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Measurements Of Turbulent Mixing And Subsiding Shells In Trade Wind Cumuli, Jeannine Katzwinkel, Holger Siebert, Thijs Heus, Raymond A. Shaw

Physics Faculty Publications

High-resolution measurements of the turbulent, thermodynamic, and microphysical structure of the edges of trade wind cumuli have been performed with the Airborne Cloud Turbulence Observation System. Lateral entrainment of subsaturated air into the cloud region leads to an evaporative cooling effect. The negatively buoyant air partly enhances the compensating downdraft, forming a subsiding shell at cloud edge. Based on the presented observations, the subsiding shell is divided into a turbulent and humid inner shell adjacent to the cloud interior and a nonbuoyant, nonturbulent outer shell. In the trade wind region, continuous development of shallow cumuli over the day allows for …