Impacts of Environmental Conditions and Ice Nuclei Recycling on Arctic Mixed-Phase Cloud Properties

Abstract. Radiatively driven Arctic stratocumulus clouds have important climactic impacts due to their effects on surface radiative balance. The presence of both liquid and ice within Arctic stratocumulus, and their interaction through the Wegener-Bergeron-Findeisen (WBF) process, strongly affects the properties and lifetimes of these clouds. To assess the impacts of mixed-phase microphysical processes in Arctic Stratocumulus, we use a Langrangian cloud microphysical model within a large eddy simulation framework to simulate a single-layer cloud under varying free-tropospheric humidity and above-cloud inversion strength. We also run two simulations in which precipitating ice crystals have their ice nuclei (IN) re-injected into the model domain, rather than removed. We find that IN recycling plays a critical role in maintaining the presence of ice in the mixed-phase cloud. The simulations with drier free-tropospheric air experience greater sublimation of ice crystals below cloud, recycling of ice crystals, and a higher ice water path than simulations with more humid free-tropospheric air. We also find that the impact of inversion strength on cloud microphysical characteristics is strongly modulated by free-tropospheric relative humidity, with decreased inversion strength resulting in both increased and decreased liquid water path under high and low free-tropospheric relative humidity, respectively.