Subtropical Low Cloud Response to a Warmer Climate in an Superparameterized Climate Model. Part II: Column Modeling with a Cloud Resolving Model

A cloud resolving model (CRM) is used to investigate the low-cloud increase due to a 2 K SST increase in the SP-CAM superparameterized climate model. Of particular interest is the sensitivity of cloud changes to the CRM resolution (4 km horizontal, 30 vertical levels) in SP-CAM. The CRM is run in co...

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Main Authors: Matthew C Wyant, Christopher S Bretherton, Peter N Blossey
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2009-07-01
Series:Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
Subjects:
Online Access:http://james.agu.org/index.php/JAMES/article/view/v1n8
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author Matthew C Wyant
Christopher S Bretherton
Peter N Blossey
author_facet Matthew C Wyant
Christopher S Bretherton
Peter N Blossey
author_sort Matthew C Wyant
collection DOAJ
description A cloud resolving model (CRM) is used to investigate the low-cloud increase due to a 2 K SST increase in the SP-CAM superparameterized climate model. Of particular interest is the sensitivity of cloud changes to the CRM resolution (4 km horizontal, 30 vertical levels) in SP-CAM. The CRM is run in column-modeling framework using SP-CAM composite cloud regimes. The experiments are run to steady state using composite advective tendencies, winds, and sea-surface temperature from the control and +2 K climates of SP-CAM. A new weak temperature gradient algorithm based on an idealized form of gravity wave adjustment is used to adjust vertical motion in the column to keep the simulated virtual temperature profile consistent with the corresponding SP-CAM composite profile. Humidity is also slowly relaxed toward the SP-CAM composite above the boundary layer. With SP-CAM grid resolution, the CRM shows +2 K low cloud increases similar to SP-CAM. With fine grid resolution, the CRM-simulated low cloud fraction and its increase in a warmer climate are much smaller. Hence, the negative low cloud feedbacks in SP-CAM may be exaggerated by under-resolution of trade cumulus boundary layers.
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spelling doaj.art-87fbf4e49ee0458aaa689501b41229af2022-12-22T01:06:36ZengAmerican Geophysical Union (AGU)Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems1942-24662009-07-011Art. #814 pp.10.3894/JAMES.2009.1.8Subtropical Low Cloud Response to a Warmer Climate in an Superparameterized Climate Model. Part II: Column Modeling with a Cloud Resolving ModelMatthew C WyantChristopher S BrethertonPeter N BlosseyA cloud resolving model (CRM) is used to investigate the low-cloud increase due to a 2 K SST increase in the SP-CAM superparameterized climate model. Of particular interest is the sensitivity of cloud changes to the CRM resolution (4 km horizontal, 30 vertical levels) in SP-CAM. The CRM is run in column-modeling framework using SP-CAM composite cloud regimes. The experiments are run to steady state using composite advective tendencies, winds, and sea-surface temperature from the control and +2 K climates of SP-CAM. A new weak temperature gradient algorithm based on an idealized form of gravity wave adjustment is used to adjust vertical motion in the column to keep the simulated virtual temperature profile consistent with the corresponding SP-CAM composite profile. Humidity is also slowly relaxed toward the SP-CAM composite above the boundary layer. With SP-CAM grid resolution, the CRM shows +2 K low cloud increases similar to SP-CAM. With fine grid resolution, the CRM-simulated low cloud fraction and its increase in a warmer climate are much smaller. Hence, the negative low cloud feedbacks in SP-CAM may be exaggerated by under-resolution of trade cumulus boundary layers.http://james.agu.org/index.php/JAMES/article/view/v1n8Cloud Resolving ModelingCloud FeedbacksTrade Cumulus CloudsLarge Eddy SImulation
spellingShingle Matthew C Wyant
Christopher S Bretherton
Peter N Blossey
Subtropical Low Cloud Response to a Warmer Climate in an Superparameterized Climate Model. Part II: Column Modeling with a Cloud Resolving Model
Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
Cloud Resolving Modeling
Cloud Feedbacks
Trade Cumulus Clouds
Large Eddy SImulation
title Subtropical Low Cloud Response to a Warmer Climate in an Superparameterized Climate Model. Part II: Column Modeling with a Cloud Resolving Model
title_full Subtropical Low Cloud Response to a Warmer Climate in an Superparameterized Climate Model. Part II: Column Modeling with a Cloud Resolving Model
title_fullStr Subtropical Low Cloud Response to a Warmer Climate in an Superparameterized Climate Model. Part II: Column Modeling with a Cloud Resolving Model
title_full_unstemmed Subtropical Low Cloud Response to a Warmer Climate in an Superparameterized Climate Model. Part II: Column Modeling with a Cloud Resolving Model
title_short Subtropical Low Cloud Response to a Warmer Climate in an Superparameterized Climate Model. Part II: Column Modeling with a Cloud Resolving Model
title_sort subtropical low cloud response to a warmer climate in an superparameterized climate model part ii column modeling with a cloud resolving model
topic Cloud Resolving Modeling
Cloud Feedbacks
Trade Cumulus Clouds
Large Eddy SImulation
url http://james.agu.org/index.php/JAMES/article/view/v1n8
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