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Graupel Precipitating from Thin Arctic Clouds with Liquid Water Paths less than 50 g m^-2
  • Kyle E Fitch,
  • Timothy J Garrett
Kyle E Fitch
University of Utah

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Timothy J Garrett
University of Utah
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Abstract

Thin boundary layer Arctic mixed-phase clouds are generally thought to precipitate pristine and aggregate ice crystals. Here we present automated surface photographic measurements showing that only 35% of precipitation particles exhibit negligible riming and that graupel particles ≥1 mm in diameter commonly fall from clouds with liquid water paths less than 50 g m^-2. A simple analytical formulation predicts that significant riming enhancement can occur in updrafts with speeds typical of Arctic clouds, and observations show that such conditions are favored by weak temperature inversions and strong radiative cooling at cloud top. However, numerical simulations suggest that a mean updraft speed of 0.75 m s^-1 would need to be sustained for over one hour. Graupel can efficiently remove moisture and aerosols from the boundary layer. The causes and impacts of Arctic riming enhancement remain to be determined.
16 Jan 2022Published in Geophysical Research Letters volume 49 issue 1. 10.1029/2021GL094075