HR: 17:45h
AN: A12F-08    [PDF]
TI: Aerosol Physics and Chemistry Within a Convective Cloud
AU: * Ekman, A M
EM: annica@mit.edu
AF: MIT, 77 Massachusetts Ave., EAPS, Bldg. 54-1413, Cambridge, MA 02139 United States
AB: Convective clouds provide an efficient mechanism for transporting aerosols to the upper troposphere. Although observational data in the upper troposphere are still limited, the few measurements available all indicate the existence of high concentrations of small particles, possibly due to the vertical transport related to deep convection. In addition, with sufficiently low temperature, high relative humidity, and relatively high concentrations of aerosol precursors; the outflow regions of convective clouds are likely areas for new aerosols to form, adding even more particles to the upper troposphere. In order to simulate convective cloud transport along with cloud processing of aerosols we have developed a 3-D cloud-resolving model with an interactive explicit aerosol module. Observational data as well as weather center reanalyzed data have been used to initialize the model simulations. To evaluate the model, the results are compared with observed concentrations of aerosols and certain key chemical species, particularly in the upper troposphere. A number of model runs with various different settings in physics and chemistry as well as aerosol profiles have been carried out. The sensitivities of deep convection related physics and chemistry and its impact on tropospheric chemistry to various aerosol profiles will be discussed.
DE: 0305 Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801)
DE: 0320 Cloud physics and chemistry
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting