A 19-Month Record of Marine Aerosol–Cloud–Radiation Properties Derived from DOE ARM Mobile Facility Deployment at the Azores. Part I: Cloud Fraction and Single-Layered MBL Cloud Properties

Abstract

Abstract A 19-month record of total and single-layered low (<3 km), middle (3–6 km), and high (>6 km) cloud fractions (CFs) and the single-layered marine boundary layer (MBL) cloud macrophysical and microphysical properties was generated from ground-based measurements at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) Azores site between June 2009 and December 2010. This is the most comprehensive dataset of marine cloud fraction and MBL cloud properties. The annual means of total CF and single-layered low, middle, and high CFs derived from ARM radar and lidar observations are 0.702, 0.271, 0.01, and 0.106, respectively. Greater total and single-layered high (>6 km) CFs occurred during the winter, whereas single-layered low (<3 km) CFs were more prominent during summer. Diurnal cycles for both total and low CFs were stronger during summer than during winter. The CFs are bimodally distributed in the vertical with a lower peak at ~1 km and a higher peak between 8 and 11 km during all seasons, except summer when only the low peak occurs. Persistent high pressure and dry conditions produce more single-layered MBL clouds and fewer total clouds during summer, whereas the low pressure and moist air masses during winter generate more total and multilayered clouds, and deep frontal clouds associated with midlatitude cyclones. The seasonal variations of cloud heights and thickness are also associated with the seasonal synoptic patterns. The MBL cloud layer is low, warm, and thin with large liquid water path (LWP) and liquid water content (LWC) during summer, whereas during winter it is higher, colder, and thicker with reduced LWP and LWC. The cloud LWP and LWC values are greater at night than during daytime. The monthly mean daytime cloud droplet effective radius re values are nearly constant, while the daytime droplet number concentration Nd basically follows the LWC variation. There is a strong correlation between cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentration NCCN and Nd during January–May, probably due to the frequent low pressure systems because upward motion brings more surface CCN to cloud base (well-mixed boundary layer). During summer and autumn, the correlation between Nd and NCCN is not as strong as that during January–May because downward motion from high pressure systems is predominant. Compared to the compiled aircraft in situ measurements during the Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX), the cloud microphysical retrievals in this study agree well with historical aircraft data. Different air mass sources over the ARM Azores site have significant impacts on the cloud microphysical properties and surface CCN as demonstrated by great variability in NCCN and cloud microphysical properties during some months.