Collaborative Research: An in situ Closure Study of Mixed Phase Clouds at Storm Peak

云通常根据到达地面的降雨量来区分，要么是雨，要么是雪。这意味着它们通常被认为是液态水，也被称为暖云，或冰，也被称为冷云。那些同时含有液态水滴和冰晶的云被称为混合相云。由于复杂的混合物，目前对混合相云的了解很少。我们缺乏对云的理解，特别是那些混合在一起的云，这限制了我们理解降水、大气化学和气候的能力。该项目将通过在风暴峰实验室部署一个新的进气口以及暖云室和冷云室来确定混合相云中水滴和冰晶形成的粒子。风暴峰是位于科罗拉多州中北部落基山脉的一个高海拔地点，是世界上为数不多的提供长期存在混合相云的科学实验室的地点之一。利用这个新的入口，研究小组将对混合相云中的水滴和冰晶进行为期两个季节的观测研究。这个项目将解决大气中哪些颗粒形成水滴，哪些形成冰晶，哪些不能有效地形成冰晶的问题。一名研究生将全职从事这一项目，从而接受这一重要大气科学领域的培训。一名博士后也将兼职参与这一项目，增加他们在这一领域的研究经验。收集的数据将被存档并提交给大气科学界。这将包括论文和演示文稿，重点是提供数据，帮助改进包括降水、气候和空气质量在内的模型。在科学界之外，暴风峰项目的纪录片将与WGBH-Boston电视和多媒体制作公司Science for the Public合作制作。这将强调公众科学的客观领域之一，成人科学、技术、工程和数学教育。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Clouds are commonly differentiated by the precipitation that reaches the surface, either rain or snow. This means they are often thought of as being liquid water, also called warm clouds, or ice, also called cold clouds. Those clouds that contain liquid water droplets and ice crystals at the same time are called mixed phase clouds. Mixed phase clouds are currently poorly understood because of the complicated mixture. Our lack of understanding of clouds, particularly those that are mixed in phase, limits our ability to understand precipitation, the atmosphere chemistry and climate. This project will determine the particles on which the droplets and ice crystals in mixed phase clouds form by deploying a new inlet and both warm and cold cloud chambers at Storm Peak Laboratory. Storm Peak is a high altitude site located in the Rocky Mountains in north-central Colorado that is among only a handful of sites worldwide that offers scientific laboratories where mixed phase clouds exist for long time periods. Using this new inlet, the research team will carry out two-season long observational studies of droplet and ice crystals within mixed phase clouds. This project will allow a resolution of the question of which atmospheric particles make droplets, which make ice crystals, and which do not effectively make either.A graduate student will work on this project full time, thereby being trained in this important area of atmospheric science. A post-doctoral fellow will also work on this project part-time, increasing their research experience in this area. The collected data will be archived and presented to the atmospheric sciences community. This will include both papers and presentations, with a focus on providing data to help improve models that include precipitation, climate and air quality. Beyond the scientific community, a documentary of the project at Storm Peak will be made in partnership with Science for the Public, a WGBH-Boston television and multimedia production. This will emphasize one of Science for the Public's objective areas, adult science, technology, engineering and math education.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.