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Precipitation in stratocumulus clouds: observational and
modelling results
Philip H. Austin, Yinong Wang, Robert Pincus, and Vincent Kujala
Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 1 July 1995, 52, pages 2329-2352.
Abstract
The spatial and temporal variability of precipitating stratocumulus
layers is examined using aircraft observations, satellite retrievals
of cloud optical depth, and one-dimensional models that include
coalescence and a simple representation of layer turbulence. The
aircraft observations show large horizontal variations in cloud
thickness and precipitation, with local rain rates 4-5 times larger
than the replacement moisture flux, and evidence for precipitation
scavenging of small cloud droplets. The satellite observations show
that, despite this local water loss, the distribution of cloud optical
thickness remains nearly constant over the course of a day, indicating
that on larger scales precipitation removal and cloud-top entrainment
are in approximate balance with the vapor flux. The authors apply
analytic and numerical models of steady-state precipitation to the
observed microphysical conditions, and find that the models can match
the drop size distributions observed during both heavy and light
stratocumulus rainfall, but are especially sensitive to the processes
governing the growth rate of the smallest drizzle drops.
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