Impacts of entrainment on secondary ice production in deep convective clouds
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: . Accurate representation of secondary ice production (SIP) is essential for describing the microphysics of deep convective clouds, yet the dominant mechanisms and their efficiencies remain uncertain. In this study, we use the University of Manchester bin microphysics parcel model to investigate four SIP parameterisations, including rime splintering, ice–ice collisional breakup, and two modes of droplet freezing fragmentation. Air parcel trajectories are simulated through deep convective clouds observed during the Deep Convective Microphysics Experiment (DCMEX) field campaign. The results show that fragmentation between supercooled droplets and more massive ice particles (mode 2) plays a key role in explaining the high ice particle concentrations observed. We further present a systematic assessment of how different entrainment representations, including adiabatic, homogeneous, and inhomogeneous mixing, influence secondary ice production. Homogeneous and inhomogeneous mixing with aerosol entrainment provide reasonable agreement with cloud-core and cloud-edge microphysical properties observed during DCMEX, respectively. The entrainment of external aerosols is found to accelerate the collision–coalescence process under homogeneous mixing, leading to earlier ice enhancement, while having little effect under inhomogeneous mixing.
Institution: University of Manchester
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,725
Awards: G3098676854, G5373363099
OpenAlex ID: W7164924601