Sensitivity of Mixed-Phase Cloud Optical Properties to Cloud Particle Model and Microphysical Factors at Wavelengths from 0.2 to 100 µm

Abstract

The representation of mixed-phase cloud optical properties in models is a critical problem in cloud modeling studies. Ice and liquid water co-existing in a cloud layer result in significantly different cloud optical properties from those of liquid water and ice clouds. However, it is not clear as to how mixed-phase cloud optical properties are affected by various microphysical factors, including the effective particle size, ice volume fraction, and ice particle shape. In this paper, the optical properties (extinction efficiency, scattering efficiency, single scattering albedo, and asymmetry factor) of mixed-phase cloud were calculated assuming externally and internally mixed cloud particle models in a broad spectral range of 0.2–100 μm at various effective particle diameters and ice volume fraction conditions. The influences of various microphysical factors on optical properties were comprehensively examined. For the externally mixed cloud particles, the shapes of ice crystals were found to become more important as the ice volume fraction increases. Compared with the mixed-phase cloud with larger effective diameter, the shape of ice crystals has a greater impact on the optical properties of the mixed-phase cloud with a smaller effective diameter (<20 μm). The optical properties calculated by internally and externally mixed models are similar in the longwave spectrum, while the optical properties of the externally mixed model are more sensitive to variations in ice volume fraction in the solar spectral region. The bulk scattering phase functions were also examined and compared. The results indicate that more in-depth analysis is needed to explore the radiative properties and impacts of mixed-phase clouds.