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Vertical dependence of horizontal variation of cloud microphysics: observations from the ACE-ENA field campaign and implications for warm-rain simulation in climate models

Journal Article · · Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online)
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Abstract. In the current global climate models (GCMs), the nonlinearity effect of subgrid cloud variations on the parameterization of warm-rain process, e.g., the autoconversion rate, is often treated by multiplying the resolved-scale warm-rain process rates by a so-called enhancement factor (EF). In this study, we investigate the subgrid-scale horizontal variations and covariation of cloud water content (qc) and cloud droplet number concentration (Nc) in marine boundary layer (MBL) clouds based on the in situ measurements from a recent field campaign and study the implications for the autoconversion rate EF in GCMs. Based on a few carefully selected cases from the field campaign, we found that in contrast to the enhancing effect of qc and Nc variations that tends to make EF > 1, the strong positive correlation between qc and Nc results in a suppressing effect that tends to make EF < 1. This effect is especially strong at cloud top, where the qc and Nc correlation can be as high as 0.95. We also found that the physically complete EF that accounts for the covariation of qc and Nc is significantly smaller than its counterpart that accounts only for the subgrid variation of qc, especially at cloud top. Although this study is based on limited cases, it suggests that the subgrid variations of Nc and its correlation with qc both need to be considered for an accurate simulation of the autoconversion process in GCMs.

Research Organization:
ARM Data Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Contributing Organization:
PNNL, BNL, ANL, ORNL
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830; SC0012704; SC0016522; SC0020057
OSTI ID:
1905639
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1763317
OSTI ID: 1768389
OSTI ID: 1770311
Report Number(s):
BNL--220917-2021-JAAM; PNNL-SA--155438
Journal Information:
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online), Journal Name: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online) Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 21; ISSN 1680-7324
Publisher:
Copernicus GmbHCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
Germany
Language:
English

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