Modulation of Tropical Convection-Circulation Interaction by Aerosol Indirect Effects in Convective Self-Aggregation Simulations of a Gray Zone Global Model
Abstract
Disentangling the response of tropical convective updrafts to enhanced aerosol concentrations has been challenging. Leading theories for explaining the influence of aerosol concentrations on tropical convection are based on the dynamical response of convection to changes in cloud microphysics, neglecting possible changes in the environment. In recent years, global convection-permitting models (GCPM) have been developed to circumvent problems arising from imposing artificial scale separation on physical processes associated with deep convection. Here, we use a global model in the convective gray zone that partially simulates deep convection to investigate how enhanced concentrations of aerosols that act as cloud condensate nuclei (CCN) impact tropical convection features by modulating the convection-circulation interaction. Results from a pair of idealized non-rotating radiative-convective equilibrium simulations show that the enhanced CCN concentration leads to weaker large-scale circulation, the closeness of deep convective systems to the moist cluster edges, and more mid-level cloud water at an equilibrium state in which convective self-aggregation occurred. Correspondingly, the enhanced CCN concentration modulates how the physical processes that support or oppose convective aggregation maintain the aggregated state at equilibrium. Overall, the enhanced CCN concentration facilitates the development of deep convection in a drier environment but reduces mean precipitation. Our results emphasizemore »
- Authors:
-
[1];
[2];
[2];
[3]
- Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States); National Taiwan Univ., Taipei (Taiwan)
- National Taiwan Univ., Taipei (Taiwan)
- Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); National Science Foundation (NSF)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 2326935
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0000246356; AGS‐1928666; AGS‐1841674
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 129; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 2169-897X
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; tropical convection; large-scale circulation; aerosol indirect effects; global convection-permitting model; radiative-convective equilibrium
Citation Formats
Su, Chun‐Yian, Wu, Chien‐Ming, Chen, Wei‐Ting, and Peters, John M. Modulation of Tropical Convection-Circulation Interaction by Aerosol Indirect Effects in Convective Self-Aggregation Simulations of a Gray Zone Global Model. United States: N. p., 2024.
Web. doi:10.1029/2023jd040190.
Su, Chun‐Yian, Wu, Chien‐Ming, Chen, Wei‐Ting, & Peters, John M. Modulation of Tropical Convection-Circulation Interaction by Aerosol Indirect Effects in Convective Self-Aggregation Simulations of a Gray Zone Global Model. United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023jd040190
Su, Chun‐Yian, Wu, Chien‐Ming, Chen, Wei‐Ting, and Peters, John M. Sat .
"Modulation of Tropical Convection-Circulation Interaction by Aerosol Indirect Effects in Convective Self-Aggregation Simulations of a Gray Zone Global Model". United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023jd040190. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/2326935.
@article{osti_2326935,
title = {Modulation of Tropical Convection-Circulation Interaction by Aerosol Indirect Effects in Convective Self-Aggregation Simulations of a Gray Zone Global Model},
author = {Su, Chun‐Yian and Wu, Chien‐Ming and Chen, Wei‐Ting and Peters, John M.},
abstractNote = {Disentangling the response of tropical convective updrafts to enhanced aerosol concentrations has been challenging. Leading theories for explaining the influence of aerosol concentrations on tropical convection are based on the dynamical response of convection to changes in cloud microphysics, neglecting possible changes in the environment. In recent years, global convection-permitting models (GCPM) have been developed to circumvent problems arising from imposing artificial scale separation on physical processes associated with deep convection. Here, we use a global model in the convective gray zone that partially simulates deep convection to investigate how enhanced concentrations of aerosols that act as cloud condensate nuclei (CCN) impact tropical convection features by modulating the convection-circulation interaction. Results from a pair of idealized non-rotating radiative-convective equilibrium simulations show that the enhanced CCN concentration leads to weaker large-scale circulation, the closeness of deep convective systems to the moist cluster edges, and more mid-level cloud water at an equilibrium state in which convective self-aggregation occurred. Correspondingly, the enhanced CCN concentration modulates how the physical processes that support or oppose convective aggregation maintain the aggregated state at equilibrium. Overall, the enhanced CCN concentration facilitates the development of deep convection in a drier environment but reduces mean precipitation. Our results emphasize the importance of allowing atmospheric phenomena to evolve continuously across spatial and temporal scales in simulations when investigating the response of tropical convection to changes in cloud microphysics.},
doi = {10.1029/2023jd040190},
journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres},
number = 6,
volume = 129,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Mar 23 00:00:00 EDT 2024},
month = {Sat Mar 23 00:00:00 EDT 2024}
}
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