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U.S. Department of Energy
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A stratiform cloud parameterization for general circulation models

Conference ·
OSTI ID:83173
;  [1]; ;  [2];  [3]
  1. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
  2. Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
  3. Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
The crude treatment of clouds in general circulation models (GCMs) is widely recognized as a major limitation in applying these models to predictions of global climate change. The purpose of this project is to develop a parameterization for stratiform clouds in GCMs that expresses stratiform clouds in terms of bulk microphysical properties and their subgrid variability. In this parameterization, precipitating cloud species are distinguished from non-precipitating species, and the liquid phase is distinguished from the ice phase. The size of the non-precipitating cloud particles (which influences the cloud radiative properties and the conversion of non-precipitating cloud species to precipitating species) is determined by predicting both the mass and number concentrations of each species.
Research Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States). Environmental Sciences Div.
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
83173
Report Number(s):
CONF-940277--; ON: DE95009951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English