scholarly journals A New Double-Moment Microphysics Parameterization for Application in Cloud and Climate Models. Part II: Single-Column Modeling of Arctic Clouds

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 1678-1693 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Morrison ◽  
J. A. Curry ◽  
M. D. Shupe ◽  
P. Zuidema
Keyword(s):  
Climate Models ◽  
Heat Budget ◽  
Number Concentration ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Microphysics Scheme ◽  
Radiative Fluxes ◽  
Arctic Clouds ◽  
Single Column ◽  
Double Moment

Abstract The new double-moment microphysics scheme described in Part I of this paper is implemented into a single-column model to simulate clouds and radiation observed during the period 1 April–15 May 1998 of the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic (SHEBA) and First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment–Arctic Clouds Experiment (FIRE–ACE) field projects. Mean predicted cloud boundaries and total cloud fraction compare reasonably well with observations. Cloud phase partitioning, which is crucial in determining the surface radiative fluxes, is fairly similar to ground-based retrievals. However, the fraction of time that liquid is present in the column is somewhat underpredicted, leading to small biases in the downwelling shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes at the surface. Results using the new scheme are compared to parallel simulations using other microphysics parameterizations of varying complexity. The predicted liquid water path and cloud phase is significantly improved using the new scheme relative to a single-moment parameterization predicting only the mixing ratio of the water species. Results indicate that a realistic treatment of cloud ice number concentration (prognosing rather than diagnosing) is needed to simulate arctic clouds. Sensitivity tests are also performed by varying the aerosol size, solubility, and number concentration to explore potential cloud–aerosol–radiation interactions in arctic stratus.

scholarly journals Aggregate-area radiative flux biases

2002 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. 101-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuanji Wang ◽  
Jeffrey R. Key
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Heat Budget ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Radiative Flux ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Radiative Fluxes ◽  
Cloud Properties ◽  
Model Cell ◽  
The Difference

AbstractMost climate models treat surface and atmospheric properties as being horizontally homogeneous and compute surface radiative fluxes with average gridcell properties. In this study it is found that large biases can occur if sub-gridcell variability is ignored, where bias is defined as the difference between the average of fluxes computed at high resolution within a model cell and the flux computed with the average surface and cloud properties within the cell. Data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer for the year-long Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) experiment are used to determine biases in aggregate-area fluxes. A simple regression approach to correct for biases that result from horizontal variability was found to reduce the average radiative flux bias to near zero. The correction can be easily implemented in numerical models.

scholarly journals Secondary ice production in NorESM2 climate model: quantifying the impact on Arctic clouds

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgia Sotiropoulou ◽  
Anna Lewinschal ◽  
Annica Ekman ◽  
Athanasios Nenes
Keyword(s):  
Climate Models ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Arctic Clouds ◽  
Radiative Balance ◽  
Microphysical Processes ◽  
Ice Production ◽  
Mixed Phase Clouds ◽  
The Impact

<p>Arctic clouds are among the largest sources of uncertainty in predictions of Arctic weather and climate. This is mainly due to errors in the representation of the cloud thermodynamic phase and the associated radiative impacts, which largely depends on the parameterization of cloud microphysical processes. Secondary ice processes (SIP) are among the microphysical processes that are poorly represented, or completely absent, in climate models. In most models, including the Norwegian Earth System Model -version 2 (NorESM2), Hallet-Mossop (H-M) is the only SIP mechanism available. In this study we further improve the description of H-M and include two additional SIP mechanisms (collisional break-up and drop-shattering) in NorESM2. Our results indicate that these additions improve the agreement between observed and modeled ice crystal number concentrations and liquid water path in mixed-phase clouds observed at Ny-Alesund in 2016-2017. We then conclude by quantifying the impact of these overlooked SIP mechanisms for cloud microphysical characteristics, properties and the radiative balance throughout the Arctic.</p><p> </p>

scholarly journals The sub-adiabatic model as a concept for evaluating the representation and radiative effects of low-level clouds in a high-resolution atmospheric model

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 303-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasileios Barlakas ◽  
Hartwig Deneke ◽  
Andreas Macke
Keyword(s):  
Optical Thickness ◽  
Atmospheric Model ◽  
Number Concentration ◽  
Radiative Effects ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Radiative Fluxes ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Radiative Impact ◽  
Double Moment ◽  
Cloud Optical Thickness

Abstract. The realistic representation of low-level clouds, including their radiative effects, in atmospheric models remains challenging. A sensitivity study is presented to establish a conceptual approach for the evaluation of low-level clouds and their radiative impact in a highly resolved atmospheric model. Considering simulations for six case days, the analysis supports the notion that the properties of clouds more closely match the assumptions of the sub-adiabatic rather than the vertically homogeneous cloud model, suggesting its use as the basis for evaluation. For the considered cases, 95.7 % of the variance in cloud optical thickness is explained by the variance in the liquid water path, while the droplet number concentration and the sub-adiabatic fraction contribute only 3.5 % and 0.2 % to the total variance, respectively. A mean sub-adiabatic fraction of 0.45 is found, which exhibits strong inter-day variability. Applying a principal component analysis and subsequent varimax rotation to the considered set of nine properties, four dominating modes of variability are identified, which explain 97.7 % of the total variance. The first and second components correspond to the cloud base and top height, and to liquid water path, optical thickness, and cloud geometrical extent, respectively, while the cloud droplet number concentration and the sub-adiabatic fraction are the strongest contributors to the third and fourth components. Using idealized offline radiative transfer calculations, it is confirmed that the shortwave and longwave cloud radiative effects exhibit little sensitivity to the vertical structure of clouds. This reconfirms, based on an unprecedented large set of highly resolved vertical cloud profiles, that the cloud optical thickness and the cloud top and bottom heights are the main factors dominating the shortwave and longwave radiative effect of clouds and should be evaluated together with radiative fluxes using observations to attribute model deficiencies in the radiative fluxes to deficiencies in the representation of clouds. Considering the different representations of cloud microphysical processes in atmospheric models, the analysis has been further extended and the deviations between the radiative impact of the single- and double-moment schemes are assessed. Contrasting the shortwave cloud radiative effect obtained from the double-moment scheme to that of a single-moment scheme, differences of about ∼40 W m−2 and significant scatter are observed. The differences are attributable to a higher cloud albedo resulting from the high values of droplet number concentration in particular in the boundary layer predicted by the double-moment scheme, which reach median values of around ∼600 cm−3.

Observed Relationships between Arctic Longwave Cloud Forcing and Cloud Parameters Using a Neural Network

2006 ◽  
Vol 19 (16) ◽  
pp. 4087-4104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yonghua Chen ◽  
Filipe Aires ◽  
Jennifer A. Francis ◽  
James R. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Heat Budget ◽  
Inversion Layer ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Cloud Base ◽  
Base Temperature ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Cloud Forcing ◽  
Cloud Parameters

Abstract A neural network technique is used to quantify relationships involved in cloud–radiation feedbacks based on observations from the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic (SHEBA) project. Sensitivities of longwave cloud forcing (CFL) to cloud parameters indicate that a bimodal distribution pattern dominates the histogram of each sensitivity. Although the mean states of the relationships agree well with those derived in a previous study, they do not often exist in reality. The sensitivity of CFL to cloud cover increases as the cloudiness increases with a range of 0.1–0.9 W m−2 %−1. There is a saturation effect of liquid water path (LWP) on CFL. The highest sensitivity of CFL to LWP corresponds to clouds with low LWP, and sensitivity decreases as LWP increases. The sensitivity of CFL to cloud-base height (CBH) depends on whether the clouds are below or above an inversion layer. The relationship is negative for clouds higher than 0.8 km at the SHEBA site. The strongest positive relationship corresponds to clouds with low CBH. The dominant mode of the sensitivity of CFL to cloud-base temperature (CBT) is near zero and corresponds to warm clouds with base temperatures higher than −9°C. The low and high sensitivity regimes correspond to the summer and winter seasons, respectively, especially for LWP and CBT. Overall, the neural network technique is able to separate two distinct regimes of clouds that correspond to different sensitivities; that is, it captures the nonlinear behavior in the relationships. This study demonstrates a new method for evaluating nonlinear relationships between climate variables. It could also be used as an effective tool for evaluating feedback processes in climate models.

The Impact of Mixed-Phase Microphysical Processes on the Turbulence in Low-level Clouds in the Arctic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Chylik ◽  
Roel Neggers
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Weather Forecast ◽  
Mixed Phase ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Microphysics Scheme ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Microphysical Processes ◽  
The Impact

<p>The proper representation of Arctic mixed-phased clouds remains a challenge in both weather forecast and climate models. Amongst the contributing factors is the complexity of turbulent properties of clouds. While the effect of evaporating hydrometeors on turbulent properties of the boundary layer has been identified in other latitudes, the extent of similar studies in the Arctic has been so far limited.</p><p>Our study focus on the impact of heat release from mixed-phase microphysical processes on the turbulent properties of the convective low-level clouds in the Arctic. We  employ high-resolution simulations, properly constrained by relevant measurements.<br>Semi-idealised model cases are based on convective clouds observed during the recent campaign in the Arctic: ACLOUD, which took place May--June 2017 over Fram Strait. The simulations are performed in Dutch Atmospheric Large Eddy Simulation (DALES) with double-moment mixed-phase microphysics scheme of Seifert & Beheng.</p><p>The results indicate an enhancement of boundary layer turbulence is some convective regimes.<br>Furthermore, results are sensitive to aerosols concentrations. Additional implications for the role of mixed-phase clouds in the Arctic Amplification will be discussed.</p>

A New Double-Moment Microphysics Parameterization for Application in Cloud and Climate Models. Part I: Description

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 1665-1677 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Morrison ◽  
J. A. Curry ◽  
V. I. Khvorostyanov
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Vertical Velocity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
The Other ◽  
Microphysics Scheme ◽  
Cloud Models ◽  
Droplet Nucleation ◽  
Double Moment ◽  
Droplet Activation

Abstract A new double-moment bulk microphysics scheme predicting the number concentrations and mixing ratios of four hydrometeor species (droplets, cloud ice, rain, snow) is described. New physically based parameterizations are developed for simulating homogeneous and heterogeneous ice nucleation, droplet activation, and the spectral index (width) of the droplet size spectra. Two versions of the scheme are described: one for application in high-resolution cloud models and the other for simulating grid-scale cloudiness in larger-scale models. The versions differ in their treatment of the supersaturation field and droplet nucleation. For the high-resolution approach, droplet nucleation is calculated from Kohler theory applied to a distribution of aerosol that activates at a given supersaturation. The resolved supersaturation field and condensation/deposition rates are predicted using a semianalytic approximation to the three-phase (vapor, ice, liquid) supersaturation equation. For the large-scale version of the scheme, it is assumed that the supersaturation field is not resolved and thus droplet activation is parameterized as a function of the vertical velocity and diabatic cooling rate. The vertical velocity includes a subgrid component that is parameterized in terms of the eddy diffusivity and mixing length. Droplet condensation is calculated using a quasi-steady, saturation adjustment approach. Evaporation/deposition onto the other water species is given by nonsteady vapor diffusion allowing excess vapor density relative to ice saturation.

scholarly journals Ice Particle Production in Mid-level Stratiform Mixed-phase Clouds Observed with Collocated A-Train Measurements

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damao Zhang ◽  
Zhien Wang ◽  
Pavlos Kollias ◽  
Andrew M. Vogelmann ◽  
Kang Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Particle Production ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Number Concentration ◽  
Mixed Phase ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Lidar Measurements ◽  
Dust Events ◽  
Mixed Phase Clouds

Abstract. Collocated CloudSat radar and CALIPSO lidar measurements between 2006 and 2010 are analyzed to study primary ice particle production characteristics in mid-level stratiform mixed-phase clouds on a global scale. For similar clouds in terms of cloud top temperature and liquid water path, Northern Hemisphere latitude bands have layer-maximum radar reflectivity (ZL) that is ~1 to 8 dBZ larger than their counterparts in the Southern Hemisphere. The systematically larger ZL under similar cloud conditions suggests larger ice number concentrations in mid-level stratiform mixed-phase clouds over the Northern Hemisphere, which is possibly related to higher background aerosol loadings. Furthermore, we show that northern mid- and high-latitude springtime has ZL that is larger by up to 8 dBZ (a factor of 6 higher ice number concentration) than other seasons, which might be related to more dust events that provide effective ice nucleating particles. Our study suggests that aerosol-dependent ice number concentration parameterizations are required in climate models to improve mixed-phase cloud simulations, especially over the Northern Hemisphere.

scholarly journals Sensitivity of CAM5-Simulated Arctic Clouds and Radiation to Ice Nucleation Parameterization

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (16) ◽  
pp. 5981-5999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaocheng Xie ◽  
Xiaohong Liu ◽  
Chuanfeng Zhao ◽  
Yuying Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Atmospheric Model ◽  
Ice Nucleation ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Arctic Clouds ◽  
Water Path ◽  
Low Level

Abstract Sensitivity of Arctic clouds and radiation in the Community Atmospheric Model, version 5, to the ice nucleation process is examined by testing a new physically based ice nucleation scheme that links the variation of ice nuclei (IN) number concentration to aerosol properties. The default scheme parameterizes the IN concentration simply as a function of ice supersaturation. The new scheme leads to a significant reduction in simulated IN concentration at all latitudes while changes in cloud amounts and properties are mainly seen at high- and midlatitude storm tracks. In the Arctic, there is a considerable increase in midlevel clouds and a decrease in low-level clouds, which result from the complex interaction among the cloud macrophysics, microphysics, and large-scale environment. The smaller IN concentrations result in an increase in liquid water path and a decrease in ice water path caused by the slowdown of the Bergeron–Findeisen process in mixed-phase clouds. Overall, there is an increase in the optical depth of Arctic clouds, which leads to a stronger cloud radiative forcing (net cooling) at the top of the atmosphere. The comparison with satellite data shows that the new scheme slightly improves low-level cloud simulations over most of the Arctic but produces too many midlevel clouds. Considerable improvements are seen in the simulated low-level clouds and their properties when compared with Arctic ground-based measurements. Issues with the observations and the model–observation comparison in the Arctic region are discussed.

scholarly journals Modelling of cirrus clouds – Part 1: Model description and validation

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 601-686 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Spichtinger ◽  
K. M. Gierens
Keyword(s):  
Ambient Pressure ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Cirrus Clouds ◽  
Box Model ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Model Description ◽  
Microphysics Scheme ◽  
Double Moment ◽  
Sensitivity Studies ◽  
Hydrostatic Model

Abstract. A double–moment bulk microphysics scheme for modelling cirrus clouds including explicit impact of aerosols on different types of nucleation mechanism is described. Process rates are formulated in terms of generalised moments of the underlying a priori size distributions in order to allow simple switching between various distribution types. The scheme has been implemented into a simple box model and into the anelastic non-hydrostatic model EULAG. The new microphysics is validated against simulations with detailed microphysics for idealised process studies and for a well documented case of arctic cirrostratus. Additionally, the formation of ice crystals with realistic background aerosol concentration is modelled and the effect of ambient pressure on homogeneous nucleation is investigated in the box model. The arctic cirrostratus case study is also supplemented with sensitivity studies including different vertical velocities, temperature fluctuations and wind shear. The model stands all tests and is thus suitable for cloud–resolving simulations of cirrus clouds. Last but not least, some new results are shown, corroborating the importance of sedimentation and dynamics inside cirrus clouds for forming the structure of the cirrus.

scholarly journals Ice particle properties of Arctic cirrus

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronika Wolf ◽  
Thomas Kuhn ◽  
Mathias Milz ◽  
Peter Voelger ◽  
Martina Krämer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Particle Shape ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Number Concentration ◽  
Cirrus Clouds ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Almost All

Abstract. Ice particle and cloud properties such as particle size, particle shape and number concentration influence the net radiation effect of cirrus clouds. Measurements of these features are of great interest for the improvement of weather and climate models, especially for the Arctic region. In this study, balloon-borne in-situ measurements of Arctic cirrus clouds have been analysed for the first time with respect to their origin. Eight cirrus cloud measurements were carried out in Kiruna (68° N), Sweden. Ice particle diameters between 10 μm and 1200 μm were found and the shape could be recognised from 20 μm upwards. Great variability in particle size and shape was observed. This cannot simply be explained by local environmental conditions. However, if sorted by cirrus origin, wind, and weather conditions, the observed differences can be assessed. Number concentrations between 3/L and 400/L were measured, but only for two cases the number concentration reached values above 100/L. These two cirrus clouds were of in-situ origin and were caused by gravity and mountain lee-waves. For all other measurements, the maximum ice particle concentration was below 50/L and for one in-situ origin cirrus case only 3/L. In the case of in-situ origin clouds, the particles were all smaller than 350 μm diameter. The number size distribution for liquid origin clouds was much broader with particle sizes between 10 μm and 1200 μm. Furthermore, it is striking that in the case of in-situ origin clouds almost all particles were compact (61 %) or irregular (25 %) when examining the particle shape. In liquid origin clouds, on the other hand, most particles were irregular (48 %), rosettes (25 %) or columnar (14 %). There were hardly any plates in cirrus regardless of their origin. It is also noticeable that in the case of liquid origin clouds the rosettes and columnar particles were almost all hollow.

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