The relationship between interannual and long-term cloud feedbacks
Abstract
The analyses of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 simulations suggest that climate models with more positive cloud feedback in response to interannual climate fluctuations also have more positive cloud feedback in response to long-term global warming. Ensemble mean vertical profiles of cloud change in response to interannual and long-term surface warming are similar, and the ensemble mean cloud feedback is positive on both timescales. However, the average long-term cloud feedback is smaller than the interannual cloud feedback, likely due to differences in surface warming pattern on the two timescales. Low cloud cover (LCC) change in response to interannual and long-term global surface warming is found to be well correlated across models and explains over half of the covariance between interannual and long-term cloud feedback. In conclusion, the intermodel correlation of LCC across timescales likely results from model-specific sensitivities of LCC to sea surface warming.
- Authors:
-
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1240921
- Report Number(s):
- LLNL-JRNL-679388
Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-07NA27344
- Resource Type:
- Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 42; Journal Issue: 23; Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 58 GEOSCIENCES; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Citation Formats
Zhou, Chen, Zelinka, Mark D., Dessler, Andrew E., and Klein, Stephen A. The relationship between interannual and long-term cloud feedbacks. United States: N. p., 2015.
Web. doi:10.1002/2015GL066698.
Zhou, Chen, Zelinka, Mark D., Dessler, Andrew E., & Klein, Stephen A. The relationship between interannual and long-term cloud feedbacks. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL066698
Zhou, Chen, Zelinka, Mark D., Dessler, Andrew E., and Klein, Stephen A. 2015.
"The relationship between interannual and long-term cloud feedbacks". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL066698. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1240921.
@article{osti_1240921,
title = {The relationship between interannual and long-term cloud feedbacks},
author = {Zhou, Chen and Zelinka, Mark D. and Dessler, Andrew E. and Klein, Stephen A.},
abstractNote = {The analyses of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 simulations suggest that climate models with more positive cloud feedback in response to interannual climate fluctuations also have more positive cloud feedback in response to long-term global warming. Ensemble mean vertical profiles of cloud change in response to interannual and long-term surface warming are similar, and the ensemble mean cloud feedback is positive on both timescales. However, the average long-term cloud feedback is smaller than the interannual cloud feedback, likely due to differences in surface warming pattern on the two timescales. Low cloud cover (LCC) change in response to interannual and long-term global surface warming is found to be well correlated across models and explains over half of the covariance between interannual and long-term cloud feedback. In conclusion, the intermodel correlation of LCC across timescales likely results from model-specific sensitivities of LCC to sea surface warming.},
doi = {10.1002/2015GL066698},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1240921},
journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
issn = {0094-8276},
number = 23,
volume = 42,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Dec 11 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Fri Dec 11 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}
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