rainrate increases Kubar T D L Hartmann and R Wood 2009 Understanding the importance of microphysics and macrophysics for warm rain in marine low clouds Part I Satellite observations ID: 271261
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The sensitivity of light rain to cloud microphysics decreases as rainrate increases
Kubar, T., D. L. Hartmann, and R. Wood, 2009: Understanding the importance of microphysics and macrophysics for warm rain in marine low clouds: Part I. Satellite observations. J. Atmos. Sci., 66, 2953-2972Wood, R., T. Kubar, and D. L. Hartmann. Understanding the importance of microphysics and macrophysics for warm rain in marine low clouds: Part II. Heuristic models of rain formation. J. Atmos. Sci., 66, 2973-2990
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: Fractional change in LWP (left) and droplet concentration (right) between heavily and lightly drizzling clouds over the tropical Pacific. This provides additional evidence for an increased sensitivity to LWP and a reduced sensitivity to Nd as the precipitation rate increases. The results suggest that only in regions with small mean precipitation rates are larger Nd decreases observed, suggesting sensitivity to atmospheric aerosol primarily for lightly raining clouds
Right: Colors show CloudSat radar reflectivity, an indicator of light precipitation, for low clouds over the tropical Pacific as a function of their cloud water path (LWP) and cloud droplet concentration (Nd). The steepening isolines indicate a reduced sensitivity to droplet concentration (microphysics) as the precipitation increases. Lines show the result from a continuous collection model of drizzle formation, which demonstrates an increasing role played by accretion as rain rate increases.