Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1074
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1074
06 Jun 2023
 | 06 Jun 2023

Fragmentation of ice particles: laboratory experiments on graupel-graupel and graupel-snowflake collisions

Pierre Grzegorczyk, Sudha Yadav, Florian Zanger, Alexander Theis, Subir K. Mitra, Stephan Borrmann, and Miklós Szakáll

Abstract. Until now, the processes involved in secondary ice production which generate high concentrations of ice crystals in clouds have been poorly understood. However, collisions that involve rimed ice particles or crystal aggregates have the potential to effectively produce secondary ice from their fragmentation. Unfortunately, there have only been a few laboratory studies on ice-ice collision, resulting in an inaccurate representation of this process in microphysical schemes. To address this issue, experiments were conducted at the Wind tunnel laboratory of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz on graupel- graupel and graupel-snowflake collisions under still air conditions at -15 °C and over water saturation. All fragments resulting from graupel-graupel collisions were collected and investigated by means of a digital optical microscope, while fragments from graupel-snowflake collisions were observed and recorded instantly after collision using a holographic instrument. From these experiments, distributions were obtained for fragment sizes, cross sectional areas and aspect ratios. The results showed a higher number of fragments at lower kinetic energy compared to those presented in the literature. 150 to 600 fragments were observed for graupel-graupel collisions, and 70 to 500 fragments for graupel-snowflake collisions between 10−7 and 10−5 J. Parametrizations for fragment size distributions are provided with a mode at 75 µm for graupel-graupel collisions and at 400 µm for graupel-snowflake collisions. These results can be used to improve the representation of ice collision breakup in microphysical schemes.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

25 Oct 2023
Fragmentation of ice particles: laboratory experiments on graupel–graupel and graupel–snowflake collisions
Pierre Grzegorczyk, Sudha Yadav, Florian Zanger, Alexander Theis, Subir K. Mitra, Stephan Borrmann, and Miklós Szakáll
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 13505–13521, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13505-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13505-2023, 2023
Short summary
Pierre Grzegorczyk, Sudha Yadav, Florian Zanger, Alexander Theis, Subir K. Mitra, Stephan Borrmann, and Miklós Szakáll

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-1074', Anonymous Referee #1, 26 Jun 2023
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-1074', Anonymous Referee #2, 27 Jun 2023
  • RC3: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-1074', Alexei Korolev, 21 Jul 2023

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-1074', Anonymous Referee #1, 26 Jun 2023
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-1074', Anonymous Referee #2, 27 Jun 2023
  • RC3: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-1074', Alexei Korolev, 21 Jul 2023

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
AR by Miklós Szakáll on behalf of the Authors (01 Sep 2023)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (01 Sep 2023) by Daniel Knopf
RR by Alexei Korolev (05 Sep 2023)
RR by Anonymous Referee #2 (06 Sep 2023)
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (06 Sep 2023) by Daniel Knopf
AR by Miklós Szakáll on behalf of the Authors (08 Sep 2023)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (12 Sep 2023) by Daniel Knopf
AR by Miklós Szakáll on behalf of the Authors (12 Sep 2023)  Manuscript 

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

25 Oct 2023
Fragmentation of ice particles: laboratory experiments on graupel–graupel and graupel–snowflake collisions
Pierre Grzegorczyk, Sudha Yadav, Florian Zanger, Alexander Theis, Subir K. Mitra, Stephan Borrmann, and Miklós Szakáll
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 13505–13521, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13505-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13505-2023, 2023
Short summary
Pierre Grzegorczyk, Sudha Yadav, Florian Zanger, Alexander Theis, Subir K. Mitra, Stephan Borrmann, and Miklós Szakáll

Data sets

Experimental data for "Fragmentation of ice particles: laboratory experiments on graupel-graupel and graupel-snowflake collisions" Pierre Grzegorczyk, Sudha Yadav, Florian Zander, Alexander Theis, Subir Kumar Mitra, and Miklós Szakáll https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7877368

Video supplement

Collision between two graupel particles in a fall tube Pierre Grzegorczyk, Alexander Theis, Mitra, Subir Kumar Mitra, and Miklós Szakáll https://av.tib.eu/media/62064

Collision between a snowflake and a graupel in a fall tube - edge collision Pierre Grzegorczyk, Alexander Theis, Mitra, Subir Kumar Mitra, and Miklós Szakáll https://av.tib.eu/media/62065

Collision between a snowflake and a graupel in a fall tube - central collision Pierre Grzegorczyk, Alexander Theis, Mitra, Subir Kumar Mitra, and Miklós Szakáll https://doi.org/10.5446/62066

Pierre Grzegorczyk, Sudha Yadav, Florian Zanger, Alexander Theis, Subir K. Mitra, Stephan Borrmann, and Miklós Szakáll

Viewed

Total article views: 556 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total BibTeX EndNote
377 156 23 556 13 10
  • HTML: 377
  • PDF: 156
  • XML: 23
  • Total: 556
  • BibTeX: 13
  • EndNote: 10
Views and downloads (calculated since 06 Jun 2023)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 06 Jun 2023)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 534 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 534 with geography defined and 0 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 

Cited

Latest update: 18 Sep 2024
Download

The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.

Short summary
Secondary ice production generates high concentrations of ice crystals in clouds. These processes have been poorly understood. We conducted experiments at the Wind tunnel laboratory of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz on graupel-graupel and graupel-snowflake collisions. From these experiments fragment number, size, cross sectional area and aspect ratio were determined.