scholarly journals Understanding Global Model Systematic Shortwave Radiation Errors in Subtropical Marine Boundary Layer Cloud Regimes

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2042-2060 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maike Ahlgrimm ◽  
Richard M. Forbes ◽  
Robin J. Hogan ◽  
Irina Sandu
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Global Model ◽  
Shortwave Radiation ◽  
Boundary Layer Cloud ◽  
Cloud Regimes ◽  
Layer Cloud

scholarly journals Marine boundary layer cloud regimes and POC formation in a CRM coupled to a bulk aerosol scheme

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 12549-12572 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. H. Berner ◽  
C. S. Bretherton ◽  
R. Wood ◽  
A. Muhlbauer
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
State Variables ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Boundary Layer Cloud ◽  
Cloud Regimes ◽  
Layer Cloud

Abstract. A cloud-resolving model (CRM) coupled to a new intermediate-complexity bulk aerosol scheme is used to study aerosol–boundary-layer–cloud–precipitation interactions and the development of pockets of open cells (POCs) in subtropical stratocumulus cloud layers. The aerosol scheme prognoses mass and number concentration of a single lognormal accumulation mode with surface and entrainment sources, evolving subject to processing of activated aerosol and scavenging of dry aerosol by clouds and rain. The CRM with the aerosol scheme is applied to a range of steadily forced cases idealized from a well-observed POC. The long-term system evolution is explored with extended two-dimensional (2-D) simulations of up to 20 days, mostly with diurnally averaged insolation and 24 km wide domains, and one 10 day three-dimensional (3-D) simulation. Both 2-D and 3-D simulations support the Baker–Charlson hypothesis of two distinct aerosol–cloud "regimes" (deep/high-aerosol/non-drizzling and shallow/low-aerosol/drizzling) that persist for days; transitions between these regimes, driven by either precipitation scavenging or aerosol entrainment from the free-troposphere (FT), occur on a timescale of ten hours. The system is analyzed using a two-dimensional phase plane with inversion height and boundary layer average aerosol concentrations as state variables; depending on the specified subsidence rate and availability of FT aerosol, these regimes are either stable equilibria or distinct legs of a slow limit cycle. The same steadily forced modeling framework is applied to the coupled development and evolution of a POC and the surrounding overcast boundary layer in a larger 192 km wide domain. An initial 50% aerosol reduction is applied to half of the model domain. This has little effect until the stratocumulus thickens enough to drizzle, at which time the low-aerosol portion transitions into open-cell convection, forming a POC. Reduced entrainment in the POC induces a negative feedback between the areal fraction covered by the POC and boundary layer depth changes. This stabilizes the system by controlling liquid water path and precipitation sinks of aerosol number in the overcast region, while also preventing boundary layer collapse within the POC, allowing the POC and overcast to coexist indefinitely in a quasi-steady equilibrium.

scholarly journals Contrasting characteristics of open- and closed- cellular stratocumulus cloud in the Eastern North Atlantic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. Jensen ◽  
Virendra P. Ghate ◽  
Dié Wang ◽  
Diana K. Apoznanski ◽  
Mary J. Bartholomew ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Open Cell ◽  
Cold Air ◽  
Closed Cell ◽  
Boundary Layer Cloud ◽  
Eastern North Atlantic ◽  
Layer Cloud

Abstract. Extensive regions of marine boundary layer cloud impact the radiative balance through their significant shortwave albedo while having little impact on outgoing longwave radiation. Despite this importance, these cloud systems remain poorly represented in large-scale models due to difficulty in representing the processes that drive their lifecycle and coverage. In particular, the mesoscale organization, and cellular structure of marine boundary clouds has important implications for the subsequent cloud feedbacks. In this study, we use long-term (2013–2018) observations from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Facility's Eastern North Atlantic (ENA) site on Graciosa Island, Azores, Portugal to identify cloud cases with open- or closed-cellular organization. More than 500 hours of each organization type are identified. The ARM observations are combined with reanalysis and satellite products to quantify the cloud, precipitation, aerosol, thermodynamic and large-scale synoptic characteristics associated with these cloud types. Our analysis shows that both cloud organization populations occur during similar sea surface temperature conditions, but the open-cell cases are distinguished by stronger cold-air advection and large-scale subsidence compared to the closed-cell cases, consistent with their formation during cold-air outbreaks. We also find that the open-cell cases were associated with deeper boundary layers, stronger low-level winds, and higher-rain rates compared to their closed-cell counterparts. Finally, raindrops with diameters larger than one millimeter were routinely recorded at the surface during both populations, with a higher number of large drops during the open-cellular cases. The similarities and differences noted herein provide important insights into the environmental and cloud characteristics during varying marine boundary layer cloud mesoscale organization and will be useful for the evaluation of model simulations for ENA marine clouds.

scholarly journals Contrasting characteristics of open- and closed-cellular stratocumulus cloud in the eastern North Atlantic

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (19) ◽  
pp. 14557-14571
Author(s):  
Michael P. Jensen ◽  
Virendra P. Ghate ◽  
Dié Wang ◽  
Diana K. Apoznanski ◽  
Mary J. Bartholomew ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Open Cell ◽  
Cold Air ◽  
Closed Cell ◽  
Boundary Layer Cloud ◽  
Eastern North Atlantic ◽  
Layer Cloud

Abstract. Extensive regions of marine boundary layer cloud impact the radiative balance through their significant shortwave albedo while having little impact on outgoing longwave radiation. Despite this importance, these cloud systems remain poorly represented in large-scale models due to difficulty in representing the processes that drive their life cycle and coverage. In particular, the mesoscale organization and cellular structure of marine boundary clouds have important implications for the subsequent cloud feedbacks. In this study, we use long-term (2013–2018) observations from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Facility's Eastern North Atlantic (ENA) site on Graciosa Island, Azores, Portugal, to identify cloud cases with open- or closed-cellular organization. More than 500 h of each organization type are identified. The ARM observations are combined with reanalysis and satellite products to quantify the cloud, precipitation, aerosol, thermodynamic, and large-scale synoptic characteristics associated with these cloud types. Our analysis shows that both cloud organization populations occur during similar sea surface temperature conditions, but the open-cell cases are distinguished by stronger cold-air advection and large-scale subsidence compared to the closed-cell cases, consistent with their formation during cold-air outbreaks. We also find that the open-cell cases were associated with deeper boundary layers, stronger low-level winds, and higher rain rates compared to their closed-cell counterparts. Finally, raindrops with diameters larger than 1 mm were routinely recorded at the surface during both populations, with a higher number of large drops during the open-cellular cases. The similarities and differences noted herein provide important insights into the environmental and cloud characteristics during varying marine boundary layer cloud mesoscale organization and will be useful for the evaluation of model simulations for ENA marine clouds.

scholarly journals Intercomparisons of marine boundary layer cloud properties from the ARM CAP‐MBL campaign and two MODIS cloud products

2017 ◽  
Vol 122 (4) ◽  
pp. 2351-2365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhibo Zhang ◽  
Xiquan Dong ◽  
Baike Xi ◽  
Hua Song ◽  
Po‐Lun Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Cloud Properties ◽  
Boundary Layer Cloud ◽  
Layer Cloud

scholarly journals Marine boundary layer cloud property retrievals from high-resolution ASTER observations: case studies and comparison with Terra MODIS

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 5869-5894 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Werner ◽  
Galina Wind ◽  
Zhibo Zhang ◽  
Steven Platnick ◽  
Larry Di Girolamo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Thermal Emission ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Retrieval Algorithm ◽  
Research Level ◽  
Boundary Layer Cloud ◽  
Layer Cloud

Abstract. A research-level retrieval algorithm for cloud optical and microphysical properties is developed for the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) aboard the Terra satellite. It is based on the operational MODIS algorithm. This paper documents the technical details of this algorithm and evaluates the retrievals for selected marine boundary layer cloud scenes through comparisons with the operational MODIS Data Collection 6 (C6) cloud product. The newly developed, ASTER-specific cloud masking algorithm is evaluated through comparison with an independent algorithm reported in [Zhao and Di Girolamo(2006)]. To validate and evaluate the cloud optical thickness (τ) and cloud effective radius (reff) from ASTER, the high-spatial-resolution ASTER observations are first aggregated to the same 1000 m resolution as MODIS. Subsequently, τaA and reff, aA retrieved from the aggregated ASTER radiances are compared with the collocated MODIS retrievals. For overcast pixels, the two data sets agree very well with Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients of R > 0.970. However, for partially cloudy pixels there are significant differences between reff, aA and the MODIS results which can exceed 10 µm. Moreover, it is shown that the numerous delicate cloud structures in the example marine boundary layer scenes, resolved by the high-resolution ASTER retrievals, are smoothed by the MODIS observations. The overall good agreement between the research-level ASTER results and the operational MODIS C6 products proves the feasibility of MODIS-like retrievals from ASTER reflectance measurements and provides the basis for future studies concerning the scale dependency of satellite observations and three-dimensional radiative effects.

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