EarthRef.org Reference Database (ERR)
Development and Maintenance by the EarthRef.org Database Team

Detailed Reference Information
Zhou et al. 2006
Zhou, M., Zeng, X., Brunke, M., Zhang, Z. and Fairall, C. (2006). An analysis of statistical characteristics of stratus and stratocumulus over eastern Pacific. Geophysical Research Letters 33: doi: 10.1029/2005GL024796. issn: 0094-8276.

Observational measurements of cloud base, top, thickness, fraction, and liquid water path (LWP) are analyzed to study the macro- and micro-physical properties of stratus and stratocumulus over the eastern Pacific. It is found that the increase in liquid water content with height in cloud is significantly less than the adiabatic rate. The variations of cloud base and top both contribute to the variation of cloud thickness that approximately fits a normal distribution better than either cloud base or top. Because the distribution of LWP depends on the intervals of cloud fraction (or other environmental variables, for example, relative humidity), the determination of cloud fraction from the mean LWP alone would introduce large uncertainties particularly when LWP is large.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Atmospheric Composition and Structure, Cloud physics and chemistry, Atmospheric Processes, Instruments and techniques, Atmospheric Processes, Clouds and cloud feedbacks
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
2000 Florida Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009-1277
USA
1-202-462-6900
1-202-328-0566
service@agu.org
Click to clear formClick to return to previous pageClick to submit