situ microphysical data is available, thus extending the use of the radar data to an entire flight. Drizzle fluxes at cloud base and at the surface are also compared to turbulent heat and water fluxes. In addition to providing some of the first global estimates of the role of drizzle in the dynamics of stratocumulus, we also examine its spatial structure and temporal evolution. In accord with previous work there is also evidence of pronounced drizzle variability on ten kilometer scales. Overall these preliminary findings suggest that drizzle was an important, and sometimes dominant, component of the stratocumulus water budget during DYCOMS-II.
Session 4, Duynkerke Memorial
Monday, 15 July 2002, 3:30 PM-5:30 PM
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