Disentangling the Microphysical Effects of Fire Particles on Convective Clouds Through A Case Study.

ABSTRACT: Aerosol emissions from forest fires may impact cloud droplet activation through an increase in particle number concentrations ("the number effect") and also through a decrease in the hygroscopicity  κ of the entire aerosol population ("the hygroscopicity effect") when fully internal mixing is assumed in models. This study investigated these effects of fire particles on the properties of simulated deep convective clouds (DCCs), using cloud-resolving simulations with the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry for a case study in a partly idealized setting. We found that the magnitude of the hygroscopicity effect was in some cases strong enough to entirely offset the number/size effect, in terms of its influence on modeled droplet and ice crystal concentrations.

SUBMITTER: Takeishi A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7379315 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature