Ubiquitous low-level liquid-containing Arctic clouds: New observations and climate model constraints from CALIPSO-GOCCP

Ground-based observations show that persistent liquid-containing Arctic clouds occur frequently and have a dominant influence on Arctic surface radiative fluxes. Yet, without a hemispheric multi-year perspective, the climate relevance of these intriguing Arctic cloud observations was previously unknown. In this study, Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) observations are used to document cloud phase over the Arctic basin (60-82°N) during a five-year period (2006-2011). Over Arctic ocean-covered areas, low-level liquid-containing clouds are prevalent in all seasons, especially in Fall. These new CALIPSO observations provide a unique and climate-relevant constraint on Arctic cloud processes. Evaluation of one climate model using a lidar simulator suggests a lack of liquid-containing Arctic clouds contributes to a lack of "radiatively opaque" states. The surface radiation biases found in this one model are found in multiple models, highlighting the need for improved modeling of Arctic cloud phase.

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Copyright 2012 American Geophysical Union.


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Author Cesana, G.
Kay, Jennifer
Chepfer, H.
English, Jason
de Boer, G.
Publisher UCAR/NCAR - Library
Publication Date 2012-10-19T00:00:00
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) Not Assigned
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Topic Category geoscientificInformation
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Metadata Date 2023-08-18T18:26:29.782312
Metadata Record Identifier edu.ucar.opensky::articles:12289
Metadata Language eng; USA
Suggested Citation Cesana, G., Kay, Jennifer, Chepfer, H., English, Jason, de Boer, G.. (2012). Ubiquitous low-level liquid-containing Arctic clouds: New observations and climate model constraints from CALIPSO-GOCCP. UCAR/NCAR - Library. http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7154htn. Accessed 04 December 2024.

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