Relationships between Cloud Droplet Spectral Relative Dispersion and Entrainment Rate and Their Impacting Factors

Luo, Shi; Lu, Chunsong; Liu, Yangang; Li, Yaohui; Gao, Wenhua; Qiu, Yujun; Xu, Xiaoqi; Li, Junjun; Zhu, Lei; Wang, Yuan; Wu, Junjie; Yang, Xinlin

doi:10.1007/s00376-022-1419-5

Relationships between Cloud Droplet Spectral Relative Dispersion and Entrainment Rate and Their Impacting Factors

Original Paper
Published: 23 July 2022

Volume 39, pages 2087–2106, (2022)
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Advances in Atmospheric Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Shi Luo^1,2,
Chunsong Lu²,
Yangang Liu³,
Yaohui Li¹,
Wenhua Gao⁴,
Yujun Qiu²,
Xiaoqi Xu⁵,
Junjun Li²,
Lei Zhu²,
Yuan Wang⁶,
Junjie Wu¹ &
…
Xinlin Yang¹

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Abstract

Cloud microphysical properties are significantly affected by entrainment and mixing processes. However, it is unclear how the entrainment rate affects the relative dispersion of cloud droplet size distribution. Previously, the relationship between relative dispersion and entrainment rate was found to be positive or negative. To reconcile the contrasting relationships, the Explicit Mixing Parcel Model is used to determine the underlying mechanisms. When evaporation is dominated by small droplets, and the entrained environmental air is further saturated during mixing, the relationship is negative. However, when the evaporation of big droplets is dominant, the relationship is positive. Whether or not the cloud condensation nuclei are considered in the entrained environmental air is a key factor as condensation on the entrained condensation nuclei is the main source of small droplets. However, if cloud condensation nuclei are not entrained, the relationship is positive. If cloud condensation nuclei are entrained, the relationship is dependent on many other factors. High values of vertical velocity, relative humidity of environmental air, and liquid water content, and low values of droplet number concentration, are more likely to cause the negative relationship since new saturation is easier to achieve by evaporation of small droplets. Further, the signs of the relationship are not strongly affected by the turbulence dissipation rate, but the higher dissipation rate causes the positive relationship to be more significant for a larger entrainment rate. A conceptual model is proposed to reconcile the contrasting relationships. This work enhances the understanding of relative dispersion and lays a foundation for the quantification of entrainment-mixing mechanisms.

摘要

云与环境空气之间的夹卷混合过程能够显著影响云的微物理特性. 然而, 目前尚不清楚夹卷率如何影响云滴谱的离散度. 在以往的观测结果中发现, 离散度和夹卷率之间的关系可以为正相关或负相关. 为了调和两者关系的不一致性, 本文使用显式混合气泡模式来揭示决定两者关系的物理机制. 结果显示, 当蒸发以小云滴为主, 并使卷入云中的环境空气在混合过程中达到饱和时, 两者关系为负相关. 当大云滴的蒸发占主导地位时, 两者关系为正相关. 在卷入的环境空气中是否考虑云凝结核是决定两者关系的一个关键因素, 因为通过凝结核凝结是产生小云滴的主要途径. 如果未卷入凝结核, 两者关系为正相关. 如果卷入凝结核, 两者关系亦受到其他因素的影响. 垂直速度、环境空气的相对湿度和含水量较大时以及云滴数浓度较小时更有利于两者形成负相关, 因为新的饱和更容易通过小云滴的蒸发来实现. 此外, 两者关系受湍流耗散率的影响较小, 但夹卷率较大时较强的耗散率导致正相关关系更为显著. 本文提出了一个概念模型来调和两者关系的不一致性, 该工作增强了对离散度的理解, 并为进一步定量化夹卷混合机制奠定了基础.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Sinan GAO and Zhuangzhuang ZHOU in NUIST for helpful discussions. This research is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41822504, 42175099, 42027804, 42075073 and 42075077), and the National Center of Meteorology, Abu Dhabi, UAE under the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science. LIU is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric System Research (ASR) Program (DE-SC00112704) and Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) under Award 33504. LUO is supported by Research Fund of Civil Aviation Flight University of China (J2022-037), LI is supported by Research Fund of Civil Aviation Flight University of China (09005001), and WU is supported by Research on Key of Manmachine Ring in Plateau Flight (FZ2020ZZ03). The simulation data are stored in https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/v38k2hd95b/draft?a=ad380244-94c2-4762-9bc2-ec24a164f234. The numerical calculations in this paper have been performed at the Supercomputing Center of Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology.

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Authors and Affiliations

College of Aviation Meteorology, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Guanghan, 618307, China
Shi Luo, Yaohui Li, Junjie Wu & Xinlin Yang
Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters (CIC-FEMD)/Key Laboratory for Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation of China Meteorological Administration, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044,, China
Shi Luo, Chunsong Lu, Yujun Qiu, Junjun Li & Lei Zhu
Environmental and Climate Sciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York, 11973, USA
Yangang Liu
State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
Wenhua Gao
Nanjing Joint Institute for Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing, 210019, China
Xiaoqi Xu
Collaborative Innovation Center for Western Ecological Safety, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
Yuan Wang

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Shi Luo
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Chunsong Lu
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Yangang Liu
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Yaohui Li
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Wenhua Gao
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Yujun Qiu
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Xiaoqi Xu
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Junjun Li
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Lei Zhu
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Yuan Wang
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Junjie Wu
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Xinlin Yang
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Correspondence to Chunsong Lu.

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Article Highlights

• The observed contrasting relationships between the relative dispersion of cloud droplet size distribution and entrainment rate are reproduced, and their impacting factors are examined.

• The different relationships are mainly determined by the relative importance of evaporation of small and big droplets, and entrained cloud condensation nuclei.

• The negative relationship is more likely to occur for high values of vertical velocity, relative humidity of environmental air, and liquid water content, and low values of droplet number concentration.

This paper is a contribution to the special issue on Cloud-Aerosol-Radiation-Precipitation Interaction: Progress and Challenges

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