Microphysical Characteristics of Tropical Updrafts in Clean Conditions

Abstract

Abstract The distributions of ice particles, precipitation embryos, and supercooled water are examined within updrafts in convective clouds in the Amazon and at Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, based on in situ measurements during two Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission field campaigns. Composite vertical profiles of liquid water, small particle concentration, and updraft/downdraft magnitudes exhibit similar peak values for the two tropical regions. Updrafts were found to be favored locations for precipitation embryos in the form of liquid or frozen drizzle-sized droplets. Most updrafts glaciated rapidly, removing most of the liquid water between −5° and −17°C. However, occasional encounters with liquid water occurred in much colder updraft regions. The updraft magnitudes where liquid water was observed at cold (e.g., −16° to −19°C) temperatures do not appear to be stronger than updrafts without liquid water at similar temperatures, however. The concentrations of small spherical frozen particles in glaciated regions without liquid water are approximately one-half of the concentrations in regions containing liquid cloud droplets, suggesting that a substantial portion of the cloud droplets may be freezing at relatively warm temperatures. Further evidence for a possible new type of aggregate ice particle, a chain aggregate found at cloud midlevels, is given.