Constraining the total aerosol indirect effect in the LMDZ and ECHAM4 GCMs using MODIS satellite data
Aerosol indirect effects are considered to be the most uncertain yet important anthropogenic forcing of climate change. The goal of the present study is to reduce this uncertainty by constraining two different general circulation models (LMDZ and ECHAM4) with satellite data. We build a statistical r...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2006-01-01
|
| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/6/947/2006/acp-6-947-2006.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818528725297266688 |
|---|---|
| author | J. Quaas J. Quaas O. Boucher O. Boucher U. Lohmann |
| author_facet | J. Quaas J. Quaas O. Boucher O. Boucher U. Lohmann |
| author_sort | J. Quaas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aerosol indirect effects are considered to be the most uncertain yet important anthropogenic forcing of climate change. The goal of the present study is to reduce this uncertainty by constraining two different general circulation models (LMDZ and ECHAM4) with satellite data. We build a statistical relationship between cloud droplet number concentration and the optical depth of the fine aerosol mode as a measure of the aerosol indirect effect using MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data, and constrain the model parameterizations to match this relationship. We include here 'empirical' formulations for the cloud albedo effect as well as parameterizations of the cloud lifetime effect. When fitting the model parameterizations to the satellite data, consistently in both models, the radiative forcing by the combined aerosol indirect effect is reduced considerably, down to −0.5 and −0.3 Wm<sup>−2</sup>, for LMDZ and ECHAM4, respectively. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T06:53:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c7565f48032c4fd6b073b69533e81a83 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T06:53:44Z |
| publishDate | 2006-01-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-c7565f48032c4fd6b073b69533e81a832022-12-22T01:16:50ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242006-01-0164947955Constraining the total aerosol indirect effect in the LMDZ and ECHAM4 GCMs using MODIS satellite dataJ. QuaasJ. QuaasO. BoucherO. BoucherU. LohmannAerosol indirect effects are considered to be the most uncertain yet important anthropogenic forcing of climate change. The goal of the present study is to reduce this uncertainty by constraining two different general circulation models (LMDZ and ECHAM4) with satellite data. We build a statistical relationship between cloud droplet number concentration and the optical depth of the fine aerosol mode as a measure of the aerosol indirect effect using MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data, and constrain the model parameterizations to match this relationship. We include here 'empirical' formulations for the cloud albedo effect as well as parameterizations of the cloud lifetime effect. When fitting the model parameterizations to the satellite data, consistently in both models, the radiative forcing by the combined aerosol indirect effect is reduced considerably, down to −0.5 and −0.3 Wm<sup>−2</sup>, for LMDZ and ECHAM4, respectively.http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/6/947/2006/acp-6-947-2006.pdf |
| spellingShingle | J. Quaas J. Quaas O. Boucher O. Boucher U. Lohmann Constraining the total aerosol indirect effect in the LMDZ and ECHAM4 GCMs using MODIS satellite data Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Constraining the total aerosol indirect effect in the LMDZ and ECHAM4 GCMs using MODIS satellite data |
| title_full | Constraining the total aerosol indirect effect in the LMDZ and ECHAM4 GCMs using MODIS satellite data |
| title_fullStr | Constraining the total aerosol indirect effect in the LMDZ and ECHAM4 GCMs using MODIS satellite data |
| title_full_unstemmed | Constraining the total aerosol indirect effect in the LMDZ and ECHAM4 GCMs using MODIS satellite data |
| title_short | Constraining the total aerosol indirect effect in the LMDZ and ECHAM4 GCMs using MODIS satellite data |
| title_sort | constraining the total aerosol indirect effect in the lmdz and echam4 gcms using modis satellite data |
| url | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/6/947/2006/acp-6-947-2006.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jquaas constrainingthetotalaerosolindirecteffectinthelmdzandecham4gcmsusingmodissatellitedata AT jquaas constrainingthetotalaerosolindirecteffectinthelmdzandecham4gcmsusingmodissatellitedata AT oboucher constrainingthetotalaerosolindirecteffectinthelmdzandecham4gcmsusingmodissatellitedata AT oboucher constrainingthetotalaerosolindirecteffectinthelmdzandecham4gcmsusingmodissatellitedata AT ulohmann constrainingthetotalaerosolindirecteffectinthelmdzandecham4gcmsusingmodissatellitedata |