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Title: Using large eddy simulations to reveal the size, strength, and phase of updraft and downdraft cores of an Arctic mixed-phase stratocumulus cloud

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JD026055· OSTI ID:1371481
ORCiD logo [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3]
  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  2. Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (United States)
  3. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Three-dimensional large eddy simulations (LES) are used to analyze a springtime Arctic mixed-phase stratocumulus observed on 26 April 2008 during the Indirect and Semi-Direct Aerosol Campaign. Two subgrid-scale turbulence parameterizations are compared. The first scheme is a 1.5-order turbulent kinetic energy (1.5-TKE) parameterization that has been previously applied to boundary layer cloud simulations. The second scheme, Cloud Layers Unified By Binormals (CLUBB), provides higher-order turbulent closure with scale awareness. The simulations, in comparisons with observations, show that both schemes produce the liquid profiles within measurement variability but underpredict ice water mass and overpredict ice number concentration. The simulation using CLUBB underpredicted liquid water path more than the simulation using the 1.5-TKE scheme, so the turbulent length scale and horizontal grid box size were increased to increase liquid water path and reduce dissipative energy. The LES simulations show this stratocumulus cloud to maintain a closed cellular structure, similar to observations. The updraft and downdraft cores self-organize into a larger meso-γ-scale convective pattern with the 1.5-TKE scheme, but the cores remain more isotropic with the CLUBB scheme. Additionally, the cores are often composed of liquid and ice instead of exclusively containing one or the other. Furthermore, these results provide insight into traditionally unresolved and unmeasurable aspects of an Arctic mixed-phase cloud. From analysis, this cloud's updraft and downdraft cores appear smaller than other closed-cell stratocumulus such as midlatitude stratocumulus and Arctic autumnal mixed-phase stratocumulus due to the weaker downdrafts and lower precipitation rates.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
OSTI ID:
1371481
Report Number(s):
SAND2017-3557J; 655054
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 122, Issue 8; ISSN 2169-897X
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 4 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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  • Klein, Stephen A.; McCoy, Renata B.; Morrison, Hugh
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Cited By (3)

Simulated and observed horizontal inhomogeneities of optical thickness of Arctic stratus journal January 2018
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