scholarly journals Observation of Cloud Base Height and Precipitation Characteristics at a Polar Site Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard Using Ground-Based Remote Sensing and Model Reanalysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 2808
Author(s):  
Acharya Asutosh ◽  
Sourav Chatterjee ◽  
M.P. Subeesh ◽  
Athulya Radhakrishnan ◽  
Nuncio Murukesh
Keyword(s):  
Water Cycle ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Winter Precipitation ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Cloud Base ◽  
Height Range ◽  
Radiative Balance ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Cloud Base Height

Clouds play a significant role in regulating the Arctic climate and water cycle due to their impacts on radiative balance through various complex feedback processes. However, there are still large discrepancies in satellite and numerical model-derived cloud datasets over the Arctic region due to a lack of observations. Here, we report observations of cloud base height (CBH) characteristics measured using a Vaisala CL51 ceilometer at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. The study highlights the monthly and seasonal CBH characteristics at the location. It is found that almost 40% of the lowest CBHs fall within a height range of 0.5–1 km. The second and third cloud bases that could be detected by the ceilometer are mostly concentrated below 3 km during summer but possess more vertical spread during the winter season. Thin and low-level clouds appear to be dominant during the summer. Low-level clouds are found to be dominant and observed in 76% of cases. The mid and high-level clouds occur in ~16% and ~7% of cases, respectively. Further, micro rain radar (MRR2) observed enhanced precipitation and snowfall events during the winter and spring which are found to be associated with the lowest CBHs within 2 km from the ground. The frontal process associated with synoptic-scale meteorological conditions explains the variabilities in CBH and precipitation at the observation site when compared for two contrasting winter precipitation events. The findings of the study could be useful for model evaluation of cloud precipitation relationships and satellite data validation in the Arctic environment.

Problems of development of Arctic hydrocarbon resources under the current conditions.

2021 ◽  
pp. 70-81
Author(s):  
Anna Borisovna Nikolaeva ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Recovery Period ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Expert Assessment ◽  
Low Level ◽  
The World ◽  
The Arctic Region

The Arctic is the richest and at the same time the most difficult region to develop in the world. Exploration and exploitation of its deposits are inevitable for Russia and mankind as a whole. The Arctic region is characterized by extreme nature-climatic conditions, with a rather low level of economic development and remoteness from industrial centers, a low level or lack of any infrastructure as well as by instability of the ecological system to anthropogenic impact and a long recovery period. Since the potential of the resources currently being developed will be exhausted within several decades, and the world economies are not yet ready for a full transition to alternative energy resources, it is necessary to search for and develop new hydrocarbon reserves that determines the relevance of the study.The aim of the study is to identify the main problems arising when exploiting hydrocarbons in the Arctic region. The set of problems identified predetermines an integrated approach to their solutions. In this case, it is about reforming legislation, increasing funding, and attracting new participants in the international cooperation. Since the export of oil and gas is traditional for the Russian Federation, exploitation of hydrocarbons in the region is a prerequisite for the further economic development of the country. A state policy aimed at development and improvement of new technologies, reducing environmental risks, and deep scientific research of the Arctic, is needed. The method of expert assessment was used, which is applied for solving complex tasks with lack of information, and impossibility of mathematical formalization of the solution process. The basis for the application of this method is the possibility and ability of experts to assess the importance of the problem under study and development prospects for a certain research direction. The expert assessments were highlighted during the study and analysis of the literature.

A Validation of CloudSat and CALIPSO's Temperature, Humidity, Cloud Detection, and Cloud Base Height over the Arctic Marine Cryosphere

2013 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren M. Candlish ◽  
Richard L. Raddatz ◽  
Geoffrey G. Gunn ◽  
Matthew G. Asplin ◽  
David G. Barber
Keyword(s):  
The Arctic ◽  
Cloud Base ◽  
Cloud Detection ◽  
Cloud Base Height

Satellite-Based Analysis of Fire Events and Transport of Emissions in the Arctic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anu-Maija Sundström ◽  
Tomi Karppinen ◽  
Antti Arola ◽  
Larisa Sogacheva ◽  
Hannakaisa Lindqvist ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Forest Fire ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Satellite Observations ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Radiative Balance ◽  
Fire Emissions ◽  
Smoke Plumes ◽  
Absorbing Aerosols

<p>Climate change is proceeding fastest in the Arctic region. During past years Arctic summers have been warmer and drier elevating the risk for extensive forest fire episodes. In fact, satellite observations show, that during past two summers (2018, 2019) an increase is seen in the number of fires occurring above the Arctic Circle, especially in Siberia. While human-induced emissions of long-lived greenhouse gases are the main driving factor of global warming, short-lived climate forcers or pollutants emitted from the forest fires are also playing an important role especially in the Arctic. Absorbing aerosols can cause direct arctic warming locally. They can also alter radiative balance when depositing onto snow/ice and decreasing the surface albedo, resulting in subsequent warming. Aerosol-cloud interaction feedbacks can also enhance warming. Forest fire emissions also affect local air quality and photochemical processes in the atmosphere. For example, CO contributes to the formation of tropospheric ozone and affects the abundance of greenhouse gases such as methane and CO<sub>2</sub>.</p><p>This study focuses on analyzing fire episodes in the Arctic for the past 10 years, as well as investigating the transport of forest fire CO and smoke aerosols to the Arctic. Smoke plumes and their transport are analyzed using Absorbing Aerosol Index (AAI) from several satellite instruments: GOME-2 onboard Metop A and B, OMI onboard Aura, and TROPOMI onboard Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite. Observations of CO are obtained from IASI (Metop A and B) as well as from TROPOMI, while the fire observations are obtained from MODIS instruments onboard Aqua and Terra, as well as from VIIRS onboard Suomi NPP.  In addition, observations e.g. from a space-borne lidar, CALIPSO, is used to obtain vertical distribution of smoke and to estimate plume heights.</p>

scholarly journals Sensitivity of CAM5-Simulated Arctic Clouds and Radiation to Ice Nucleation Parameterization

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (16) ◽  
pp. 5981-5999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaocheng Xie ◽  
Xiaohong Liu ◽  
Chuanfeng Zhao ◽  
Yuying Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Atmospheric Model ◽  
Ice Nucleation ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Arctic Clouds ◽  
Water Path ◽  
Low Level

Abstract Sensitivity of Arctic clouds and radiation in the Community Atmospheric Model, version 5, to the ice nucleation process is examined by testing a new physically based ice nucleation scheme that links the variation of ice nuclei (IN) number concentration to aerosol properties. The default scheme parameterizes the IN concentration simply as a function of ice supersaturation. The new scheme leads to a significant reduction in simulated IN concentration at all latitudes while changes in cloud amounts and properties are mainly seen at high- and midlatitude storm tracks. In the Arctic, there is a considerable increase in midlevel clouds and a decrease in low-level clouds, which result from the complex interaction among the cloud macrophysics, microphysics, and large-scale environment. The smaller IN concentrations result in an increase in liquid water path and a decrease in ice water path caused by the slowdown of the Bergeron–Findeisen process in mixed-phase clouds. Overall, there is an increase in the optical depth of Arctic clouds, which leads to a stronger cloud radiative forcing (net cooling) at the top of the atmosphere. The comparison with satellite data shows that the new scheme slightly improves low-level cloud simulations over most of the Arctic but produces too many midlevel clouds. Considerable improvements are seen in the simulated low-level clouds and their properties when compared with Arctic ground-based measurements. Issues with the observations and the model–observation comparison in the Arctic region are discussed.

scholarly journals A COMPARISON BETWEEN EXPERIENTIAL AND ECMWF REANALYZED CONDENSED MOISTURE PROFILE OVER THE NORTHEASTERN SPHERE

2019 ◽  
Vol XLII-3/W9 ◽  
pp. 177-180
Author(s):  
X. Z. Wang ◽  
B. H. Hu ◽  
J. Wang ◽  
H. Huang ◽  
W. J. Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arctic Region ◽  
General Information ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Cloud Base ◽  
Large Temperature ◽  
Height Distribution ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Moisture Profile ◽  
Warm Cloud ◽  
Condensed Moisture

Abstract. Base on January and July 4-times daily ECMWF Interim data from 2009 to 2018 over the Northeast Sphere (0–180E,0–90N), the condensed moisture profile of experiential methods and that of ECMWF analysis are compared. The result shows that, the meridional-height distribution of mean cloud condensed moisture has a maximum slab spreading near ground in the Arctic region in July, and the maximum takes a circular shape at 700 hPa above 30N latitude in January. The distribution feature unlike the universal profile, it distributes in a single or double peak function manner, instead of a constant value. The quick decreasing level height and thickness varies with latitude, especially in January. The second experiential profile concerning warm cloud assumes air parcel lifting adiabatically, the liquid water path (LWP) is compared for general information. The result shows that the experiential LWP is much larger than that of the reanalysis by 1 to 2 order, decreasing with latitudes. The possible reason of LWP difference is from the critic water content value of cloud boundary identification. If the value is small, the thickness of warm cloud will be large, temperature and pressure at the cloud base are both large too, results in a larger LWP. These results will enrich the knowledge of the condensed moisture characteristics of ECMWF reanalysis and the experiential moisture profile methods.

Ice microphysics of low-level ice clouds in the Arctic: Satellite analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris Papakonstantinou-Presvelou ◽  
Johannes Quaas
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Open Ocean ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Ice Crystal ◽  
Ice Clouds ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Level Ice ◽  
Satellite Analysis

<p>This study investigates low-level ice clouds in the Arctic and their potential relation to the surface aerosols. These aerosols or ice nucleating particles (INPs), are necessary for the heterogeneous nucleation of ice in temperatures above -38°C. Several studies in the past have investigated the sources of INPs and their nucleating behavior with response to the temperature. According to these studies, it has been suggested that a marine source of INPs coming from sea spray is able to nucleate ice in temperatures close to -5<sup>o</sup>C. What we do here is a large-scale comparison of boundary-layer ice clouds over open ocean and sea ice, over the whole Arctic region for the time period of 2006-2016. We use for this purpose a satellite-retrieved quantity, the ice crystal number concentration (N<sub>i</sub>), which we investigate in relation to the temperature. We study clouds with regard to the region and season they form and we examine their coupling to the surface. Our findings show - contrary to previous expectation - enhanced ice crystal numbers over sea ice compared to open ocean, in temperatures above -10<sup>o</sup>C. In lower temperatures this difference still persists for the lower Arctic latitudes (<70<sup>o</sup>N), especially for clouds that are coupled to the surface.</p>

A Mass Budget Analysis on the Interannual Variability of the Polar Surface Pressure in the Winter Season

2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (9) ◽  
pp. 3539-3553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yueyue Yu ◽  
Rongcai Ren ◽  
Jinggao Hu ◽  
Guoxiong Wu
Keyword(s):  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Surface Pressure ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Mass Budget ◽  
Budget Analysis ◽  
Meridional Mass Circulation ◽  
Mass Circulation ◽  
The Arctic Region

Abstract This study reports a mass budget analysis on the year-to-year variability of the winter [December–February (DJF)]-mean Arctic (60°–90°N) surface pressure (Ps) using the 33-yr daily Interim ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim; 1979–2011). The analysis reveals that the interannual variability of mass transported into the Arctic region in upper layers plays a dominant role in the interannual variability of the winter-mean Arctic Ps anomalies. When winter-mean Arctic Ps anomalies are positive, both the transport of mass into the Arctic region in the upper layer by the poleward branch of meridional mass circulation and the transport of mass out of the Arctic region in the lower layer by the equatorward branch tend to strengthen and vice versa. In the earlier winter months from November to December, mass anomalies transported in overwhelm those transported out, explaining the mass source of winter-mean Arctic Ps anomalies. The coupling between adiabatic mass transport by meridional mass circulation and diabatic processes explains why, over the Arctic region, yearly variations of winter Ps are positively correlated with mass anomalies in the upper layer (above 290 K) and near the surface (below 260 K) but negatively correlated with mass anomalies in the middle and lower troposphere (between 260 and 290 K). In winters with positive (negative) Arctic Ps anomalies, wave activity, particularly in wavenumbers 1 and 2, is stronger (weaker) in the extratropical stratosphere in the earlier winter months from November to January, coincident with the interannual variability of the meridional mass circulation intensity in winter seasons.

scholarly journals Radiocarbon Dating in the Arctic Region

Radiocarbon ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 393-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid U Olsson
Keyword(s):  
Volcanic Activity ◽  
Radiocarbon Dating ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Sources Of Error ◽  
Early Results ◽  
Dating Method ◽  
Obvious Source ◽  
The Arctic Region

The Landnám of Iceland is usually dated too early by the 14C dating method, at least to judge from the tradition according to the Landnámabók. Various sources of error are considered. One, the use of driftwood, can be excluded in many cases, since birch is often selected for dating purposes. Second, the settlers may have brought wood with them. A third obvious source of uncertainty is the age of a tree before felling. It is difficult to explain the seemingly too early results by secular global variations of 14C content. A regional low level of 14C may result from volcanic activity or the small size of the land areas in the Arctic region.

scholarly journals Regional scenarios of change over Canada: future climate projections

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zilefac Elvis Asong ◽  
Mohamed Elshamy ◽  
Daniel Princz ◽  
Howard Wheater ◽  
John Pomeroy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Model ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Summer Precipitation ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Daily Maximum ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
Climate Modelling ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Precipitation And Temperature

Abstract. This analysis documents projected changes in daily precipitation and temperature characteristics over Canada based on a 15-member ensemble which had been downscaled using the Canadian Regional Climate Model–CanRCM4 at 50 km resolution by the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis (CCCma) under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5. In this study, the historical CanRCM4 simulations are first compared against observations for validation purposes. Then, a multivariate bias correction algorithm is applied to the CanRCM4 outputs to adjust the data against the EU WATCH Forcing Data ERA-Interim reanalysis (WFDEI). We analyze changes in mean and extremes for two 30-year non-overlapping future periods: 2021–2050 and 2071–2100 relative to 1979–2008. The results indicate that daily mean precipitation is projected to increase over Canada, with larger increases expected in the 2080s. However, decreases are projected in summer precipitation over the Canadian Prairies by the year 2100. Mean air temperature is projected to intensify towards the northern high latitude regions, particularly in the winter season. Precipitation and temperature extreme events may increase more than the mean. By examining the behavior of precipitation distribution tails, the mean of the probability distributions of wet extremes over the Saskatchewan (SRB) and Mackenzie River basins (MRB) is projected to shift to the right with global warming. For temperature extremes, minimum temperature may warm faster compared to daily maximum temperatures, particularly in the winter and towards the Arctic region.

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