Freezing and Microphysics of PSCs and Cold Cirrus Ice Clouds

01.03.2011 - 30.06.2014
Research funding project
Microphysical parameters of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) and upper tropospheric (UT) cirrus clouds can be used in general circulation models (GCMs) of Earth's climate. The microphysical parameters are size, composition, phase state (solid, liquid, or mixed-phased), habit and orientation of cold cloud particles (ice crystals). PSCs play a crucial role in the ozone depletion events (ODE) during polar winter/spring time. The UT cold cirrus ice clouds, covering up to 30% of the global sky, are important climate regulators, because they impact the incoming solar and outgoing terrestrial radiation, and supply surfaces for heterogeneous reactions destructing UT ozone and regulating UT water vapor content, to name only a few. Despite the intensive studies of the past there remain large gaps in the understanding of the formation mechanisms and the microphysics of PSCs and UT cirrus clouds. Since the proper estimation of the stratospheric ozone loss, the predictions of its future recovery, and the impact of UT ice clouds on climate change are sensitive to the assumptions concerning the microphysical parameters of these clouds, it is the aim of this project to improve our knowledge in ice particle nucleation.

People

Project leader

Project personnel

Institute

Grant funds

  • FWF - Österr. Wissenschaftsfonds (National) Austrian Science Fund (FWF)

Research focus

  • Environmental Monitoring and Climate Adaptation: 100%

Keywords

GermanEnglish
Wolkenclouds
Klimaclimate
Mikroskopiemicroscopy
ice nucleationice nucleation

External partner

  • Universität Innsbruck

Publications