An analysis of the cloud environment over the Ross Sea and Ross Ice Shelf using CloudSat/CALIPSO satellite observations: The importance of synoptic forcing

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2017)

We use data products generated by combining CloudSat radar and CALIPSO lidar satellite measurements with auxiliary data, to examine the vertical distribution of cloud occurrence around the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS) and Ross Sea region.

We observe large differences between the cloud occurrence as a function of altitude for synoptic regimes relative to those for seasonal variations.

However, the frequency of particular phases of cloud, notably mixed phase and water, is much more strongly modulated by seasonal than synoptic regime compositing which suggests that temperature is still the most important control on cloud phase in the region.