Aerosol-Cloud Interaction

Process Studies on Small Spacial and Temporal Scales

Basic process understanding and a sufficient data basis on the interaction between aerosols, clouds and radiation are essential for the improvement of future weather and climate predictions. We investigate the effect of activation and freezing processes and turbulent mixing processes on the microphysical and radiative properties of clouds as well as on cloud extend and their life cycle.

Chemical multiphase processes in clouds, fog and mist modify the chemical composition and thus the physical properties of tropospheric aerosols on all scales up to the global scale. In order to quantify their environmental relevance and to project their effects in coupled chemistry transport models in an adequate form, detailed and combined laboratory-, field-, and modelling process studies are essential.

Aerosol and clouds - microphysical interactions

Immersionsgefrieren von Tropfen mit einzelnen Aerosolpartikeln, für unterschiedlichste, atmosphärisch relevante Partikelarten.

Laboratory experiments concerning immersion freezing

Immersionfreezing of droplets containing single aerosol particles, for different atmospherically relevant particles types.

Laboratory experiments concerning ice-particle growth

Ice crystal growth under different thermodynamic conditions.

Atmospheric concentrations of ice nucleating particles (INP)

Atmospheric concentrations of ice nucleating particles at different locations on Earth.

Characterization of ice particle residuals in atmospheric clouds

Determination of particle properties of such aerosols that form ice inside clouds.

Remote sensing of heterogeneous ice formation

Remote-sensing techniques provide information about the presence of ice crystals in clouds.

Laboratory studies on hygroscopic growth and droplet activation for laminar and turbulent conditions

Cloud Condensation Nuclei: Characterization in the Field

Characterization of drop residuals in atmospheric clouds

Determination of particle properties of such aerosols that form liquid clouds.

Aerosol/cloud-Interaction with ACTOS

Measurement of cloud microphysical properties with lidar

Radiation Budget

Investigation of the budget of solar and terrestrial radiation at the ground and the top of the atmosphere.

Laboratory studies on secondary ice production

Secondary ice production leads to an enhancement of the ice particle number concentration in mixed-phase clouds.

Aerosol-Cloud-Interaction modeling

At TROPOS, there is a variety of programs with which the interaction between aerosol paricles and clouds is modelled.

Dynamics, turbulence and their influence on cloud processes

In-situ measurements of cloud turbulence

The effect of vertical winds on cloud microphysics

Microphysics in a Turbulent Channel

Since the beginning of 2017, the "Turbulent Leipzig Aerosol Cloud Interaction Simulator" (LACIS-T) is available for the examination of the influence of turbulence on aerosol cloud interactions.

Solving The Entrainment Puzzle

Studies for a better understanding of the mixing processes on the cloud edges

LES cloud modeling

Highly resolved cloud simulations, in combination with in-situ measurements and remote sensing data contribute to the understanding of interaction processes in the atmospheric boundary layer.