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Sensitivity Study on the Influence of Cloud Microphysical Parameters on Mixed-Phase Cloud Thermodynamic Phase Partitioning in CAM5Abstract
The influence of six CAM5.1 cloud microphysical parameters on the variance of phase partitioning in mixed-phase clouds is determined by application of a variance-based sensitivity analysis. The sensitivity analysis is based on a generalized linear model that assumes a polynomial relationship between the six parameters and the two-way interactions between them. The parameters, bounded such that they yield realistic cloud phase values, were selected by adopting a quasi–Monte Carlo sampling approach. The sensitivity analysis is applied globally, and to 20°-latitude-wide bands, and over the Southern Ocean at various mixed-phase cloud isotherms and reveals that the Wegener–Bergeron–Findeisen (WBF) time scale for the growth of ice crystals single-handedly accounts for the vast majority of the variance in cloud phase partitioning in mixed-phase clouds, while its interaction with the WBF time scale for the growth of snowflakes plays a secondary role. The fraction of dust aerosols active as ice nuclei in latitude bands, and the parameter related to the ice crystal fall speed and their interactions with the WBF time scale for ice are also significant. All other investigated parameters and their interactions with each other are negligible (<3%). Further analysis comparing three of the quasi–Monte Carlo–sampled simulations with spaceborne lidar observations by CALIOP suggests that the WBF process in CAM5.1 is currently parameterized such that it occurs too rapidly due to failure to account for subgrid-scale variability of liquid and ice partitioning in mixed-phase clouds.
Abstract
The influence of six CAM5.1 cloud microphysical parameters on the variance of phase partitioning in mixed-phase clouds is determined by application of a variance-based sensitivity analysis. The sensitivity analysis is based on a generalized linear model that assumes a polynomial relationship between the six parameters and the two-way interactions between them. The parameters, bounded such that they yield realistic cloud phase values, were selected by adopting a quasi–Monte Carlo sampling approach. The sensitivity analysis is applied globally, and to 20°-latitude-wide bands, and over the Southern Ocean at various mixed-phase cloud isotherms and reveals that the Wegener–Bergeron–Findeisen (WBF) time scale for the growth of ice crystals single-handedly accounts for the vast majority of the variance in cloud phase partitioning in mixed-phase clouds, while its interaction with the WBF time scale for the growth of snowflakes plays a secondary role. The fraction of dust aerosols active as ice nuclei in latitude bands, and the parameter related to the ice crystal fall speed and their interactions with the WBF time scale for ice are also significant. All other investigated parameters and their interactions with each other are negligible (<3%). Further analysis comparing three of the quasi–Monte Carlo–sampled simulations with spaceborne lidar observations by CALIOP suggests that the WBF process in CAM5.1 is currently parameterized such that it occurs too rapidly due to failure to account for subgrid-scale variability of liquid and ice partitioning in mixed-phase clouds.
Abstract
A new treatment of mixed-phase cloud microphysics has been implemented in the general circulation model, Community Atmosphere Model (CAM)-Oslo, which combines the NCAR CAM2.0.1 and a detailed aerosol module. The new treatment takes into account the aerosol influence on ice phase initiation in stratiform clouds with temperatures between 0° and −40°C. Both supersaturation and cloud ice fraction, that is, the fraction of cloud ice compared to the total cloud water in a given grid box, are now determined based on a physical reasoning in which not only temperature but also the ambient aerosol concentration play a role. Included in the improved microphysics treatment is also a continuity equation for ice crystal number concentration. Ice crystal sources are heterogeneous and homogeneous freezing processes and ice multiplication. Sink terms are collection processes and precipitation formation, that is, melting and sublimation. Instead of using an idealized ice nuclei concentration for the heterogeneous freezing processes, a common approach in global models, the freezing processes are here dependent on the ability of the ambient aerosols to act as ice nuclei. Additionally, the processes are dependent on the cloud droplet number concentration and hence the aerosols’ ability to act as cloud condensation nuclei. Sensitivity simulations based on the new microphysical treatment of mixed-phase clouds are presented for both preindustrial and present-day aerosol emissions. Freezing efficiency is found to be highly sensitive to the amount of sulphuric acid available for ice nuclei coating. In the simulations, the interaction of anthropogenic aerosols and freezing mechanisms causes a warming of the earth–atmosphere system, counteracting the cooling effect of aerosols influencing warm clouds. The authors find that this reduction of the total aerosol indirect effect amounts to 50%–90% for the specific assumptions on aerosol properties used in this study. However, many microphysical processes in mixed-phase clouds are still poorly understood and the results must be interpreted with that in mind.
Abstract
A new treatment of mixed-phase cloud microphysics has been implemented in the general circulation model, Community Atmosphere Model (CAM)-Oslo, which combines the NCAR CAM2.0.1 and a detailed aerosol module. The new treatment takes into account the aerosol influence on ice phase initiation in stratiform clouds with temperatures between 0° and −40°C. Both supersaturation and cloud ice fraction, that is, the fraction of cloud ice compared to the total cloud water in a given grid box, are now determined based on a physical reasoning in which not only temperature but also the ambient aerosol concentration play a role. Included in the improved microphysics treatment is also a continuity equation for ice crystal number concentration. Ice crystal sources are heterogeneous and homogeneous freezing processes and ice multiplication. Sink terms are collection processes and precipitation formation, that is, melting and sublimation. Instead of using an idealized ice nuclei concentration for the heterogeneous freezing processes, a common approach in global models, the freezing processes are here dependent on the ability of the ambient aerosols to act as ice nuclei. Additionally, the processes are dependent on the cloud droplet number concentration and hence the aerosols’ ability to act as cloud condensation nuclei. Sensitivity simulations based on the new microphysical treatment of mixed-phase clouds are presented for both preindustrial and present-day aerosol emissions. Freezing efficiency is found to be highly sensitive to the amount of sulphuric acid available for ice nuclei coating. In the simulations, the interaction of anthropogenic aerosols and freezing mechanisms causes a warming of the earth–atmosphere system, counteracting the cooling effect of aerosols influencing warm clouds. The authors find that this reduction of the total aerosol indirect effect amounts to 50%–90% for the specific assumptions on aerosol properties used in this study. However, many microphysical processes in mixed-phase clouds are still poorly understood and the results must be interpreted with that in mind.
