Identifying the seeding signature in cloud particles from hydrometeor residuals

Identifying the seeding signature in cloud particles from hydrometeor residuals

Cloud seeding experiments for modifying clouds and precipitation have been underway for nearly a century; yet practically all the attempts to link precipitation enhancement or suppression to the presence of seeding materials within clouds remain elusive. In 2019, the Cloud–Aerosol Interaction and Pr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Atmospheric measurement techniques Vol. 17; no. 8; pp. 2387 - 2400
Main Authors: Konwar, Mahen, Werden, Benjamin, Fortner, Edward C, Bera, Sudarsan, Varghese, Mercy, Chowdhuri, Subharthi, Hibert, Kurt, Croteau, Philip, Jayne, John, Canagaratna, Manjula, Malap, Neelam, Jayakumar, Sandeep, Dixit, Shivsai A, Murugavel, Palani, Axisa, Duncan, Baumgardner, Darrel, DeCarlo, Peter F, Worsnop, Doug R, Prabhakaran, Thara
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Katlenburg-Lindau Copernicus GmbH 19-04-2024
Copernicus Publications
Subjects:
Aerosol interaction
Aerosol-cloud interactions
Aerosols
Aircraft
Calcium
Calcium chloride
Chlorine
Cloud droplets
Cloud particles
Cloud seeding
Clouds
Convective clouds
Counterflow
Droplets
Drought
Experiments
Hydrometeors
Inlets
Mass spectrometry
Oxidation
Oxidizing agents
Potassium
Precipitation
Precipitation (Meteorology)
Rain-making
Raindrop formation
Raindrops
Wind
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Summary:Cloud seeding experiments for modifying clouds and precipitation have been underway for nearly a century; yet practically all the attempts to link precipitation enhancement or suppression to the presence of seeding materials within clouds remain elusive. In 2019, the Cloud–Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment (CAIPEEX) investigated residuals of cloud hydrometeors in seeded and non-seeded clouds with an airborne mini aerosol mass spectrometer (mAMS). The mAMS was utilized in conjunction with a counterflow virtual impactor (CVI) inlet with a cutoff diameter size of approximately 7 µm. The evaporated cloud droplets from the CVI inlet as cloud residuals were evaluated through the mAMS. The chlorine (Cl) associated with hygroscopic materials, i.e. calcium chloride (CaCl2) and potassium (K), which serve as the oxidizing agents in the flares, is found in relatively higher concentrations in the seeded clouds compared to the non-seeded clouds. In convective clouds, Cl and K as cloud residuals were found even at a vertical distance of 2.25 km from the cloud base. Major findings from the seeding impact are an increase in the number concentration of small (< 20 µm) droplets and an indication of raindrop formation at 2.25 km above the cloud base. It is demonstrated that the seed particle signature can be traced inside clouds along with the microphysical impacts.
ISSN:1867-8548
1867-1381
1867-8548
DOI:10.5194/amt-17-2387-2024