Possible mechanisms of summer cirrus clouds over the Tibetan Plateau

F. Zhang; F. Zhang; Q.-R. Yu; J.-L. Mao; C. Dan; Y. Wang; Q. He; Q. He; T. Cheng; C. Chen; D. Liu; Y. Gao

doi:10.5194/acp-20-11799-2020

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Oct 2020)

Possible mechanisms of summer cirrus clouds over the Tibetan Plateau

F. Zhang,
F. Zhang,
Q.-R. Yu,
J.-L. Mao,
C. Dan,
Y. Wang,
Q. He,
Q. He,
T. Cheng,
C. Chen,
D. Liu,
Y. Gao

Affiliations

F. Zhang: Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences & Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
F. Zhang: Innovation Center of Ocean and Atmosphere System, Zhuhai Fudan Innovation Research Institute, Zhuhai, China
Q.-R. Yu: Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
J.-L. Mao: Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
C. Dan: Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
Y. Wang: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Q. He: Shanghai Meteorological Service, Shanghai, China
Q. He: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Meteorology and Health, Shanghai, China
T. Cheng: Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences & Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
C. Chen: Shanghai Meteorological Service, Shanghai, China
D. Liu: Shanghai Meteorological Service, Shanghai, China
Y. Gao: Shanxi Institute of Meteorological Sciences, Taiyuan, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-11799-2020
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 20
pp. 11799 – 11808

Abstract

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The geographical distributions of summertime cirrus with different cloud top heights above the Tibetan Plateau are investigated by using the 2012–2016 Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) data. The cirrus clouds with different cloud top heights exhibit an obvious difference in their horizontal distribution over the Tibetan Plateau (TP). The maximum occurrence for cirrus with a cloud top height less than 9 km starts over the western plateau and moves up to the northern regions when cirrus is between 9 and 12 km. Above 12 km, the maximum occurrence of cirrus retreats to the southern fringe of the plateau. Three kinds of formation mechanisms – large-scale orographic uplift, ice particle generation caused by temperature fluctuation, and remnants of overflow from deep-convective anvils – dominate the formation of cirrus at less than 9 km, between 9 and 12 km, and above 12 km, respectively.

Published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

ISSN: 1680-7316 (Print); 1680-7324 (Online)
Publisher: Copernicus Publications
Country of publisher: Germany
LCC subjects: Science: Physics; Science: Chemistry
Website: http://www.atmospheric-chemistry-and-physics.net/

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