Collaborative Research: Using ARM Observations to Evaluate GCM Cloud Statistics for Development of Stochastic Cloud-Radiation Parameterizations
- San Diego State Univ., CA (United States)
The long-range goal of several past and current projects in our DOE-supported research has been the development of new and improved parameterizations of cloud-radiation effects and related processes, using ARM data, and the implementation and testing of these parameterizations in global models. The main objective of the present project being reported on here has been to develop and apply advanced statistical techniques, including Bayesian posterior estimates, to diagnose and evaluate features of both observed and simulated clouds. The research carried out under this project has been novel in two important ways. The first is that it is a key step in the development of practical stochastic cloud-radiation parameterizations, a new category of parameterizations that offers great promise for overcoming many shortcomings of conventional schemes. The second is that this work has brought powerful new tools to bear on the problem, because it has been an interdisciplinary collaboration between a meteorologist with long experience in ARM research (Somerville) and a mathematician who is an expert on a class of advanced statistical techniques that are well-suited for diagnosing model cloud simulations using ARM observations (Shen). The motivation and long-term goal underlying this work is the utilization of stochastic radiative transfer theory (Lane-Veron and Somerville, 2004; Lane et al., 2002) to develop a new class of parametric representations of cloud-radiation interactions and closely related processes for atmospheric models. The theoretical advantage of the stochastic approach is that it can accurately calculate the radiative heating rates through a broken cloud layer without requiring an exact description of the cloud geometry.
- Research Organization:
- San Diego State Univ., CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0002763
- OSTI ID:
- 1327846
- Report Number(s):
- DE-FG02-09ER64765; DE-FG02-09ER64765
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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