This title appears in the Scientific Report :
2003
Please use the identifier:
http://hdl.handle.net/2128/20826 in citations.
Please use the identifier: http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2002GL016737 in citations.
Dehydration potential of ultrathin clouds at the tropical tropopause
Dehydration potential of ultrathin clouds at the tropical tropopause
[1] We report on the first simultaneous in situ and remote measurements of subvisible cirrus in the uppermost tropical troposphere. The observed cirrus, called UTTCs ( ultrathin tropical tropopause clouds), are the geometrically (200-300 m) and optically (t approximate to 10(-4)) thinnest large-scal...
Saved in:
Personal Name(s): | Luo, B. P. |
---|---|
Peter, Th. / Flüglistaler, S. / Wernli, H. / Wirth, M. / Kiemle, C. / Flentje, H. / Yushkov, V. A. / Khattatov, V. / Rudakov, V. / Thomas, A. / Borrmann, S. / Toci, G. / Mazzinghi, P. / Beuermann, J. / Schiller, C. / Cairo, F. / Mitev, V. / MacKenzie, R. A. / Carslaw, K. S. / Trautmann, T. / Santacesaria, V. / Stefanutti, L. | |
Contributing Institute: |
Stratosphäre; ICG-I |
Published in: | Geophysical research letters, 30 (2003) S. 1557 |
Imprint: |
Washington, DC
American Geophysical Union
2003
|
Physical Description: |
1557 |
DOI: |
10.1029/2002GL016737 |
Document Type: |
Journal Article |
Research Program: |
Chemie und Dynamik der Geo-Biosphäre |
Series Title: |
Geophysical Research Letters
30 |
Subject (ZB): | |
Link: |
Get full text OpenAccess OpenAccess |
Publikationsportal JuSER |
Please use the identifier: http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2002GL016737 in citations.
[1] We report on the first simultaneous in situ and remote measurements of subvisible cirrus in the uppermost tropical troposphere. The observed cirrus, called UTTCs ( ultrathin tropical tropopause clouds), are the geometrically (200-300 m) and optically (t approximate to 10(-4)) thinnest large-scale clouds ever sampled (approximate to10(5) km(2)). UTTCs consist of only a few ice particles per liter with mean radius approximate to5 mum, containing only 1-5 % of the total water. Yet, brief adiabatic cooling events only 1-2 K below mean ambient temperature destabilize UTTCs, leading to large sedimenting particles (r approximate to 25 mm). Due to their extreme altitude above 17 km and low particle number density, UTTCs may efficiently dehydrate air during its last encounter with the ice phase before entering the stratosphere. |