Original paper
Three-dimensional large-eddy simulations of the early phase of contrail-to-cirrus transition: effects of atmospheric turbulence and radiative transfer
Paoli, Roberto; Thouron, Odile; Cariolle, Daniel; García, Marta; Escobar, Juan
Meteorologische Zeitschrift Vol. 26 No. 6 (2017), p. 597 - 620
57 references
published: Dec 8, 2017
published online: Nov 28, 2017
manuscript accepted: Jun 20, 2017
final revised version received: Jun 20, 2017
manuscript revision requested: Feb 15, 2014
manuscript received: Dec 15, 2015
Open Access (paper may be downloaded free of charge)
Abstract
This paper presents the results from numerical experiments of the early phase of contrail-cirrus formation using a limited set of fully three-dimensional, high-resolution large-eddy-simulations. The focus is laid on the interplay between atmospheric turbulence and the radiative transfer (and to a limited extent the ambient ice relative humidity), and how this interaction affects the contrail evolution and the characteristics of the resulting contrail-cirrus one hour after emission. Turbulence is sustained via a large-scale stochastic forcing that creates a non-uniform shear in addition to pure turbulent fluctuations. This effect manifests in the formation of vertically sheared structures of ice crystals. When radiative transfer is activated, ice tends to redistribute more uniformly along the vertical direction forming spotty vertical structures. For the conditions analyzed in this study, atmospheric turbulence, inclusive of non-uniform turbulent shear and turbulent fluctuations, affects primarily the contrail width whereas the microphysical properties such ice water path and ice mass are controlled by radiative transfer and relative humidity.
Keywords
contrail-cirrus • large-eddy simulations • atmospheric turbulence • radiative transfer