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Fenn, Marta

Publications and source records attributed to Fenn, Marta.

9 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Process Modeling of Aerosol‐Cloud Interaction in Summertime Precipitating Shallow Cumulus Over the Western North Atlantic

Abstract Process modeling of Aerosol‐cloud interaction (ACI) is essential to bridging gaps between observational analysis and climate modeling of aerosol effects in the Earth system and eventually reducing climate projection uncertainties. In this study, we examine ACI in summertime precipitating shallow cumuli observed during the Aerosol Cloud meTeorology Interactions oVer the western ATlantic Experiment (ACTIVATE). Aerosols and precipitating shallow cumuli were extensively observed with in‐situ and remote‐sensing instruments during two research flight cases on 02 June and 07 June, respectively, during the ACTIVATE summer 2021 deployment phase. We perform observational analysis and large‐eddy simulation (LES) of aerosol effect on precipitating cumulus in these two cases. Given the measured aerosol size distributions and meteorological conditions, LES is able to reproduce the observed cloud properties by aircraft such as liquid water content (LWC), cloud droplet number concentration ( N c ) and effective radius r eff . However, it produces smaller liquid water path (LWP) and larger N c compared to the satellite retrievals. Both 02 and 07 June cases are over warm waters of the Gulf Stream and have a cloud top height over 3 km, but the 07 June case is more polluted and has larger LWC. We find that the N a ‐induced LWP adjustment is dominated by precipitation feedback for the 2 June precipitating case and there is no clear entrainment feedback in both cases. An increase of cloud fraction due to a decrease of aerosol number concentration is also shown in the simulations for the 02 June case.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2010

LASE Observations of Interactions Between African Easterly Waves and the Saharan Air Layer

The Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) participated in the NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (NAMMA) field experiment in 2006 that was conducted from Sal, Cape Verde to study the Saharan Air Layer (SAL) and its influence on the African Easterly Waves (AEWs) and Tropical Cyclones (TCs). During NAMMA, LASE collected simultaneous water vapor and aerosol lidar measurements from 14 flights onboard the NASA DC- 8. In this paper we present three examples of the interaction of the SAL and AEWs regarding: moistening of the SAL and transfer of latent heat; injection of dust in an updraft; and influence of dry air intrusion on an AEW. A brief discussion is also given on activities related to the refurbishment of LASE to enhance its operational performance and plans to participate in the next NASA hurricane field experiment in the summer of 2010.

Ismail, Syed↗
NASA NTRS2010

Development of the Global Ozone Lidar Demonstrator (GOLD) Instrument for Deployment on the NASA Global Hawk

A compact ozone (O3) and aerosol lidar system is being developed for conducting global atmospheric investigations from the NASA Global Hawk Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and for enabling the development and test of a space-based O3 and aerosol lidar. GOLD incorporates advanced technologies and designs to produce a compact, autonomously operating O3 and aerosol Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system for a UAV platform. The GOLD system leverages advanced Nd:YAG and optical parametric oscillator laser technologies and receiver optics, detectors, and electronics. Significant progress has been made toward the development of the GOLD system, and this paper describes the objectives of this program, basic design of the GOLD system, and results from initial ground-based atmospheric tests.

Hair, Jonathan W.↗
NASA NTRS2010

LASE Measurements of Water Vapor, Aerosol, and Cloud Distributions in Saharan Air Layers and Tropical Disturbances

LASE (Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment) on-board the NASA DC-8 measured high resolution profiles of water vapor and aerosols, and cloud distributions in 14 flights over the eastern North Atlantic during the NAMMA (NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses) field experiment. These measurements were used to study African easterly waves (AEWs), tropical cyclones (TCs), and the Saharan Air Layer(s) (SAL). Interactions between the SAL and tropical air were observed during the early stages of the TC development. These LASE measurements represent the first simultaneous water vapor and aerosol lidar measurements to study the SAL and its impact on AEWs and TCs. Examples of profile measurements of aerosol scattering ratios, aerosol extinction coefficients, aerosol optical thickness, water vapor mixing ratios, RH, and temperature are presented to illustrate their characteristics in SAL, convection, and clear air regions. LASE data suggest that the SAL suppresses low-altitude convection at the convection-SAL interface region. Mid-level convection associated with the AEW and transport are likely responsible for high water vapor content observed in the southern regions of the SAL on August 20, 2008. This interaction is responsible for the transfer of about 7 x 10(exp 15) J latent heat energy within a day to the SAL. Measurements of lidar extinction-to-backscatter ratios in the range 36+/-5 to 45+/-5 are within the range of measurements from other lidar measurements of dust. LASE aerosol extinction and water vapor profiles are validated by comparison with onboard in situ aerosol measurements and GPS dropsonde water vapor soundings, respectively.

Ismail, Syed↗
NASA NTRS2008

LASE Measurements of Water Vapor, Aerosol, and Cloud Distributions in Saharan Air Layers and Tropical Disturbances

LASE (Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment) onboard the NASA DC-8 was used to measure high resolution profiles of water vapor and aerosols, and cloud distributions in 14 flights over the eastern Atlantic region during the NAMMA (NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses) field experiment, which was conducted from August 15 to September 12, 2006. These measurements were made in conjunction with flights designed to study African Easterly Waves (AEW), Tropical Disturbances (TD), and Saharan Aerosol Layers (SALs) as well as flights performed in clear air and convective regions. As a consequence of their unique radiative properties and dynamics, SAL layers have a significant influence in the development of organized convection associated with TD. Interactions of the SAL with tropical air during early stages of the development of TD were observed. These LASE measurements represent the first simultaneous water vapor and aerosol lidar measurements to study the SAL and its impact on TDs and hurricanes. Seven AEWs were studied and four of these evolved into tropical storms and three did not. Three out of the four tropical storms evolved into hurricanes.

Ismail, Syed↗
NASA NTRS2008

Airborne LIDAR Measurements of Water Vapor, Ozone, Clouds, and Aerosols in the Tropics Near Central America During the TC4 Experiment

Large scale distributions of ozone, water vapor, aerosols, and clouds were measured throughout the troposphere by two NASA Langley lidar systems on board the NASA DC-8 aircraft as part of the Tropical Composition, Cloud, and Climate Coupling Experiment (TC4) over Central and South America and adjacent oceans in the summer of 2007. Special emphasis was placed on the sampling of convective outflow and transport, sub-visible cirrus clouds, boundary layer aerosols, Saharan dust, volcanic emissions, and urban and biomass burning plumes. This paper presents preliminary results from this campaign, and demonstrates the value of coordinated measurements by the two lidar systems.

Kooi, Susan↗
NASA NTRS2000

Lidar Measurements of Relative Humidity and Ice Supersaturation in the Upper Troposphere

We compute upper tropospheric relative humidity profiles using water vapor profiles measured by an airborne DIAL and a ground-based Raman lidar. LASE water vapor and MTP temperature profiles acquired from the NASA DC-8 aircraft during the recent Pacific Exploratory Mission Tropics B (PEM Tropics B) field mission in the tropical Pacific and the SAGE-III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) in the Arctic as well as water vapor profiles derived from the ground-based DOE ARM Southern Great Plains (SGP) CART Raman lidar are used. Comparisons of the lidar water vapor measurements with available in situ measurements show reasonable agreement for water vapor mixing ratios above 0.05 g/kg. Relative humidity frequency distributions computed using LASE data indicate that ice supersaturation occurred about 5-11% of the time when temperatures were below -35 C. While a higher frequency of ice supersaturation was observed during SOLVE, higher peak values of relative humidity were observed during PEM Tropics B. The relative humidity fields associated with cirrus clouds are also examined.

Ferrare, Richard A.↗