Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4070
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-4070
15 Jan 2025
 | 15 Jan 2025

Different responses of cold-air outbreak clouds to aerosol and ice production depending on cloud temperature

Xinyi Huang, Paul R. Field, Benjamin J. Murray, Daniel P. Grosvenor, Floortje van den Heuvel, and Kenneth S. Carslaw

Abstract. Aerosol-cloud interactions and ice production processes are important factors that influence mixed-phase cold-air outbreak (CAO) clouds and their contribution to cloud-phase feedback. Our current understanding is that increases in ice-nucleating particle (INP) concentrations cause a reduction in cloud total water content and reflectivity. However, no study has compared the sensitivities of the CAO cloud to these processes under different environmental conditions. Here, we use a high-resolution nested model to quantify and compare the responses of cloud microphysics and dynamics in cloud droplet number concentration (Nd), INP concentration and efficiency of the Hallet-Mossop (HM) secondary ice production process in two archetypal CAO events over the Labrador Sea, representing intense (cold, March) and weaker (warmer, October) mixed-phase conditions. Our results show that variations in INP concentrations strongly influence both cases, while changing Nd and the HM process efficiency affect only the warmer October case. With a higher INP concentration, cloud cover and albedo at the top of the atmosphere increase in the cold March case, while the opposite responses were found in the warm October case. We suggest that the CAO cloud response to the parameters is different in ice-dominated and liquid-dominated regimes, and the determination of the regime is strongly controlled by the cloud temperature and the characteristics of ambient INP, which both control the glaciation of clouds. This study provides an instructive perspective to understand how these cloud microphysics affect CAO clouds under different environmental conditions and serves as an important basis for future exploration of cloud microphysics parameter space.

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Journal article(s) based on this preprint

26 Sep 2025
Different responses of cold-air outbreak clouds to aerosol and ice production depending on cloud temperature
Xinyi Huang, Paul R. Field, Benjamin J. Murray, Daniel P. Grosvenor, Floortje van den Heuvel, and Kenneth S. Carslaw
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 11363–11406, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-11363-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-11363-2025, 2025
Short summary
Xinyi Huang, Paul R. Field, Benjamin J. Murray, Daniel P. Grosvenor, Floortje van den Heuvel, and Kenneth S. Carslaw

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-4070', Anonymous Referee #1, 12 Feb 2025
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-4070', Anonymous Referee #2, 19 Mar 2025
  • RC3: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-4070', Anonymous Referee #3, 23 Mar 2025
  • AC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-4070', Xinyi Huang, 08 May 2025

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-4070', Anonymous Referee #1, 12 Feb 2025
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-4070', Anonymous Referee #2, 19 Mar 2025
  • RC3: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-4070', Anonymous Referee #3, 23 Mar 2025
  • AC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-4070', Xinyi Huang, 08 May 2025

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
AR by Xinyi Huang on behalf of the Authors (08 May 2025)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (13 May 2025) by Yi Huang
RR by Anonymous Referee #3 (02 Jun 2025)
RR by Gerald Mace (08 Jun 2025)
RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (11 Jun 2025)
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (26 Jun 2025) by Yi Huang
AR by Xinyi Huang on behalf of the Authors (04 Jul 2025)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (18 Jul 2025) by Yi Huang
AR by Xinyi Huang on behalf of the Authors (21 Jul 2025)

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

26 Sep 2025
Different responses of cold-air outbreak clouds to aerosol and ice production depending on cloud temperature
Xinyi Huang, Paul R. Field, Benjamin J. Murray, Daniel P. Grosvenor, Floortje van den Heuvel, and Kenneth S. Carslaw
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 11363–11406, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-11363-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-11363-2025, 2025
Short summary
Xinyi Huang, Paul R. Field, Benjamin J. Murray, Daniel P. Grosvenor, Floortje van den Heuvel, and Kenneth S. Carslaw

Data sets

Model data used for figures in paper submitted to ACP "Different responses of cold-air outbreak clouds to aerosol and ice production depending on cloud temperature" Xinyi Huang https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14536461

Xinyi Huang, Paul R. Field, Benjamin J. Murray, Daniel P. Grosvenor, Floortje van den Heuvel, and Kenneth S. Carslaw

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Short summary
Cold-air outbreak (CAO) clouds play a vital role in climate prediction. This study explores the responses of CAO clouds to aerosols and ice production under different environmental conditions. We found that CAO cloud responses vary with cloud temperature and are strongly controlled by the liquid-ice partitioning in these clouds, suggesting the importance of good representations of cloud microphysics properties to predict the behaviours of CAO clouds in a warming climate.
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