edu.ucar.opensky::articles:16745 UCAR/NCAR - Library OpenSky Support PO Box 3000 Boulder CO 80307-3000 opensky@ucar.edu http://opensky.ucar.edu/ homepage pointOfContact 2025-12-26T03:08:22.686392 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata - Part 2: Extensions for Imagery and Gridded Data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7z89dm1 Distributions of ice supersaturation and ice crystals from airborne observations in relation to upper tropospheric dynamical boundaries 2015-05-27T00:00:00Z publication https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7z89dm1 https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JD023139 Diao, Minghui author Jensen, Jørgen B. author Pan, Laura L. author Homeyer, Cameron author Honomichl, Shawn B. author Bresch, James author Bansemer, Aaron R. author UCAR/NCAR - Library publisher Ice supersaturation (ISS) is the prerequisite condition for cirrus cloud formation. To examine multiscale dynamics' influences on ISS formation, we analyze in situ aircraft observations (~200 m scale) over North America in coordinates relative to dynamical boundaries in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Two case studies demonstrate that ISS formation is likely influenced by mesoscale uplifting, small-scale waves, and turbulence. A collective analysis of 15 flights in April–June 2008 shows that the top layers of ISS and ice crystal distributions are strongly associated with thermal tropopause height. In addition, the average occurrence frequencies of ISS and ice crystals on the anticyclonic side of the jet stream are ~1.5-2 times of those on the cyclonic side. By defining five cirrus evolution phases based on the spatial relationships between ice-supersaturated and in-cloud regions, we find that their peak occurrence frequencies are located at decreasing altitudes with respect to the thermal tropopause: (phase 1) clear-sky ISS around the tropopause, (phase 2) nucleation phase around 2 km below the tropopause, (phases 3 and 4) early and later growth phases around 6 km below the tropopause, and (phase 5) sedimentation/sublimation around 2-6 km below the tropopause. Consistent with this result, chemical tracer correlation analysis shows that the majority (~80%) of the earlier cirrus phases (clear-sky ISS and nucleation) occurs inside the chemical tropopause transition layer, while the later phases happen mostly below that layer. These results shed light on the role of dynamical environment in facilitating cirrus cloud formation and evolution. UCAR/NCAR - Library OpenSky Support PO Box 3000 Boulder CO 80307-3000 opensky@ucar.edu http://opensky.ucar.edu/ homepage pointOfContact PDF Text theme Resource Type 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z publication Copyright 2015 American Geophysical Union. None eng geoscientificInformation