Investigation of Cloud Formation in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer with a Synergy of Radar and Lidar 

Abstract

This research focuses on investigating the influence of dynamics and thermodynamics on cloud formation. The properties of the particles in dependence on relative humidity in the atmospheric boundary layer during cloud formation are investigated. For this, we use the synergy of Raman and Doppler lidars as well as of cloud radar operated during the Land-Atmosphere Feedback Experiment (LAFE) (see https://www.arm.gov/research/campaigns/sgp2017lafe). The LAFE project was executed at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program in August 2017 in the USA. The particle backscatter coefficients are measured with Raman lidar, vertical wind velocity with Doppler lidar, and Doppler cloud radar. This instrument combination is also particularly advantageous for investigating the vertical structure of clouds, providing details about cloud height and thickness. In consequence, the combined measurements allow detailed insights into the relative humidity dependencies on the growth of particles to investigate the influence of dynamics and thermodynamics on cloud formation.