Research masters the misunderstood mixed-phase cloud
Tuesday, August 12, 2014 - 05:30
in Earth & Climate
They are ice, they are rain—and sometimes in-between. Mixed-phase clouds, ubiquitous in the Arctic, are an enigma for scientists trying to understand their role in affecting the climate. In a study led by Dr. Mikhail Ovchinnikov at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, scientists found that unrealistic assumptions in previous modeling studies have misled predictions about key cloud properties: the balance between droplets and ice crystals, and cloud longevity.