Characteristics of Tropospheric Clouds Over Dome C, Antarctica, Using CALIPSO and In Situ Measurements

Abstract This study characterizes the behavior of single‐layer tropospheric clouds over Dome C, Antarctica, using satellite observations from Cloud‐Aerosol LiDAR and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation, in situ radiosonde profiles, surface measurements, and large‐scale meteorological fields from reanalyzes for a 3‐year period (April 2009 to March 2012). The vertical structure, distribution, and thermodynamic environment of different cloud types are examined, including the most significant cloud properties that influence the surface downwelling longwave radiation. Dome C generally features clouds with low cloud base (88% occurrence frequency), which are thicker during winter and fall forming due to the advection of warm and moist oceanic airmass deep into the continent. Conversely, low, thin clouds forming by saturation of local air rising and cooling are prevalent during spring and summer. Clouds are mainly composed of ice except during November to February when thin, low liquid‐containing clouds are routinely observed (37% occurrence frequency). All cloud types enhance downwelling longwave radiation compared with clear skies. The major factor influencing surface longwave radiation impact is cloud thickness for ice‐only clouds and cloud optical depth for liquid‐containing clouds. The longwave impact of clouds with super‐cooled liquid water depends mainly on cloud microphysics as opposed to cloud geometry. Analysis of cloud temperature profiles shows that low‐ and mid‐level clouds are mostly warmer than the surface, a feature important for passive cloud remote sensing. These results provide insights into cloud characteristics over the interior Antarctic Plateau, exploring their influence on surface radiation budgets and highlighting the need for additional cloud microphysical observations.