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Title: The relationship between interannual and long-term cloud feedbacks

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL066698· OSTI ID:1240921
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [2]
  1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)
  2. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
  3. Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

The analyses of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 simulations suggest that climate models with more positive cloud feedback in response to interannual climate fluctuations also have more positive cloud feedback in response to long-term global warming. Ensemble mean vertical profiles of cloud change in response to interannual and long-term surface warming are similar, and the ensemble mean cloud feedback is positive on both timescales. However, the average long-term cloud feedback is smaller than the interannual cloud feedback, likely due to differences in surface warming pattern on the two timescales. Low cloud cover (LCC) change in response to interannual and long-term global surface warming is found to be well correlated across models and explains over half of the covariance between interannual and long-term cloud feedback. In conclusion, the intermodel correlation of LCC across timescales likely results from model-specific sensitivities of LCC to sea surface warming.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344
OSTI ID:
1240921
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-679388
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 42, Issue 23; ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 58 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (17)

An Assessment of Tropospheric Water Vapor Feedback Using Radiative Kernels journal February 2018
Reducing Uncertainties in Climate Projections with Emergent Constraints: Concepts, Examples and Prospects journal December 2019
On the relative strength of radiative feedbacks under climate variability and change journal November 2016
Correction to: On the relative strength of radiative feedbacks under climate variability and change journal January 2018
What can decadal variability tell us about climate feedbacks and sensitivity? journal February 2018
How accurately can the climate sensitivity to $$\hbox {CO}_{2}$$CO2 be estimated from historical climate change? journal October 2019
Probabilistic reasoning about measurements of equilibrium climate sensitivity: combining disparate lines of evidence journal November 2018
Radiative Feedbacks From Stochastic Variability in Surface Temperature and Radiative Imbalance journal May 2018
The Relationship Between Cloud Radiative Effect and Surface Temperature Variability at El Niño‐Southern Oscillation Frequencies in CMIP5 Models journal October 2018
Band‐by‐Band Contributions to the Longwave Cloud Radiative Feedbacks journal June 2019
Greater future global warming inferred from Earth’s recent energy budget journal December 2017
Tightening of tropical ascent and high clouds key to precipitation change in a warmer climate journal June 2017
Impact of decadal cloud variations on the Earth’s energy budget journal October 2016
Beyond equilibrium climate sensitivity journal September 2017
Cloud climatologies from the infrared sounders AIRS and IASI: strengths and applications journal January 2017
Radiative feedbacks from stochastic variability in surface temperature and radiative imbalance text January 2018
Beyond equilibrium climate sensitivity text January 2017

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