Repository logo

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
  1. Home
  2. Academic and Research Output
  3. Journal articles
  4. Secondary ice production in summer clouds over the Antarctic coast: an underappreciated process in atmospheric models
 
research article

Secondary ice production in summer clouds over the Antarctic coast: an underappreciated process in atmospheric models

Sotiropoulou, Georgia  
•
Vignon, Étienne  
•
Young, Gillian
Show more
January 19, 2021
Atmospheric Chemistry And Physics

The correct representation of Antarctic clouds in atmospheric models is crucial for accurate projections of the future Antarctic climate. This is particularly true for summer clouds which play a critical role in the surface melting of the ice shelves in the vicinity of the Weddell Sea. The pristine atmosphere over the Antarctic coast is characterized by low concentrations of ice nucleating particles (INPs) which often result in the formation of supercooled liquid clouds. However, when ice formation occurs, the ice crystal number concentrations (ICNCs) are substantially higher than those predicted by existing primary ice nucleation parameterizations. The rime-splintering mechanism, thought to be the dominant secondary ice production (SIP) mechanism at temperatures between -8 and -3 degrees C, is also weak in the Weather and Research Forecasting model. Including a parameterization for SIP due to breakup (BR) from collisions between ice particles improves the ICNC representation in the modeled mixed-phase clouds, suggesting that BR could account for the enhanced ICNCs often found in Antarctic clouds. The model results indicate that a minimum concentration of about similar to 0.1 L-1 of primary ice crystals is necessary and sufficient to initiate significant breakup to explain the observations, while our findings show little sensitivity to increasing INPs. The BR mechanism is currently not represented in most weather prediction and climate models; including this process can have a significant impact on the Antarctic radiation budget.

  • Files
  • Details
  • Metrics
Type
research article
DOI
10.5194/acp-21-755-2021
Web of Science ID

WOS:000611565700004

Author(s)
Sotiropoulou, Georgia  
Vignon, Étienne  
Young, Gillian
Morrison, Hugh
O'Shea, Sebastian J.
Lachlan-Cope, Thomas
Berne, Alexis  
Nenes, Athanasios  
Date Issued

2021-01-19

Publisher

European Geosciences Union

Published in
Atmospheric Chemistry And Physics
Volume

21

Issue

2

Start page

755

End page

771

Subjects

Supercooled liquid water

•

polar weather research

•

mixed-phase

•

part I

•

aircraft observations

•

stratiform clouds

•

data assimilation

•

southern-ocean

•

break-up

•

microphysics

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
LTE  
LAPI  
FunderGrant Number

Other foundations

2018-01760

H2020

726165

EU funding

821205

Available on Infoscience
January 31, 2022
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/184836
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
  • Contact
  • infoscience@epfl.ch

  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Follow us on X
  • Follow us on Youtube
AccessibilityLegal noticePrivacy policyCookie settingsEnd User AgreementGet helpFeedback

Infoscience is a service managed and provided by the Library and IT Services of EPFL. © EPFL, tous droits réservés