Skip to main content
OSTI.GOVU.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
 

Investigating ice nucleation in cirrus clouds with an aerosol-enabled Multiscale Modeling Framework

Journal Article · · Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2014MS000343· OSTI ID:1188949
; ; ; ; ; ;
In this study, an aerosol-dependent ice nucleation scheme [Liu and Penner, 2005] has been implemented in an aerosol-enabled multi-scale modeling framework (PNNL MMF) to study ice formation in upper troposphere cirrus clouds through both homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation. The MMF model represents cloud scale processes by embedding a cloud-resolving model (CRM) within each vertical column of a GCM grid. By explicitly linking ice nucleation to aerosol number concentration, CRM-scale temperature, relative humidity and vertical velocity, the new MMF model simulates the persistent high ice supersaturation and low ice number concentration (10 to 100/L) at cirrus temperatures. The low ice number is attributed to the dominance of heterogeneous nucleation in ice formation. The new model simulates the observed shift of the ice supersaturation PDF towards higher values at low temperatures following homogeneous nucleation threshold. The MMF models predict a higher frequency of midlatitude supersaturation in the Southern hemisphere and winter hemisphere, which is consistent with previous satellite and in-situ observations. It is shown that compared to a conventional GCM, the MMF is a more powerful model to emulate parameters that evolve over short time scales such as supersaturation. Sensitivity tests suggest that the simulated global distribution of ice clouds is sensitive to the ice nucleation schemes and the distribution of sulfate and dust aerosols. Simulations are also performed to test empirical parameters related to auto-conversion of ice crystals to snow. Results show that with a value of 250 μm for the critical diameter, Dcs, that distinguishes ice crystals from snow, the model can produce good agreement to the satellite retrieved products in terms of cloud ice water path and ice water content, while the total ice water is not sensitive to the specification of Dcs value.
Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1188949
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-103108; KP1703010
Journal Information:
Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, Journal Name: Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 6; ISSN 1942-2466
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (78)

Observational quantification of the separation of simple and complex atmospheric ice particles journal February 2014
Perturbed physics ensemble simulations of cirrus on the cloud system-resolving scale journal April 2014
Robustness and sensitivities of central U.S. summer convection in the super-parameterized CAM: Multi-model intercomparison with a new regional EOF index: U.S. CONVECTION IN SP-CAM: A NEW EOF INDEX journal June 2013
A cirrus cloud scheme for general circulation models journal July 2008
A distribution law for relative humidity in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere derived from three years of MOZAIC measurements journal January 1999
A cloud resolving model as a cloud parameterization in the NCAR Community Climate System Model: Preliminary results journal September 2001
Water vapour measurements inside cirrus clouds in Northern and Southern hemispheres during INCA: SUPERSATURATION INSIDE NH AND SH CIRRUS journal August 2002
A Parameterization of cirrus cloud formation: Homogeneous freezing including effects of aerosol size: CIRRUS PARAMETERIZATION journal December 2002
Evidence of high ice supersaturation in cirrus clouds using ARM Raman lidar measurements: ICE SUPERSATURATION IN CIRRUS CLOUDS journal June 2004
High supersaturation and modes of ice nucleation in thin tropopause cirrus: Simulation of the 13 July 2002 Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and Cirrus Layers case journal January 2006
Physically based parameterization of cirrus cloud formation for use in global atmospheric models journal January 2006
Ice properties of single-layer stratocumulus during the Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment: 1. Observations journal January 2007
A variational scheme for retrieving ice cloud properties from combined radar, lidar, and infrared radiometer journal January 2008
On the diurnal cycle of deep convection, high-level cloud, and upper troposphere water vapor in the Multiscale Modeling Framework journal January 2008
Cloud ice: A climate model challenge with signs and expectations of progress journal January 2009
A comparison of heterogeneous ice nucleation parameterizations using a parcel model framework journal January 2009
Cloudy and clear-sky relative humidity in the upper troposphere observed by the A-train journal January 2009
Combined CloudSat-CALIPSO-MODIS retrievals of the properties of ice clouds journal January 2010
Tropical Composition, Cloud and Climate Coupling Experiment validation for cirrus cloud profiling retrieval using CloudSat radar and CALIPSO lidar journal January 2010
An analysis of cloud cover in multiscale modeling framework global climate model simulations using 4 and 1 km horizontal grids journal January 2010
Global simulations of ice nucleation and ice supersaturation with an improved cloud scheme in the Community Atmosphere Model journal January 2010
Effects of ice nuclei on cirrus clouds in a global climate model journal January 2011
Impact of aerosols on convective clouds and precipitation: AEROSOL IMPACT ON CONVECTIVE CLOUDS journal April 2012
Constraining cloud lifetime effects of aerosols using A-Train satellite observations: CONSTRAINING CLOUD LIFETIME EFFECTS journal August 2012
An observationally based evaluation of cloud ice water in CMIP3 and CMIP5 GCMs and contemporary reanalyses using contemporary satellite data: CMIP3, CMIP5, IWC, CloudSat, GCM journal August 2012
Climate impacts of ice nucleation: ICE NUCLEATION journal October 2012
Constraining the influence of natural variability to improve estimates of global aerosol indirect effects in a nudged version of the Community Atmosphere Model 5: ESTIMATES OF AEROSOL INDIRECT EFFECTS journal December 2012
The susceptibility of ice formation in upper tropospheric clouds to insoluble aerosol components journal August 1997
Water activity as the determinant for homogeneous ice nucleation in aqueous solutions journal August 2000
Ice nucleation by particles immersed in supercooled cloud droplets journal January 2012
Predicting global atmospheric ice nuclei distributions and their impacts on climate journal June 2010
The Explicit-Cloud Parameterized-Pollutant hybrid approach for aerosol–cloud interactions in multiscale modeling framework models: tracer transport results journal April 2008
Cirrus cloud formation and ice supersaturated regions in a global climate model journal October 2008
Clarifying the Dominant Sources and Mechanisms of Cirrus Cloud Formation journal May 2013
Ice nucleation parameterization for global models [Ice nucleation parameterization for global models] journal September 2005
Ice Initiation in Natural Clouds journal December 1986
Binary Homogeneous Nucleation: Temperature and Relative Humidity Fluctuations, Nonlinearity, and Aspects of New Particle Production in the Atmosphere journal July 1994
Parameterization and Impact of Ice initiation Processes Relevant to Numerical Model Simulations of Cirrus Clouds journal January 1994
Coupling Cloud Processes with the Large-Scale Dynamics Using the Cloud-Resolving Convection Parameterization (CRCP) journal May 2001
Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES): An Earth Observing System Experiment journal May 1996
An Empirical Parameterization of Heterogeneous Ice Nucleation for Multiple Chemical Species of Aerosol journal September 2008
Evaluation of the Simulated Interannual and Subseasonal Variability in an AMIP-Style Simulation Using the CSU Multiscale Modeling Framework journal February 2008
A Multiscale Modeling System: Developments, Applications, and Critical Issues journal April 2009
Toward Optimal Closure of the Earth's Top-of-Atmosphere Radiation Budget journal February 2009
Impact of Cloud Microphysics on the Development of Trailing Stratiform Precipitation in a Simulated Squall Line: Comparison of One- and Two-Moment Schemes journal March 2009
A Classical-Theory-Based Parameterization of Heterogeneous Ice Nucleation by Mineral Dust, Soot, and Biological Particles in a Global Climate Model journal August 2010
Orogenic Propagating Precipitation Systems over the United States in a Global Climate Model with Embedded Explicit Convection journal August 2011
Production of Ice in Tropospheric Clouds: A Review journal June 2005
Evaluation of Several A-Train Ice Cloud Retrieval Products with In Situ Measurements Collected during the SPARTICUS Campaign journal April 2013
Ice Cloud Particle Size Distributions and Pressure-Dependent Terminal Velocities from In Situ Observations at Temperatures from 0° to −86°C journal December 2013
A New Double-Moment Microphysics Parameterization for Application in Cloud and Climate Models. Part I: Description journal June 2005
The Global Distribution of Supersaturation in the Upper Troposphere from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder journal December 2006
Inclusion of Ice Microphysics in the NCAR Community Atmospheric Model Version 3 (CAM3) journal September 2007
The global distribution of ice-supersaturated regions as seen by the Microwave Limb Sounder journal October 2003
Fast approximate calculation of multiply scattered lidar returns journal January 2006
Ice nucleation and cloud microphysical properties in tropical tropopause layer cirrus journal January 2010
Cirrus clouds in a global climate model with a statistical cirrus cloud scheme journal January 2010
Historical (1850–2000) gridded anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions of reactive gases and aerosols: methodology and application journal January 2010
Dynamical states of low temperature cirrus journal January 2011
Sensitivity studies of dust ice nuclei effect on cirrus clouds with the Community Atmosphere Model CAM5 journal January 2012
Heterogeneous ice nucleation on atmospheric aerosols: a review of results from laboratory experiments journal January 2012
Evaluating and constraining ice cloud parameterizations in CAM5 using aircraft measurements from the SPARTICUS campaign journal January 2013
Tropical tropopause ice clouds: a dynamic approach to the mystery of low crystal numbers journal January 2013
On the transition between heterogeneous and homogeneous freezing journal January 2003
On the distribution of relative humidity in cirrus clouds journal January 2004
Cloud microphysics and aerosol indirect effects in the global climate model ECHAM5-HAM journal January 2007
Aircraft measurements of microphysical properties of subvisible cirrus in the tropical tropopause layer journal January 2008
Ice supersaturations and cirrus cloud crystal numbers journal January 2009
Parameterizing the competition between homogeneous and heterogeneous freezing in cirrus cloud formation – monodisperse ice nuclei journal January 2009
Modelling of cirrus clouds – Part 1a: Model description and validation journal January 2009
Possible influence of anthropogenic aerosols on cirrus clouds and anthropogenic forcing journal January 2009
Aerosol indirect effects in a multi-scale aerosol-climate model PNNL-MMF journal January 2011
Dust ice nuclei effects on cirrus clouds journal January 2013
Effects of preexisting ice crystals on cirrus clouds and comparison between different ice nucleation parameterizations with the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM5) journal January 2014
Impact of heterogeneous ice nucleation by natural dust and soot based on a probability density function of contact angle model with the Community Atmospheric Model version 5 journal January 2014
Freezing thresholds and cirrus cloud formation mechanisms inferred from in situ measurements of relative humidity journal January 2003
The multi-scale aerosol-climate model PNNL-MMF: model description and evaluation journal January 2011
Toward a minimal representation of aerosols in climate models: description and evaluation in the Community Atmosphere Model CAM5 journal January 2012

Cited By (3)

Development and Evaluation of an Explicit Treatment of Aerosol Processes at Cloud Scale Within a Multi‐Scale Modeling Framework (MMF) journal July 2018
Investigating the role of dust in ice nucleation within clouds and further effects on the regional weather system over East Asia – Part 2: modification of the weather system journal January 2018
CAM6 simulation of mean and extreme precipitation over Asia: sensitivity to upgraded physical parameterizations and higher horizontal resolution journal January 2019

Similar Records

Aerosol Effects on Cirrus through Ice Nucleation in the Community Atmosphere Model CAM5 with a Statistical Cirrus Scheme
Journal Article · Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 6(3):756-776 · OSTI ID:1170098
Cirrus clouds in a global climate model with a statistical cirrus cloud scheme
Journal Article · Mon Jun 21 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 10(12):5449-5474 · OSTI ID:984231
Sensitivity Studies of Dust Ice Nuclei Effect on Cirrus Clouds with the Community Atmosphere Model CAM5
Journal Article · Tue Dec 18 23:00:00 EST 2012 · Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics · OSTI ID:1059192

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
aerosol enabled multi-scale modeling framework
cirrus cloud
ice nucleation