Abstract. In stratocumulus cloud systems, where convective areas are embedded within extensive stratiform regions, significant differences exist in microphysical properties and ice particle growth processes across these zones. This heterogeneity creates gaps in understanding precipitation mechanisms and cloud microphysics parameterization. To explore the distinct microphysical characteristics of ice particles in convective regions (CR) and stratiform regions (SR) of stratocumulus clouds, this study analyzes a stratocumulus rainfall event over northern China on 22 May 2017, using airborne data, mesoscale numerical simulations (WRF model), and Lagrangian particle-based simulations (McSnow model). The results show that in CR, stronger updrafts and higher liquid water content promote riming and aggregation, resulting in larger, denser ice particles (maximum rime density reaches 0.5 to 0.55 g cm-3) and a deeper melting layer (ML). In SR, the riming process is weaker, leading to a thinner ML (400 to 500 m thinner). When ice-phase particles enter the supercooled water region, riming starts with medium-to-large ice particles, followed by smaller ones. The wider rimed particle spectra lead to a broader range of melted liquid drops, thus intensify precipitation. By fitting the gamma distribution to the ice-phase particle spectra, it is found that the spectral parameter N0 (shape parameter μ and slope parameter λ) in CR above 5000 m is generally larger (smaller) than in SR. The quantitative relationships among the spectral parameters were also fitted through regression analysis: lg(N0) = -5.48 λ - 3.1, lg(N0) = -0.46 μ - 3.25, λ = 0.06 μ + 0.06. These correlations show minimal variation between temperatures above and below 0 °C.
Shen et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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