Analysis of the Microphysical Structure of Heavy Fog Using a Droplet Spectrometer: A Case Study

The microphysical properties of a long-lasting heavy fog event are examined based on the results from a comprehensive field campaign conducted during the winter of 2006 at Pancheng (32.2A degrees N, 118.7A degrees E), Jiangsu Province, China. It is demonstrated that the key microphysical properties (liquid water content, fog droplet concentration, mean radius and standard deviation) exhibited positive correlations with one another in general, and that the 5-min-average maximum value of fog liquid water content was sometimes greater than 0.5 g m(-3). Further analysis shows that the unique combination of positive correlations likely arose from the simultaneous supply of moist air and fog condensation nuclei associated with the advection of warm air, which further led to high liquid water content. High values of liquid water content and droplet concentration conspired to cause low visibility (< 50 m) for a prolonged period of about 40 h. Examination of the microphysical relationships conditioned by the corresponding autoconversion threshold functions shows that the collision-coalescence process was sometimes likely to occur, weakening the positive correlations induced by droplet activation and condensational growth. Statistical analysis shows that the observed droplet size distribution can be described well by the Gamma distribution.