Abstract
Abstract. The Arctic CLoud Observations Using airborne measurements during polar Day (ACLOUD) campaign was carried out north-west of Svalbard (Norway) between 23 May and 6 June 2017. The objective of ACLOUD was to study Arctic boundary layer and mid-level clouds and their role in Arctic amplification. Two research aircraft (Polar 5 and 6) jointly performed 22 research flights over the transition zone between open ocean and closed sea ice. Both aircraft were equipped with identical instrumentation for measurements of basic meteorological parameters, as well as for turbulent and radiative energy fluxes. In addition, on Polar 5 active and passive remote sensing instruments were installed, while Polar 6 operated in situ instruments to characterize cloud and aerosol particles as well as trace gases. A detailed overview of the specifications, data processing, and data quality is provided here. It is shown that the scientific analysis of the ACLOUD data benefits from the coordinated operation of both aircraft. By combining the cloud remote sensing techniques operated on Polar 5, the synergy of multi-instrument cloud retrieval is illustrated. The remote sensing methods were validated using truly collocated in situ and remote sensing observations. The data of identical instruments operated on both aircraft were merged to extend the spatial coverage of mean atmospheric quantities and turbulent and radiative flux measurement. Therefore, the data set of the ACLOUD campaign provides comprehensive in situ and remote sensing observations characterizing the cloudy Arctic atmosphere. All processed, calibrated, and validated data are published in the World Data Center PANGAEA as instrument-separated data subsets (Ehrlich et al., 2019b, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.902603).
Highlights
The considerable increase in Arctic near-surface temperatures within the last 3 to 4 decades, a phenomenon commonly called Arctic amplification (Serreze and Barry, 2011), significantly exceeds the global warming and is associated with the decrease in Arctic sea ice
In May and June 2017, two concerted field studies, the Arctic CLoud Observations Using airborne measurements during polar Day (ACLOUD) campaign and the Physical Feedbacks of Arctic Boundary Layer, Sea Ice, Cloud and Aerosol (PASCAL) ship cruise were performed to improve our understanding of the role of clouds and aerosol particles in Arctic amplification (Wendisch et al, 2019)
For ACLOUD five different probes were installed to sample cloud particle microphysical and optical properties: the Cloud Droplet Probe (CDP-2), the Cloud Imaging Probe (CIP), the Precipitation Imaging Probe (PIP), the Small Ice Detector Mark 3 (SID-3), and the Particle Habit Imaging and Polar Scattering probe (PHIPS)
Summary
The considerable increase in Arctic near-surface temperatures within the last 3 to 4 decades, a phenomenon commonly called Arctic amplification (Serreze and Barry, 2011), significantly exceeds the global warming and is associated with the decrease in Arctic sea ice. In May and June 2017, two concerted field studies, the Arctic CLoud Observations Using airborne measurements during polar Day (ACLOUD) campaign and the Physical Feedbacks of Arctic Boundary Layer, Sea Ice, Cloud and Aerosol (PASCAL) ship cruise were performed to improve our understanding of the role of clouds and aerosol particles in Arctic amplification (Wendisch et al, 2019). Both campaigns were conducted within the framework of the “Arctic Amplification: Climate Relevant Atmospheric and Surface Processes, and Feedback Mechanisms (AC)3” project (Wendisch et al, 2017).
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