Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics The effects of mineral dust particles, aerosol regeneration and ice nucleation parameterizations on clouds and precipitation (original) (raw)

This study focuses on the effects of aerosol parti-cles on the formation of convective clouds and precipitation in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, with a special emphasis on the role of mineral dust particles in these processes. We used a new detailed numerical cloud microphysics scheme that has been implemented in the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model in order to study aerosol–cloud interaction in 3-D configuration based on 1 • × 1 • resolution reanalysis me-teorological data. Using a number of sensitivity studies, we tested the contribution of mineral dust particles and differ-ent ice nucleation parameterizations to precipitation devel-opment. In this study we also investigated the importance of recycled (regenerated) aerosols that had been released to the atmosphere following the evaporation of cloud droplets. The results showed that increased aerosol concentration due to the presence of mineral dust enhanced the formation of ice crystals. The dynamic evolution of the clou...