Turbulent and thermodynamic structure of the autumnal Arctic boundary layer due to embedded clouds

We have studied the role of low-level clouds in modifying the thermodynamic and turbulence properties of the Arctic boundary layer during autumn. This was achieved through detailed analyses of boundary-layer properties in two regions, one with low-level cloud cover and the other free of clouds, using measurements from a research aircraft during the Beaufort and Arctic Storms Experiment (BASE). Both regions were measured on the same day under similar synoptic forcing. The cloudy region was characterized by strong horizontal inhomogeneity in low-level temperature and moisture that varied with the cloud-top height. The clear region was relatively homogeneous in temperature and specific humidity with a strong temperature inversion extending between heights of 100 m and 3 km. From measurements at the lowest levels, we also identified a shallow mixed layer below the deep stable layer in the clear region. Our spectral analyses revealed significant modifications of boundary-layer properties due to the presence of low-level clouds. In the cloudy region, turbulent perturbations dominated the boundary-layer flow and made large contributions to the scalar variances. In the clear boundary-layer, wave motion contributed significantly to the observed variances, while turbulent flow was relatively weak. The clear region was saturated, although no detectable clouds were measured.