Observing the timescales of aerosol–cloud interactions in snapshot satellite images

• Published in: Atmospheric chemistry and physics Vol. 21; no. 8; pp. 6093 - 6109
• Main Authors: Gryspeerdt, Edward, Goren, Tom, Smith, Tristan W. P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Katlenburg-Lindau Copernicus GmbH 26-04-2021; Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Aerosol effects; Aerosol-cloud interactions; Aerosols; Analysis; Anthropogenic factors; Cloud properties; Clouds; Emission; Emissions; Evolution; Human influences; Meteorological research; Meteorology; Perturbation; Polar orbiting satellites; Properties; Satellite imagery; Satellite tracking; Spaceborne remote sensing; Time dependence; Tracks (paths); Water; Weather; Wind fields
• ISSN: 1680-7324; 1680-7316; 1680-7324
• DOI: 10.5194/acp-21-6093-2021

The response of cloud processes to an aerosol perturbation is one of the largest uncertainties in the anthropogenic forcing of the climate. It occurs at a variety of timescales, from the near-instantaneous Twomey effect to the longer timescales required for cloud adjustments. Understanding the temporal evolution of cloud properties following an aerosol perturbation is necessary to interpret the results of so-called "natural experiments" from a known aerosol source such as a ship or industrial site. This work uses reanalysis wind fields and ship emission information matched to observations of ship tracks to measure the timescales of cloud responses to aerosol in instantaneous (or"snapshot") images taken by polar-orbiting satellites.