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Numerical Errors in Ice Microphysics Parameterizations and their Effects on Simulated Regional Climate

Journal Article · · Asia-Pacific Journal of Atmospheric Sciences
 [1];  [1];  [2]
  1. Kyungpook National Univ., Daegu (Korea, Republic of)
  2. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
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The major characteristics of ice microphysics in Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Double-Moment 6-class (WDM6) bulk-type cloud microphysics originate from the diagnosed ice number concentration, which is a function of the cloud-ice mixing ratio. In this study, we correct numerical errors in ice microphysics processes of the WDM6, in which the cloud-ice shape is assumed as single bullets and examine the impact on regional climate simulations. Here, by rederiving the relationships between cloud microphysics characteristics, including the one linking the cloud-ice mixing ratio and number concentration, we remove numerical errors intrinsic to the description of cloud-ice characteristics in the original WDM6 microphysics scheme. The revised WDM6 is tested using a WRF framework for regional climate simulations over the East Asian region. We find that our correction to the WDM6 improves the model’s performance in capturing the observed distribution of the monsoon rain band. A reduction in cloud ice is significant in the revised WDM6, which strengthens the Western North Pacific High. By conducting the additional sensitivity experiment in which the characteristics of cloud-ice shape are revised as the one for the column type, our study also finds out that the impacts of the existing numerical errors on the simulated monsoon is as large as the ones of the changes in cloud-ice shape.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities Division; National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344; 2019R1C1C1008482
OSTI ID:
1959539
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-843593; 1037074
Journal Information:
Asia-Pacific Journal of Atmospheric Sciences, Vol. 58, Issue 5; ISSN 1976-7633
Publisher:
SpringerCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
numerical errors
WDM6
cloud ice
regional climate simulation
WRF