Does small-scale turbulence matter for ice growth in mixed-phase clouds
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2025

Representing the glaciation of mixed-phase clouds in terms of the Wegener-Bergeron-Findeisen process is a challenge for many weather and climate models, which tend to overestimate this process because cloud dynamics and microphysics are not accurately represented. As turbulence is essential for the transport of water vapor from evaporating liquid droplets to ice crystals, we developed a statistical model using established closures to assess the role of small-scale turbulence. The model successfully captures results of direct numerical simulations and we use it to assess the role of small-scale turbulence. We find that small-scale turbulence broadens the droplet-size distribution somewhat, but it does not significantly affect the glaciation time on submeter scales. However, our analysis indicates that turbulence on larger spatial scales is likely to affect ice growth. While the model must be amended to describe larger scales, the present work facilitates a path forward to understanding the role of turbulence in the Wegener-Bergeron-Findeisen process.

Multiphase flows

Turbulence

Mixing in geophysical flows

Författare

G. Sarnitsky

Göteborgs universitet

Gaetano Sardina

Chalmers, Mekanik och maritima vetenskaper, Strömningslära

G. Svensson

Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (KTH)

Stockholms universitet

A. Pumir

Université de Lyon

F. Hoffmann

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)

Bernhard Mehlig

Göteborgs universitet

Physical Review Fluids

2469990X (eISSN)

Vol. 10 5 053803

Avslöja effekten av turbulens i kolloidalt instabila moln (MixClouds)

Europeiska kommissionen (EU) (EC/HE/101126050), 2024-06-01 -- 2029-05-31.

Ämneskategorier (SSIF 2025)

Meteorologi och atmosfärsvetenskap

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevFluids.10.053803

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2025-06-13