Graupel Precipitating from Thin Arctic Clouds with Liquid Water Paths
less than 50 g m^-2
Abstract
Thin boundary layer Arctic mixed-phase clouds are generally thought to
precipitate pristine and aggregate ice crystals. Here we present
automated surface photographic measurements showing that only 35% of
precipitation particles exhibit negligible riming and that graupel
particles ≥1 mm in diameter commonly fall from clouds with liquid water
paths less than 50 g m^-2. A simple analytical formulation predicts
that significant riming enhancement can occur in updrafts with speeds
typical of Arctic clouds, and observations show that such conditions are
favored by weak temperature inversions and strong radiative cooling at
cloud top. However, numerical simulations suggest that a mean updraft
speed of 0.75 m s^-1 would need to be sustained for over one hour.
Graupel can efficiently remove moisture and aerosols from the boundary
layer. The causes and impacts of Arctic riming enhancement remain to be
determined.