Abstract:
Cirrus clouds, which consist entirely of ice crystals and are found between 5 to 19 km in the atmosphere, represent one of the largest uncertainties in predicting the Earth’s climate. Cirrus are still not fully understood due to the complexity of the processes that control their formation and evolution. This lecture aims to first provide an overview of the role of cirrus clouds in the climate system and then to present a guide to cirrus microphysics. To this end, the theory of ice formation and development as well as airborne instrumentation used to measure cirrus clouds will be introduced. The microphysical properties of cirrus clouds are then presented and discussed through the synergy of extensive model simulations, covering the broad range of atmospheric conditions, and comprehensive aircraft observations from the Arctic to the tropics.

Lecture Course (260088 VU)
Time: 11:00 - 12:30 h
Start: Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Further dates: Friday, March 22, Wednesday, April 10, Friday, May 3, Wednesday, May 8, Wednesday,
May 15, Wednesday, May 22, 2024