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2025-08-21 0:50

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Conference: Bucharest University Faculty of Physics 2025 Meeting

Section: Atmosphere and Earth Science; Environment Protection

Title:

Short-term Cloud Property Variations Induced by Mineral Dust: A Remote Sensing Approach

Authors:

Gabriela Ciocan (1, 2), Anca Nemuc (2), Razvan Pirloaga (2), Doina Nicolae (2)

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Affiliation:

1) Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, Magurele, 077125, Romania

2) National Institute of Research and Development for Optoelectronics INOE 2000, Magurele, 077125, Romania

E-mail

ciocangabriela1@gmail.com

Keywords:

aerosol-cloud interactions, mineral dust, remote sensing, CloudNET, target classification

Abstract:

Aerosol-cloud interactions remain one of the most complex and uncertain components of the processes governing Earth’s atmosphere. [1] Among atmospheric aerosols, mineral dust plays a distinct role in shaping cloud formation, structure, and lifetime. [2] This study focuses on understanding how clouds respond in the hours immediately surrounding dust events, and aims to develop a new methodology for short-term characterisation of aerosol-cloud interactions based on remote sensing. Dust events were identified using data from AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork), a ground-based network of sun-photometers that provides aerosol optical properties with high temporal resolution of cloud-free atmosphere. Events were categorised by dominant aerosol type and duration, using a method developed in earlier work. To assess cloud responses, we employed CloudNET (Cloud Remote Sensing Network) data, part of ACTRIS (Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure), which uses a synergy of low-power ground-based lidar, radar, and microwave radiometer measurements to provide detailed cloud properties. A key product of CloudNET is the target classification, which assigns each pixel in time-height space a dominant atmospheric target (e.g., cloud droplets, ice particles, aerosols, drizzle). We focused on a narrow window—up to five hours before and after each dust event—to isolate cloud layers most likely affected. Based on base and top heights, a cloud mask was created to extract only the relevant cloud volumes. We analysed cloud composition, altitude, duration, and precipitation potential within this mask. We also examined whether other aerosol types became predominant during the same time frame and evaluated meteorological conditions, particularly relative humidity at mid-tropospheric levels. Stacked cloud cases were excluded to ensure clarity. Pre- and post-event clouds were compared to detect potential shifts linked to dust presence. This methodology is initially applied to data from Măgurele, Romania, where co-located AERONET and CloudNET instruments are available. However, it is adaptable to other locations with similar observational setups, offering a scalable framework for investigating short-term aerosol-cloud interactions.

References:

[1] “Clouds and Aerosols — IPCC,” IPCC. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/clouds-and-aerosols/

[2] M. Gutleben, S. Groß, M. Wirth (2019). Cloud macro-physical properties in Saharan-dust-laden and dust-free North Atlantic trade wind regimes: a lidar case study. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 19

Acknowledgement:

This work was carried out through the Core Program within the National Research Development and Innovation Plan 2022-2027, with the support of MCID, project no. PN23 05/ 3.01.2023 and was financed by Smart Growth, Digitization and Financial Instruments Program (PoCIDIF) 2021-2027, Action 1.3 Integration of the national RDI ecosystem in the European and international Research Space, project “Supporting the operation of facilities in Romania within the ACTRIS ERIC research infrastructure”, SMIS code 309113.