Inclusion of Ice Microphysics in the NCAR Community Atmospheric Model Version 3 (CAM3)
A prognostic equation for ice crystal number concentration together with an ice nucleation scheme are implemented in the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Atmospheric Model Version 3 (CAM3) with the aim of studying the indirect effect of aerosols on cold clouds. The effective radius of ice crystals which is used in the radiation and gravitational settlement calculations is now calculated from model predicted mass and number of ice crystals rather than diagnosed as a function of temperature. We add a water vapor deposition scheme to replace the condensation and evaporation (C-E) in the standard CAM3 for ice clouds. The repartitioning of total water into liquid and ice in mixed-phase clouds as a function of temperature is removed, and ice supersaturation is allowed. The predicted ice water content in the modified CAM3 is in better agreement with the Aura MLS data than that in the standard CAM3. The cirrus cloud fraction near the tropical tropopause, which is underestimated in the standard CAM3, is increased, and the cold temperature bias there is reduced by 1-2 °K. However, an increase in the cloud fraction in polar regions makes the underestimation of downwelling shortwave radiation in the standard CAM3 even worse. A sensitivity test reducing the threshold relative humidity with respective to ice (RHi) for heterogeneous ice nucleation from 120% to 105% (representing nearly perfert ice nuclei) increases the global cloud cover by 1.7%, temperature near the tropical tropopause by 4-5 °K, and water vapor in the stratosphere by 50-90%.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 920523
- Report Number(s):
- PNWD-SA-7537; JLCLEL; TRN: US200818%%618
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Climate, 20(18):4526-4547, Vol. 20, Issue 18; ISSN 0894-8755
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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