On the relationship among cloud turbulence, droplet formation and drizzle as viewed by Doppler radar, microwave radiometer and lidar

Abstract

Cloud radar, microwave radiometer, and lidar remote sensing data acquired during the Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) are analyzed to address the relationship between (1) drop number concentration and cloud turbulence as represented by vertical velocity and vertical velocity variance and (2) drizzle formation and cloud turbulence. Six cases, each of about 12 hours duration, are examined; three of these cases are characteristic of nondrizzling boundary layers and three of drizzling boundary layers. In all cases, microphysical retrievals are only performed when drizzle is negligible (radar reflectivity <−17 dBZ). It is shown that for the cases examined, there is, in general, no correlation between drop concentration and cloud base updraft strength, although for two of the nondrizzling cases exhibiting more classical stratocumulus features, these two parameters are correlated. On drizzling days, drop concentration and cloud‐base vertical velocity were either not correlated or negatively correlated. There is a significant positive correlation between drop concentration and mean in‐cloud vertical velocity variance for both nondrizzling boundary layers (correlation coefficient r = 0.45) and boundary layers that have experienced drizzle (r = 0.38). In general, there is a high correlation (r>0.5) between radar reflectivity and in‐cloud vertical velocity variance, although one of the boundary layers that experienced drizzle exhibited a negative correlation between these parameters. However, in the subcloud region, all boundary layers that experienced drizzle exhibit a negative correlation between radar reflectivity and vertical velocity variance.