Simulation of Arctic Diamond Dust, Ice Fog, and Thin Stratus Using an Explicit Aerosol–Cloud–Radiation Model

Abstract

Abstract In support to the development of the Northern Aerosol Regional Climate Model, a single column model with explicit aerosol and cloud microphysics is described. It is designed specifically to investigate cloud–aerosol interactions in the Arctic. A total of 38 size bins discretize the aerosol and cloud spectra from 0.01- to 500-μm diameter. The model is based on three equations describing the time evolution of the aerosol, cloud droplet, and ice crystal spectra. The following physical processes are simulated: coagulation, sedimentation, nucleation, coalescence, aggregation, condensation, and deposition. Further, the model accounts for the water–ice phase interaction through the homogeneous and heterogeneous freezing, ice nuclei, and the Bergeron effect. The model has been validated against observations and other models. In this paper, the model is used to simulate diamond dust and ice fog in the Arctic during winter. It is shown that simulated cloud features such as cloud phase, cloud particle diame...