Boundary-layer cumulus over heterogeneous landscapes: A subgrid GCM parameterization. Final report, December 1991--November 1995
- Univ. of British Columbia, Vancouver (Canada). Dept. of Geography
- Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States). Dept. of Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences
The authors developed single-column parameterizations for subgrid boundary-layer cumulus clouds. These give cloud onset time, cloud coverage, and ensemble distributions of cloud-base altitudes, cloud-top altitudes, cloud thickness, and the characteristics of cloudy and clear updrafts. They tested and refined the parameterizations against archived data from Spring and Summer 1994 and 1995 intensive operation periods (IOPs) at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) ARM CART site near Lamont, Oklahoma. The authors also found that: cloud-base altitudes are not uniform over a heterogeneous surface; tops of some cumulus clouds can be below the base-altitudes of other cumulus clouds; there is an overlap region near cloud base where clear and cloudy updrafts exist simultaneously; and the lognormal distribution of cloud sizes scales to the JFD of surface layer air and to the shape of the temperature profile above the boundary layer.
- Research Organization:
- Wisconsin Univ., Madison, WI (United States). Dept. of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG02-92ER61361
- OSTI ID:
- 484534
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/61361-T1; ON: DE97007574; TRN: 97:003748
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 8 Jan 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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