Studying Ice and Mixed Phase clouds using Laboratory EXperiments - SIMPLEX
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Earth Atmospheric and Env Sciences
Abstract
At any one time cloud coverage over the earth is around 70% on average and to some extent they may warm or cool the planet. I think everybody in the UK is familiar with clouds blocking the suns light and making it cooler, thick liquid clouds generally do this by reflecting the suns radiation back to space. However, ice clouds that are high up within the atmosphere may actually cause a warming effect at the surface by trapping and emitting thermal radiation. The relative amount of cooling vs heating ice dependent on the number and size of ice particles within high clouds. Our current measurements in the true atmosphere have failed to quantify the radiative properties of these clouds due to current instrumental difficulties in measuring small ice particles from aircraft. Precipitation is also an important factor in climate change and one that ice particles play a huge role in. As early as 1789 Benjamin Franklin suggested that `much of what is rain, when it arrives at the surface of the earth might have been snow when it began its descent...'. And this is very true, current estimates place the ice phase responsible for the majority of precipitation in the tropics (60%). In the part of the earths atmosphere in which we live, temperature decreases significantly with height. Furthermore, one must also consider the annual damage to crop caused by hail storms. It is a wide misconception that ice particles form when the temperature is colder than 0C. The current theories show that this only happens when liquid water has enough impurities. So for example when the water touches a dirty surface like the ground or even a car window - even if your windows are clean they still contain enough impurities to form ice crystals - the water can freeze. However, in the atmosphere water droplets are in a very pure state, and most of them do not freeze until the temperature is as cold as -35C. But there are some impurities albeit few in the atmosphere, and if these particles are contained within the cloud, then ice particles will form at temperatures perhaps as warm as -5C. The problem is that the number of these impurities alone can not explain the number of ice particles that are observed within the cloud. There are several theories that have been put forward to explain this and some have good experimental evidence for them. However, in order to accurately assess climate change we need to quantitatively determine their importance. This work will seek to resolve the three aforementioned problems by gaining an understanding of effiency of snow formation under simulated laboratory conditions and perform experiments looking at the physics of ice particle formation. Scientists at the University of Manchester, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences will produce realistic clouds in a so called ice-fall chamber. They will simulate the physics of natural cloud formation itself and use state-of-the-science instrumentation to probe the particles within the cloud. By understanding the fundamental physics, they will be able to work with the met office and other universities to better understand the problem of climate change. The Manchester scientists also seek to collaborate with leading scientists from Hertfordshire university, Germany and the US in order to make progress in this area.
People |
ORCID iD |
Paul Connolly (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Young G
(2018)
Relating large-scale subsidence to convection development in Arctic mixed-phase marine stratocumulus
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Young G
(2016)
Observed microphysical changes in Arctic mixed-phase clouds when transitioning from sea ice to open ocean
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Young G
(2017)
Microphysical sensitivity of coupled springtime Arctic stratocumulus to modelled primary ice over the ice pack, marginal ice, and ocean
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Young G
(2016)
Size-segregated compositional analysis of aerosol particles collected in the European Arctic during the ACCACIA campaign
in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Yang H
(2011)
The effect of observed vertical structure, habits, and size distributions on the solar radiative properties and cloud evolution of cirrus clouds
in Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society
Smith H
(2016)
Exact and near backscattering measurements of the linear depolarisation ratio of various ice crystal habits generated in a laboratory cloud chamber
in Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer
Smith H
(2016)
Using laboratory and field measurements to constrain a single habit shortwave optical parameterization for cirrus
in Atmospheric Research
Simpson E
(2014)
An investigation into the performance of four cloud droplet activation parameterisations
in Geoscientific Model Development
Schmitt C
(2016)
A global view of atmospheric ice particle complexity
in Geophysical Research Letters
Description | During this project cloud processes were studied using a large cloud chamber constructed at the University of Manchester. New research was conducted to measure ice crystal aggregation efficiencies and these were published in a paper. Additionally, ice nucleation processes were studied in the chamber and new data were published. I also developed a numerical model of cloud microphysics to enable me to study these processes in detail. |
Exploitation Route | The data published in paper attributed to this work can be implemented in numerical weather models to aid the prediction of snow formation in mixed-phase clouds. Snow formation can be important in the clouds, even if it does not always reach the surface |
Sectors | Environment |
URL | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/12/2055/2012/ |
Description | The findings have been used to improve model descriptions of cloud processes. It is expected that these improvements may feed into improvements in numerical weather forecast models. However, this impact is a work in progress. |
First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
Sector | Environment |
Impact Types | Economic Policy & public services |
Description | ACID-PRUF NERC directed program |
Amount | £1,083,850 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/I020121/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2011 |
End | 03/2015 |
Description | Consortium |
Amount | £839,084 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/J010073/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2012 |
End | 03/2016 |
Description | Standard grants |
Amount | £644,966 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/L007827/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2014 |
End | 08/2017 |
Description | Standard grants |
Amount | £461,074 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/J022594/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2012 |
End | 10/2015 |
Title | New software for processing cloud particle imager data |
Description | The community use instruments to measure / image cloud particles at ground-based, laboratory and using aircraft platforms. An important instrument is the cloud particle imager. Software to process these data and images and to classify them has been written and made available to the public, here: https://github.com/maul1609/CPI-3V-processing |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | To early to tell |
URL | https://github.com/maul1609/CPI-3V-processing |
Title | Development of a research model: The Aerosol Cloud and Precipitation Interactions Model |
Description | The Aerosol-Cloud and Precipitation Interactions Model (ACPIM) is a numerical model of aerosol, cloud and precipitation interactions. It was written and tested at the University of Manchester by me. It is a very detailed cloud microphysics model. |
Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
Year Produced | 2011 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Further collaborations / funding have resulted from this development. It has also been a useful resource for the training of PhD students. |
URL | http://personalpages.manchester.ac.uk/staff/paul.connolly/research/acpim01.html |
Title | The Aerosol-Cloud and Precipitation Interactions Model |
Description | The Aerosol Cloud and Precipitation Interactions Model is a detailed cloud microphysical model written in the Fortran-90 language by me. It is a useful tool for understanding how aerosols and cloud microphysical processes interact. |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2012 |
Open Source License? | Yes |
Impact | International collaboration, useful tool in the training of PhD students. |
URL | http://personalpages.manchester.ac.uk/staff/paul.connolly/research/acpim01.html |
Description | Appearance on the BBC's Newsround |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | I was interviewed by the BBC's Newsround, which featured the cloud chamber I was using for my research. At the time this was because of large interest in snow because of the recent disruption to services by the winter weather. It generated further interest from the media. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |
URL | http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8420000/newsid_8420300/8420340.stm |
Description | Appearance on the BBC's The One Show |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | I was interviewed by Carol Kirkwood on the BBCs The One Show about how snow forms in the atmosphere. We then made snow in the lab, which sparked further interest from potential students. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |
URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00p99rd |
Description | Article published in New Scientist |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | New Scientist contacted and interviewed me and asked to write an article about my research. This led to further interest from the media. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2008 |
URL | https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026876-600-snowflake-maker-to-improve-weather-forecasts/ |
Description | BBC documentary: Bang Goes The Winter Weather. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | This was a special hour-long edition of Bang Goes the Theory where the science of snow / rain formation was covered in detail. In this episode I showed them our cloud chamber at Manchester and acted as a "consultant" to tell them how they could make their own huge cloud chamber. This was useful as it generated interest from future PhD students. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zf9vx |
Description | BBC documentary: Will It Snow? |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | This aired during prime time on the BBC because of the recent large snowfalls over the UK and disruption to services. It talked about the different kinds of snow and how they form. This led to further interviews and interest in my research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0175m9n |
Description | Invited lecture at the Institute of Physics on the physics of snow. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
Results and Impact | I was invited to give the Christmas lecture at the Institute of Physics in Lancaster in 2009. The audience was mainly undergraduate physics students and sparked interest / discussion in the subject. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |
Description | Podcast about my research |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | I was interviewed by NERCs Planet Earth in my laboratory and talked about clouds and aerosol particles. The Podcast made use of the various "atmospheric" sounds in the lab, turning valves, rushing air, etc. It was used as a resource to share out with pupils when performing outreach at Schools, etc. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |
URL | http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/multimedia/story.aspx?id=600&cookieConsent=A |