Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
In the Arctic, unusual atmospheric phenomena generate some of the Earth’s most peculiar clouds, which can rapidly transform from wispy streaks into towering thunderstorms.
These clouds may play a significant role in the Arctic’s accelerated warming, which is occurring about four times faster than the global average. Understanding these clouds is crucial for climate models.
Current climate models struggle to accurately represent the formation and evolution of these clouds due to limited knowledge of the underlying forces shaping them.
An international team of scientists conducted an expedition from late February to early April, using a heavily instrumented C-130 aircraft to study these clouds in the Arctic’s stormy skies and collect valuable data.
Marine cold-air outbreaks (MCAOs) are surges of cold, dry air that interact with warmer ocean air, causing the ocean to release heat and moisture, which then condense into clouds. These clouds evolve from thin, streaky formations to large, towering cumulonimbus clouds.
The cumulonimbus clouds formed by MCAOs are distinct from typical thunderstorm clouds, rarely producing lightning but capable of heavy snowfall and hurricane-like polar lows. Understanding these clouds can improve predictions of Arctic weather events.
A key research focus is determining the proportion of liquid water to ice in these clouds, as this affects their brightness and warming impact. Liquid clouds reflect more sunlight, while ice clouds trap more heat.
The research team used advanced instruments like lidar, radar, and radiometers on their C-130 aircraft, along with dropsondes to measure temperature, humidity, and wind, to gather comprehensive data on the clouds’ properties.
The team aims to use the collected data to build robust statistical models that can be incorporated into climate simulations. More data and future flights will be necessary to validate these models and better understand the Arctic’s rapidly changing climate.