The impact of precipitation evaporation on the atmospheric aerosol distribution in EC-Earth v3.2.0
The representation of aerosol–cloud interaction in global climate models (GCMs) remains a large source of uncertainty in climate projections. Due to its complexity, precipitation evaporation is either ignored or taken into account in a simplified manner in GCMs. This research explores various way...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2018-04-01
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| Series: | Geoscientific Model Development |
| Online Access: | https://www.geosci-model-dev.net/11/1443/2018/gmd-11-1443-2018.pdf |
| _version_ | 1819090960318988288 |
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| author | M. de Bruine M. Krol M. Krol M. Krol T. van Noije P. Le Sager T. Röckmann |
| author_facet | M. de Bruine M. Krol M. Krol M. Krol T. van Noije P. Le Sager T. Röckmann |
| author_sort | M. de Bruine |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The representation of aerosol–cloud interaction in global climate models
(GCMs) remains a large source of uncertainty in climate projections. Due to
its complexity, precipitation evaporation is either ignored or taken into
account in a simplified manner in GCMs. This research explores various ways
to treat aerosol resuspension and determines the possible impact of
precipitation evaporation and subsequent aerosol resuspension on global
aerosol burdens and distribution. The representation of aerosol wet
deposition by large-scale precipitation in the EC-Earth model has been
improved by utilising additional precipitation-related 3-D fields from the
dynamical core, the Integrated
Forecasting System (IFS) general circulation model, in the
chemistry and aerosol module Tracer Model, version 5 (TM5). A simple approach of
scaling aerosol release with evaporated precipitation fraction leads to an
increase in the global aerosol burden (+7.8 to +15 % for different
aerosol species). However, when taking into account the different sizes and
evaporation rate of raindrops following Gong et al. (2006), the release of
aerosols is strongly reduced, and the total aerosol burden decreases by
−3.0 to −8.5 %. Moreover, inclusion of cloud processing based on
observations by Mitra et al. (1992) transforms scavenged small aerosol to
coarse particles, which enhances removal by sedimentation and hence leads to
a −10 to −11 % lower aerosol burden. Finally, when these two effects
are combined, the global aerosol burden decreases by −11 to −19 %.
Compared to the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)
satellite observations, aerosol optical depth (AOD) is generally
underestimated in most parts of the world in all configurations of the TM5
model and although the representation is now physically more realistic,
global AOD shows no large improvements in spatial patterns. Similarly, the
agreement of the vertical profile with Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal
Polarization (CALIOP) satellite measurements does not improve significantly.
We show, however, that aerosol resuspension has a considerable impact on the
modelled aerosol distribution and needs to be taken into account. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T22:32:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f5c7f1d05e3b445b8c282edf0d8215f6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1991-959X 1991-9603 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T22:32:08Z |
| publishDate | 2018-04-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geoscientific Model Development |
| spelling | doaj.art-f5c7f1d05e3b445b8c282edf0d8215f62022-12-21T18:48:04ZengCopernicus PublicationsGeoscientific Model Development1991-959X1991-96032018-04-01111443146510.5194/gmd-11-1443-2018The impact of precipitation evaporation on the atmospheric aerosol distribution in EC-Earth v3.2.0M. de Bruine0M. Krol1M. Krol2M. Krol3T. van Noije4P. Le Sager5T. Röckmann6Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the NetherlandsInstitute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the NetherlandsDepartment of Meteorology and Air Quality, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the NetherlandsNetherlands Institute for Space Research SRON, Utrecht, the NetherlandsRoyal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, De Bilt, the NetherlandsRoyal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, De Bilt, the NetherlandsInstitute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the NetherlandsThe representation of aerosol–cloud interaction in global climate models (GCMs) remains a large source of uncertainty in climate projections. Due to its complexity, precipitation evaporation is either ignored or taken into account in a simplified manner in GCMs. This research explores various ways to treat aerosol resuspension and determines the possible impact of precipitation evaporation and subsequent aerosol resuspension on global aerosol burdens and distribution. The representation of aerosol wet deposition by large-scale precipitation in the EC-Earth model has been improved by utilising additional precipitation-related 3-D fields from the dynamical core, the Integrated Forecasting System (IFS) general circulation model, in the chemistry and aerosol module Tracer Model, version 5 (TM5). A simple approach of scaling aerosol release with evaporated precipitation fraction leads to an increase in the global aerosol burden (+7.8 to +15 % for different aerosol species). However, when taking into account the different sizes and evaporation rate of raindrops following Gong et al. (2006), the release of aerosols is strongly reduced, and the total aerosol burden decreases by −3.0 to −8.5 %. Moreover, inclusion of cloud processing based on observations by Mitra et al. (1992) transforms scavenged small aerosol to coarse particles, which enhances removal by sedimentation and hence leads to a −10 to −11 % lower aerosol burden. Finally, when these two effects are combined, the global aerosol burden decreases by −11 to −19 %. Compared to the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite observations, aerosol optical depth (AOD) is generally underestimated in most parts of the world in all configurations of the TM5 model and although the representation is now physically more realistic, global AOD shows no large improvements in spatial patterns. Similarly, the agreement of the vertical profile with Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) satellite measurements does not improve significantly. We show, however, that aerosol resuspension has a considerable impact on the modelled aerosol distribution and needs to be taken into account.https://www.geosci-model-dev.net/11/1443/2018/gmd-11-1443-2018.pdf |
| spellingShingle | M. de Bruine M. Krol M. Krol M. Krol T. van Noije P. Le Sager T. Röckmann The impact of precipitation evaporation on the atmospheric aerosol distribution in EC-Earth v3.2.0 Geoscientific Model Development |
| title | The impact of precipitation evaporation on the atmospheric aerosol distribution in EC-Earth v3.2.0 |
| title_full | The impact of precipitation evaporation on the atmospheric aerosol distribution in EC-Earth v3.2.0 |
| title_fullStr | The impact of precipitation evaporation on the atmospheric aerosol distribution in EC-Earth v3.2.0 |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of precipitation evaporation on the atmospheric aerosol distribution in EC-Earth v3.2.0 |
| title_short | The impact of precipitation evaporation on the atmospheric aerosol distribution in EC-Earth v3.2.0 |
| title_sort | impact of precipitation evaporation on the atmospheric aerosol distribution in ec earth v3 2 0 |
| url | https://www.geosci-model-dev.net/11/1443/2018/gmd-11-1443-2018.pdf |
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