Assessment of marine boundary layer cloud simulations in the CAM with CLUBB and updated microphysics scheme based on ARM observations from the Azores
Abstract
Abstract To assess marine boundary layer (MBL) cloud simulations in three versions of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM), three sets of short‐term global hindcasts are performed and compared to Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) observations on Graciosa Island in the Azores from June 2009 to December 2010. The three versions consist of CAM5.3 with default schemes (CAM5.3), CAM5.3 with Cloud Layers Unified By Binormals (CLUBB‐MG1), and CAM5.3 with CLUBB and updated microphysics scheme (CLUBB‐MG2). Our results show that relative to CAM5.3 default schemes, simulations with CLUBB better represent MBL cloud base height, the height of the major cloud layer, and the daily cloud cover variability. CLUBB also better simulates the relationship of cloud fraction to cloud liquid water path (LWP) most likely due to CLUBB's consistent treatment of these variables through a probability distribution function (PDF) approach. Subcloud evaporation of precipitation is substantially enhanced in simulations with CLUBB‐MG2 and is more realistic based on the limited observational estimate. Despite these improvements, all model versions underestimate MBL cloud cover. CLUBB‐MG2 reduces biases in in‐cloud LWP (clouds are not too bright) but there are still too few of MBL clouds due to an underestimate in the frequency of overcast scenes. Thus, combiningmore »
- Authors:
-
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
- Univ. of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1342072
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1402239
- Report Number(s):
- LLNL-JRNL-680743
Journal ID: ISSN 2169-897X
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-07NA27344
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 121; Journal Issue: 14; Journal ID: ISSN 2169-897X
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Citation Formats
Zheng, Xue, Klein, S. A., Ma, H. -Y., Bogenschutz, P., Gettelman, A., and Larson, V. E. Assessment of marine boundary layer cloud simulations in the CAM with CLUBB and updated microphysics scheme based on ARM observations from the Azores. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web. doi:10.1002/2016JD025274.
Zheng, Xue, Klein, S. A., Ma, H. -Y., Bogenschutz, P., Gettelman, A., & Larson, V. E. Assessment of marine boundary layer cloud simulations in the CAM with CLUBB and updated microphysics scheme based on ARM observations from the Azores. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JD025274
Zheng, Xue, Klein, S. A., Ma, H. -Y., Bogenschutz, P., Gettelman, A., and Larson, V. E. Tue .
"Assessment of marine boundary layer cloud simulations in the CAM with CLUBB and updated microphysics scheme based on ARM observations from the Azores". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JD025274. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1342072.
@article{osti_1342072,
title = {Assessment of marine boundary layer cloud simulations in the CAM with CLUBB and updated microphysics scheme based on ARM observations from the Azores},
author = {Zheng, Xue and Klein, S. A. and Ma, H. -Y. and Bogenschutz, P. and Gettelman, A. and Larson, V. E.},
abstractNote = {Abstract To assess marine boundary layer (MBL) cloud simulations in three versions of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM), three sets of short‐term global hindcasts are performed and compared to Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) observations on Graciosa Island in the Azores from June 2009 to December 2010. The three versions consist of CAM5.3 with default schemes (CAM5.3), CAM5.3 with Cloud Layers Unified By Binormals (CLUBB‐MG1), and CAM5.3 with CLUBB and updated microphysics scheme (CLUBB‐MG2). Our results show that relative to CAM5.3 default schemes, simulations with CLUBB better represent MBL cloud base height, the height of the major cloud layer, and the daily cloud cover variability. CLUBB also better simulates the relationship of cloud fraction to cloud liquid water path (LWP) most likely due to CLUBB's consistent treatment of these variables through a probability distribution function (PDF) approach. Subcloud evaporation of precipitation is substantially enhanced in simulations with CLUBB‐MG2 and is more realistic based on the limited observational estimate. Despite these improvements, all model versions underestimate MBL cloud cover. CLUBB‐MG2 reduces biases in in‐cloud LWP (clouds are not too bright) but there are still too few of MBL clouds due to an underestimate in the frequency of overcast scenes. Thus, combining CLUBB with MG2 scheme better simulates MBL cloud processes, but because biases remain in MBL cloud cover CLUBB‐MG2 does not improve the simulation of the surface shortwave cloud radiative effect (CRE SW ).},
doi = {10.1002/2016JD025274},
journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres},
number = 14,
volume = 121,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jul 19 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Tue Jul 19 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}
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