the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Wildfire smoke triggers cirrus formation: Lidar observations over the Eastern Mediterranean (Cyprus)
Abstract. The number of intense wildfires may increase in the upcoming years as a consequence of climate change. Changing aerosol conditions may lead to changes in regional and global cloud and precipitation pattern. One key aspect of research is presently whether or not wildfire smoke particles can initiate ice nucleation. We found strong evidence that aged smoke particles (dominated by organic aerosol particles) originating from wildfires in North America triggered significant ice nucleation at temperatures from −47 to −53 °C and caused the formation of extended cirrus layers. Our study is based on lidar observations over Limassol, Cyprus, from 27 October to 3 November 2020 when extended wildfire smoke fields crossed the Mediterranean Basin from Portugal to Cyprus. The observations suggest that the ice crystals were nucleated just below the tropopause in the presence of smoke particles serving as ice-nucleating particles (INPs). The main part of the 2–3 km thick smoke layer was, however, in the lower stratosphere just above the tropopause. With actual radiosonde observations of temperature and relative humidity and lidar-derived smoke particle surface area concentrations as starting values, gravity wave simulations show that lofting by 90–180 m is sufficient to initiate significant ice nucleation on the smoke particles, expressed in ice crystal number concentrations of 1–100 L−1.
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Notice on discussion status
The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.
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Preprint
(14689 KB)
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The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.
- Preprint
(14689 KB) - Metadata XML
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- Final revised paper
Journal article(s) based on this preprint
Interactive discussion
Status: closed
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RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-988', Anonymous Referee #1, 03 Jul 2023
The comment was uploaded in the form of a supplement: https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2023/egusphere-2023-988/egusphere-2023-988-RC1-supplement.pdf
- AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Albert Ansmann, 03 Sep 2023
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RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-988', Anonymous Referee #2, 11 Jul 2023
The comment was uploaded in the form of a supplement: https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2023/egusphere-2023-988/egusphere-2023-988-RC2-supplement.pdf
- AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Albert Ansmann, 03 Sep 2023
Interactive discussion
Status: closed
-
RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-988', Anonymous Referee #1, 03 Jul 2023
The comment was uploaded in the form of a supplement: https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2023/egusphere-2023-988/egusphere-2023-988-RC1-supplement.pdf
- AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Albert Ansmann, 03 Sep 2023
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RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-988', Anonymous Referee #2, 11 Jul 2023
The comment was uploaded in the form of a supplement: https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2023/egusphere-2023-988/egusphere-2023-988-RC2-supplement.pdf
- AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Albert Ansmann, 03 Sep 2023
Peer review completion
Journal article(s) based on this preprint
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Cited
Rodanthi-Elisavet Mamouri
Albert Ansmann
Kevin Ohneiser
Daniel A. Knopf
Argyro Nisantzi
Johannes Bühl
Ronny Engelmann
Annett Skupin
Patric Seifert
Holger Baars
Dragos Ene
Ulla Wandinger
Diofantos Hadjimitsis
The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.
- Preprint
(14689 KB) - Metadata XML