Articles | Volume 10, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1653-2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-1653-2017
Research article
 | 
03 May 2017
Research article |  | 03 May 2017

Determining stages of cirrus evolution: a cloud classification scheme

Benedikt Urbanek, Silke Groß, Andreas Schäfler, and Martin Wirth

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Short summary
Cirrus evolution from nucleation to cloud breakup can be investigated with a novel classification scheme based on airborne lidar data. Applying it to a case study from the ML-CIRRUS campaign, we investigate the impact of large-scale dynamics and small-scale gravity lee waves on the detailed spatial distribution of evolution stages in individual clouds. Our scheme may help to gain more insights in optical and radiative properties of cirrus under various formation and life cycle conditions.