Seminar

Abstract

Aerosol particles act as cloud condensation and ice nuclei and with that influence the microstructure of clouds. Due to anthropogenic emissions, the abundance of sulfate, nitrate and carbonaceous aerosol particles has been increased. This causes water clouds to have on average more smaller cloud droplets and to reflect more solar radiation back to space. Changes in the number and size of ice crystals changes are much more uncertain because of competing mechanisms and fewer observations. In my talk, I will therefore concentrate on measurements of ice nuclei, in-situ observations of mixed-phase clouds and the aerosol radiative forcing associated with clouds containing ice.