Investigating the Near-cloud Aerosol Direct Radiative Effects Under Cloud Organizations of Sugar, Fish, Gravel, and Flowers

Near-cloud aerosols have distinct direct radiative effects (DRE) compared to aerosols far from clouds due to aerosol hygroscopic growth and cloud-related processes. Since near-cloud regions cover approximately 20-30% of the globe, DRE from these regions must be understood and better quantified. However, retrieving aerosol properties in the vicinity of clouds is challenging, mainly because the adjacent three-dimensional (3D) cloud radiative effects obscure aerosol scattering signals. In this paper, we will first introduce a new method for retrieving aerosol properties in the vicinity of clouds, capitalizing on machine-learning techniques that allow us to incorporate 3D radiative effects directly. Using this retrieval capability, we will show how DRE varies with cloud organizations such as Sugar, Fish, Gravel, and Flowers, which are commonly observed in the trade-wind regimes. More importantly, we will discuss the implications for near-cloud aerosol DRE under a warmer climate.