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Title: Evaluation of autoconversion and accretion enhancement factors in general circulation model warm-rain parameterizations using ground-based measurements over the Azores

Abstract

A great challenge in climate modeling is how to parameterize subgrid cloud processes, such as autoconversion and accretion in warm-rain formation. In this study, we use ground-based observations and retrievals over the Azores to investigate the so-called enhancement factors, Eauto and Eaccr, which are often used in climate models to account for the influence of subgrid variance of cloud and precipitation water on the autoconversion and accretion processes. Eauto and Eaccr are computed for different equivalent model grid sizes. The calculated Eauto values increase from 1.96 (30km) to 3.2 (180km), and the calculated Eaccr values increase from 1.53 (30km) to 1.76 (180km). Comparing the prescribed enhancement factors in Morrison and Gettleman (2008, MG08) to the observed ones, we found that a higher Eauto (3.2) at small grids and lower Eaccr (1.07) are used in MG08, which might explain why most of the general circulation models (GCMs) produce too-frequent precipitation events but with too-light precipitation intensity. The ratios of the rain to cloud water mixing ratio (qr/qc) at Eaccr=1.07 and Eaccr=2.0 are 0.063 and 0.142, respectively, from observations, further suggesting that the prescribed value of Eaccr=1.07 used in MG08 is too small to simulate precipitation intensity correctly. Both Eauto and Eaccrmore » increase when the boundary layer becomes less stable, and the values are larger in precipitating clouds (CLWP>75gm-2) than those in non-precipitating clouds (CLWP<75gm-2). Therefore, the selection of Eauto and Eaccr values in GCMs should be regime- and resolution-dependent.« less

Authors:
; ORCiD logo; ; ORCiD logo
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), Baltimore, MD (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1484951
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1612255
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0014641
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online) Journal Volume: 18 Journal Issue: 23; Journal ID: ISSN 1680-7324
Publisher:
Copernicus Publications, EGU
Country of Publication:
Germany
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; environmental sciences & ecology; meteorology & atmospheric sciences

Citation Formats

Wu, Peng, Xi, Baike, Dong, Xiquan, and Zhang, Zhibo. Evaluation of autoconversion and accretion enhancement factors in general circulation model warm-rain parameterizations using ground-based measurements over the Azores. Germany: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.5194/acp-18-17405-2018.
Wu, Peng, Xi, Baike, Dong, Xiquan, & Zhang, Zhibo. Evaluation of autoconversion and accretion enhancement factors in general circulation model warm-rain parameterizations using ground-based measurements over the Azores. Germany. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17405-2018
Wu, Peng, Xi, Baike, Dong, Xiquan, and Zhang, Zhibo. Fri . "Evaluation of autoconversion and accretion enhancement factors in general circulation model warm-rain parameterizations using ground-based measurements over the Azores". Germany. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17405-2018.
@article{osti_1484951,
title = {Evaluation of autoconversion and accretion enhancement factors in general circulation model warm-rain parameterizations using ground-based measurements over the Azores},
author = {Wu, Peng and Xi, Baike and Dong, Xiquan and Zhang, Zhibo},
abstractNote = {A great challenge in climate modeling is how to parameterize subgrid cloud processes, such as autoconversion and accretion in warm-rain formation. In this study, we use ground-based observations and retrievals over the Azores to investigate the so-called enhancement factors, Eauto and Eaccr, which are often used in climate models to account for the influence of subgrid variance of cloud and precipitation water on the autoconversion and accretion processes. Eauto and Eaccr are computed for different equivalent model grid sizes. The calculated Eauto values increase from 1.96 (30km) to 3.2 (180km), and the calculated Eaccr values increase from 1.53 (30km) to 1.76 (180km). Comparing the prescribed enhancement factors in Morrison and Gettleman (2008, MG08) to the observed ones, we found that a higher Eauto (3.2) at small grids and lower Eaccr (1.07) are used in MG08, which might explain why most of the general circulation models (GCMs) produce too-frequent precipitation events but with too-light precipitation intensity. The ratios of the rain to cloud water mixing ratio (qr/qc) at Eaccr=1.07 and Eaccr=2.0 are 0.063 and 0.142, respectively, from observations, further suggesting that the prescribed value of Eaccr=1.07 used in MG08 is too small to simulate precipitation intensity correctly. Both Eauto and Eaccr increase when the boundary layer becomes less stable, and the values are larger in precipitating clouds (CLWP>75gm-2) than those in non-precipitating clouds (CLWP<75gm-2). Therefore, the selection of Eauto and Eaccr values in GCMs should be regime- and resolution-dependent.},
doi = {10.5194/acp-18-17405-2018},
journal = {Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online)},
number = 23,
volume = 18,
place = {Germany},
year = {Fri Dec 07 00:00:00 EST 2018},
month = {Fri Dec 07 00:00:00 EST 2018}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
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https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-17405-2018

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