MPACE 2004: Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (MPACE 2004)

2004

The major objective of the Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (M-PACE) was to collect a focused set of observations needed to advance our understanding of the dynamical and processes in mixed-phase arctic clouds, including cloud microphysical processes and radiative transfer through these clouds. The M-PACE consisted of four surface-based sites the two DOE-ARM NSA sites Barrow and Atqasuk supplemented by another remote sensing site at Oliktok Point and a radiosonde site in the interior. The Oliktok Point site was equipped with an ARM-like remote sensing facility, supplemented by a tethered balloon equipped with basic met, radiation and CPI capability. Aircraft equipped with the full complement of microphysical and radiation instruments documented cloud properties between these four points.

Department of Energy, Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program

Aircraft S-HIS Observations during MPACE will focus on retrieval of cloud optical properties derived from the aircraft-based Scanning-High Resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS) measurements during the 2004 MPACE field campaign. Data will be compared to simultaneous measurements from the ground sites located at Barrow and Oliktok Point. The retrieval method inverts the S-HIS radiance observations, using data from the airborne lidar and radiosonde profiles, to get optical depth and effective radius. A combination of AERI and lidar measurements will be utilized for the ground-based comparison during aircraft overpasses. Results will be presented for aircraft sorties, which occurred during mostly cirrus conditions, on 17-18 October 2004.

Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC), University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The HSRL [High Spectral Resolution Lidar. Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC), University of Wisconsin-Madison] provided calibrated vertical profiles of optical depth, backscatter cross section and depoloarization at a wavelength of 532 nm. Profiles were acquired at 2.5 second intervals with 7.5 meter resolution. Profiles extended from an altitude of 100 m to 30 km in clear air. The lidar penetrated to a maximum optical depth of ~ 4 under cloudy conditions. Our data contributed directly to the aims of the M-PACE experiment, providing calibrated optical depth and optical backscatter measurements which were not available from any other instrument.

Department of Energy, Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program

Investigators

Related Websites

Publications

  • Eloranta, Ed. Cloud model validation using particle size and ice crystal morphology data derived from M-PACE high spectral resolution lidar and millimeter wavelength radar. Final report for ARM ER 64187-1027586-0011923. Contract no. FG02-06ER64187. [Madison, WI], [University of Wisconsin-Madison, Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC)], [2009]. Unpaged. UW SSEC Publication No.09.08.E1.

  • Klein, Stephen A.; McCoy, Renata B.; Morrison, Hugh; Ackerman, Andrew S.; Avramov, Alexander; de Boer, Gijs; Chen, Mingxuan; Cole, Jason N. S.; Del Genio, Anthony D.; Falk, Anthony; Foster, Michael J.; Fridlin, Ann; Golaz, Jean-Christopher; Hashino, Tempei; Harrington, Jerry Y.; Hoose, Corinna; Khairoutdinov, Marat F.; Larson, Vincent E.; Liu, Xiaohong; Luo, Yali; McFarquhar, Greg M.; Menon, Surabi; Neggers, Roel A. J.; Park, Sungsu; Poellot, Michael R.; Schmidt, Jerome M.; Sednev, Igor; Shipway, Ben J.; Shupe, Matthew D.; Spangenberg, Douglas A.; Sud, Yogesh C.; Turner, David D.; Veron, Dana E.; von Salzen, Knut; Walker, Gregory K.; Wolf, Audrey B.; Xie, Shaocheng; Xu, Kuan-Man; Yang, Fanglin, and Zhang, Gong. Intercomparison of model simulations of mixed-phase clouds observed during the ARM Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment, I: Single-layer cloud. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society v.135, no.641, 2009, pp979-1002. Reprint #6082.

  • Mather, James; Comstock, Jennifer; Flynn, Connor; Long, Chuck; Marchand, Roger; McFarlane, Sally; Mendoza, Albert; Turner, David, and Widener, Kevin. Observations of cloud properties and surface fluxes during the Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment. Conference on Polar Meteorology and Oceanography, 8th, San Diego, CA, 8-13 January 2005 (preprints). Boston, MA, American Meteorological Society, 2005, Paper P3.6. Reprint #6221.

  • Morrison, Hugh; McCoy, Renata B.; Klein, Stephen A.; Xie, Shaocheng; Lao, Yali; Avramov, Alexander; Chen, Mingxuan; Cole, Jason N. S.; Falk, Michael; Foster, Michael J.; Del Genio, Anthony D.; Harrington, Jerry Y.; Hoose, Corinna; Khairoutdinov, Marat F.; Larson, Vincent E.; Liu, Xiaohong; McFarquhar, Greg M.; Poellot, Michael R.; von Salzen, Knut; Shipway, Ben J.; Shupe, Matthew D.; Sud, Yogesh C.; Turner, David D.; Veron, Dana E.; Walker, Gregory K.; Wang, Zhien; Wolf, Audrey B.; Xu, Kuan-Man; Yang, Fanglin, and Zhang, Gong. Intercomparison of model simulations of mixed-phase clouds observed during the ARM Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment, II: Multilayer cloud. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society v.135, no.641, 2009, pp1003-1019. Reprint #6083.

  • Verlinde, J.; Harrington, J. Y.; McFarquhar, G. M.; Yannuzzi, V. T.; Avramov, A.; Greenberg, S.; Johnson, N.; Zhang, G.; Poellot, M. R.; Mather, J. H.; Turner, D. D.; Eloranta, E. W.; Zak, B. D.; Prenni, A. J.; Daniel, J. S.; Kok, G. L.; Tobin, D. C.; Holz, R.; Sassen, K.; Spangenberg, D.; Minnis, P.; Tooman, T. P.; Ivey, M. C.; Richardson, S. J.; Bahrmann, C. P.; Shupe M.; DeMott, P. J.; Heymsfield, A. J., and Schofield, R. The Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society v.88, no.2, 2007, pp205-221. Reprint #5311.

  • Verlinde, Johannes; Harrington, J. Y.; McFarquhar, G. M.; Mather, J. H.; Turner, D.; Zak, B.; Poellot, M. R.; Tooman, T.; Prenni, A. J.; Eloranta, E.; Fridlind A.; Bahrmann, C.; Sassen, K.; DeMott, P. J., and Heymsfield, A. J. Overview of the Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (M-PACE). Conference on Polar Meteorology and Oceanography, 8th, San Diego, CA, 8-13 January 2005 (preprints). Boston, MA, American Meteorological Society, 2005, Paper P1.14. Reprint #3959.

  • Wu, Xuebao; Li, Jun; Menzel, W. Paul; Huang, Allen; Baggett, Kevin, and Revercomb, Henry. Evaluation of AIRS cloud properties using MPACE data. Geophysical Research Letters v.32, no.2005, doi:10.1029/2005GL024400. Reprint #5006.

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