Linkages between mid-latitude cirrus cloud properties and large-scale meteorology at the SACOL site

The linkages between midlatitude cirrus properties and large-scale meteorology are investigated in this study by using 2-year observations from a ground Ka-band Zenith Radar (KAZR) and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) SYN1deg satellite product over the Semi-Arid Climate and Environment Observatory of Lanzhou University (SACOL). Four atmospheric parameters (i.e. upward motion, relative humidity, stability and temperature at upper atmosphere) are used to examine the cirrus dependence on these factors. It is found that cirrus properties significantly depend on the changes of the four parameters and are most linearly correlated with upper atmosphere temperature. Cirrus infrared (IR) emissivity and ice water path (IWP) are sensitive to the strength of upward motions (ω), while cirrus thickness and albedo are more sensitive to relative humidity. An Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) is used to combine the four meteorological factors into a single variable and isolate the irrelevant synoptic noise to cirrus development and dissipation from the structure strongly associated with cirrus variations. The first leading principle component (PC1) is much better correlated with cirrus properties than any one of the four parameters. We further apply the EOF analysis to all 37 vertical levels of the four parameters. It is found that a negative area of the main structure between 6 and 10 km above ground level (AGL) is well collocated with the cirrus distribution from the KAZR observations on a diurnal time scale, indicating a robust relationship between cirrus and the combined meteorological fields.