A revised estimate for a variable used to calculate the size of water droplets in clouds is proposed. This may provide an improved method to study the influence of man-made aerosols on cloud physics. Model results using the new scaling factor were compared with data from more than a dozen field studies. The revised method of determining the cloud properties was found to more closely match satellite observations of cloud reflectivity taken during the same time.
Subject: Environmental Science:Air Quality, Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Global change modeling, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Meteorology:Air quality, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climatology , Climate Change, Climate Change:Global change modeling, Geoscience:Geology:Geophysics:Computer Modeling Resource Type: Scientific Resources:Overview/Reference Work:AGU Highlights Theme: Teach the Earth:Course Topics:Environmental Science, Teach the Earth:Incorporating Societal Issues:Climate Change, Teach the Earth:Course Topics:Atmospheric Science, Teach the Earth:Teaching Topics:Weather, Teach the Earth:Course Topics:Geophysics
