A comprehensive parameterization of heterogeneous ice nucleation of dust surrogate: laboratory study with hematite particles and its application to atmospheric models

Abstract

Abstract. A new heterogeneous ice nucleation parameterization that covers a wide temperature range (−36 to −78 °C) is presented. Developing and testing such an ice nucleation parameterization, which is constrained through identical experimental conditions, is critical in order to accurately simulate the ice nucleation processes in cirrus clouds. The surface-scaled ice nucleation efficiencies of hematite particles, inferred by ns, were derived from AIDA (Aerosol Interaction and Dynamics in the Atmosphere) cloud chamber measurements under water subsaturated conditions that were realized by continuously changing temperature (T) and relative humidity with respect to ice (RHice) in the chamber. Our measurements showed several different pathways to nucleate ice depending on T and RHice conditions. For instance, almost T-independent freezing was observed at −60 °C < T < −50 °C, where RHice explicitly controlled ice nucleation efficiency, while both T and RHice played roles in other two T regimes: −78 °C < T < −60 °C and −50 °C < T < −36 °C. More specifically, observations at T colder than −60 °C revealed that higher RHice was necessary to maintain constant ns, whereas T may have played a significant role in ice nucleation at T warmer than −50 °C. We implemented new ns parameterizations into two cloud models to investigate its sensitivity and compare with the existing ice nucleation schemes towards simulating cirrus cloud properties. Our results show that the new AIDA-based parameterizations lead to an order of magnitude higher ice crystal concentrations and inhibition of homogeneous nucleation in colder temperature regions. Our cloud simulation results suggest that atmospheric dust particles that form ice nuclei at lower temperatures, below −36 °C, can potentially have stronger influence on cloud properties such as cloud longevity and initiation when compared to previous parameterizations.

A comprehensive laboratory study on the immersion freezing behavior of illite NX particles: a comparison of seventeen ice nucleation measurement techniques

“…The same disperser type was used at both chambers for particle generation, and the upstream cyclone impactors (D 50 ∼ 1 µm and 2.5 µm) were similarly deployed to filter out any larger particles and 10 safeguard against injecting these particles into the vessel. We note that a linear correction factor of about two was applied to convert the optical diameter measured by the welas-OPC to the APS-inferred volume equivalent diameter in several studies (Wagner et al, 2011;Hiranuma et al, 2014a). The particle number size distribution of dry particles in the 0.3-10 µm diameter range 15 was also measured by a TSI 3330 optical particle sizer (OPS, TSI Inc.; TSI-OPS hereafter).…”

Seasonal variability of Saharan desert dust and ice nucleating particles over Europe

“…This parameterisation is active a colder temperatures of between 253-220 K, and above ice supersaturation. While there are indications that Arizona Test Dust is a more efficient ice nucleus than natural desert dust particles at the higher end of this temperature range, their behaviour is comparable at temperatures below 238 K (Hoose and Möhler, 2012;Hiranuma et al, 2014), i.e. in the cirrus regime where deposition nucleation is most relevant.…”

“…Efforts to parameterise these processes for use in models have relied on either empirical evidence or a theoretical approach, yielding a wide variety of parameterisations (e.g., Fletcher et al, 1962;Cooper, 1986;Meyers et al, 1992;DeMott et al, 2010). Typically, these parameterisations are independent of the aerosol type, however more recently, dust aerosol specific parameterisations have begun to emerge (Niemand et al, 2012;Steinke et al, 2014;DeMott et al, 2014;Hiranuma et al, 2014 The aims of this manuscript are straightforward. Firstly, we will quantify the background dust number concentrations in Europe during different seasons using model data from December 2007-August 2008.…”

Aerosol Indirect Effects on Cirrus Clouds Based on Global Aircraft Observations

“…Previously, a series of studies based on in situ observations showed that thermodynamic and dynamical conditions have major impacts on ice microphysical properties (D'Alessandro et al, ; Diao, Zondlo, et al, , Diao, Zondlo, Heymsfield, Avallone, et al, ; Diao, Zondlo, Heymsfield, & Beaton, ; Diao et al, , ; Heymsfield, , , ; Krämer et al, , ; Luebke et al, , ; McFarquhar & Heymsfield, ; Schiller et al, ). Other laboratory experiments (Hiranuma et al, ) and field observations (DeMott et al, ) have showed that thermodynamic conditions can also affect the types and concentrations of aerosols that can be activated as INPs.…”