Details of Award
NERC Reference : NER/A/S/2003/00360
A study of the warm rain processes, aerosol-cloud interactions and dynamics-thermodynamics interactions in trade wind cumulus clouds.
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor A Blyth, University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor A Gadian, National Centre for Atmospheric Science, NCAS Headquarters
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor MH Smith, University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment
- Grant held at:
- University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment
- Science Area:
- Atmospheric
- Overall Classification:
- Atmospheric
- ENRIs:
- Global Change
- Science Topics:
- Pollution
- Water In The Atmosphere
- Ocean - Atmosphere Interact.
- Climate & Climate Change
- Abstract:
- This research is part of an international effort to participate in a US-led project called Rain in Cumulus over the Ocean (RICO), which is planned to take place in the Lesser Antilles during the winter of 2004-05. The overall objective of RICO is to characterise and understand the properties of trade wind cumulus at all scales, with particular emphasis on determining the importance of precipitation. The maritime trade wind cumulus clouds are one of the most prevalent cloud types on the planet. They typically extend to no greater than 4 km altitude, the height of the tropical trade wind inversion, and are dominated by warm rain processes. They are ubiquitous over much of the tropical oceans, and therefore characterising their properties is important to understanding the global energy balance and climate. We will use the new UK BAE-146 aircraft to fly long legs in the boundary layer in order to measure aerosols and to make multiple penetrations of the clouds to measure the cloud and rain drop sizes. A variety of US aircraft, radars and lidars will also be present. The principal objectives of the research in this proposal are to understand: (a) the production of raindrops as a result of cloud drops colliding and joining together; (b) the relationships between cloud drops and the sub-cloud layer aerosol particles; and (c) the influence of that rain on the cloud and its environment. A unique feature of RICO is the range of scales that will be studied from the scale of particle interactions within the cloud (hundredth of a millimetre), through the cloud-interaction scale (kilometres to tens of kilometres), to the ensemble cloud field scale (tens of kilometres or more). Past work has tended to focus on processes occurring on only one of these three scales, often neglecting the important interactions that occur across scales. These scales are inextricably linked and the nature of these linkages is an important aspect of RICO. The field campaign (RICO) will involve scientists from NCAR, University of Illinois, Purdue University, University of California, USA, and France and Israel. Approximately 20% of the rain which falls in the tropics comes from clouds with tops well below the freezing level. Thus it is important to understand the warm rain process. As a result, this research relates to a number of the Council's activities in understanding precipitation processes and its role in the climate system. The total cost of the UK part of the research is #391,659.
- NERC Reference:
- NER/A/S/2003/00360
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Standard Grants Pre FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Standard Grant
This grant award has a total value of £278,924
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - T&S | Total - Staff | Total - Other Costs | Total - Indirect Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| £21,279 | £166,922 | £13,938 | £76,784 |
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