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CR8.1/AS1.42

Clouds and precipitation in the Polar Regions: sources, processes and impacts (co-organized)
Convener: Irina V. Gorodetskaya  | Co-Conveners: Tom Lachlan-Cope , Nicole van Lipzig , Manfred Wendisch , Susanne Crewell 
Orals
 / Thu, 12 Apr, 08:30–12:00
Posters
 / Attendance Thu, 12 Apr, 17:30–19:00

Clouds play an important role in the polar climate due to their interaction with radiation and their role in the hydrological cycle linking poleward water vapour transport with precipitation thereby affecting the mass balance of the polar ice sheets. Cloud-radiative feedbacks have also an important influence on sea ice. Cloud and precipitation properties depend strongly on the atmospheric dynamics and moisture sources and transport, as well as on aerosols, which can act as cloud condensation and ice nuclei.

This session aims at bringing together researchers using observational (in-situ, aircraft, ground-based and satellite-based remote sensing) and/or modeling approaches to improve our understanding of polar tropospheric clouds, precipitation and related mechanisms. Contributions are invited on various relevant processes including drivers of the cloud microphysics at high latitudes, sources of cloud nuclei both at local and long range, linkages of polar clouds/precipitation to the moisture sources and transports, relationship to the large-scale and mesoscale atmospheric dynamics (including teleconnections), as well as the effects that the clouds/precipitation in the polar regions have on the polar and global climate system, surface mass balance and sea ice. Papers including new methodologies specific to polar regions are encouraged, such as improving polar cloud/precipitation parameterizations in atmospheric models and advancing observations of polar clouds and precipitation. This year we would like to emphasize observational and modeling activities planned within the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP, www.polarprediction.net) and encourage related contributions.

Solicited speaker: Dr Maximilian Maahn (Colorado University and NOAA/ESRL Polar Observations and Processes Team, Boulder, Colorado, USA)

Young scientist/student presentations are especially encouraged and we will reserve several oral units for such papers in this session.

The session is endorsed by the SCAR Antarctic Clouds and Aerosols (ACA) Action Group.

Public information: Splinter meeting:
Thursday, 19:00–20:00, Room: 0.16
Description: Antarctic Clouds and Aerosols (ACA, www.scar.org/science/aca/about/) is one of the Action Groups of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and holds its regular meetings following the EGU session Clouds and Precipitation in the Polar Regions. Observationalists and modelers working on the Arctic and Antarctic aerosols/moisture/clouds/precipitation/blowing snow and other related processes are welcome to participate. Agenda for this year meeting includes a metadata base on Antarctic cloud/precipitation measurements being setup by the British Antarctic Survey, a network of low-cost instrumentation (ceilo, MRR...), and some ongoing and planned field campaigns. Other topics are welcome.