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Michigan Technological University

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Aerosol

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Full-Text Articles in Physics

The Variability Of The Saturation Ratio In Clouds, Jesse C. Anderson Jan 2022

The Variability Of The Saturation Ratio In Clouds, Jesse C. Anderson

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The saturation ratio determines the growth of cloud droplets by condensation and activation of aerosol particles. In a uniform environment, the interactions between the saturation ratio and cloud droplets are well understood. However, the presence of turbulent mixing causes spatial and temporal variability in the temperature, water vapor and the saturation ratio. When applied to a cloud, the variability in S has been shown to broaden the cloud droplet size distribution through each droplet having its own growth rate and history. When droplets grow by condensation or evaporation, water vapor and heat feedback with the environment, altering the distribution of …


Understanding The Effects Of Water Vapor And Temperature On Aerosol Using Novel Measurement Methods, Tyler Jacob Capek Jan 2021

Understanding The Effects Of Water Vapor And Temperature On Aerosol Using Novel Measurement Methods, Tyler Jacob Capek

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Aerosol and water are inexorably linked, and both are ubiquitous within our atmosphere and required components for cloud formation. Relative humidity (RH), a temperature dependent quantity, can have a significant influence on the size, shape, and ultimately, the optical properties of the aerosol. RH can vary substantially on small spatial and short temporal scales in turbulent conditions due to rapid fluctuations in temperature and water vapor mixing ratio. Accurate assessment of optical enhancements due to an increase in RH is key for determining the particles’ impact on the climate and visibility.

A humidity-controlled cavity attenuated phase-shift albedometer (H-CAPS-PMSSA) …