New Observational Constraints on Warm Rain Processes and Their Climate Implications
Abstract Low stratiform clouds have profound impacts on the hydrological cycle and the Earth’s radiation budget. However, realistic simulation of low clouds in climate models presents a major challenge. Here we employ the newly retrieved cloud and drizzle microphysical properties to improve the auto...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL091836 |
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| _version_ | 1849723321626656768 |
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| author | Xiquan Dong Peng Wu Yuan Wang Baike Xi Yiyi Huang |
| author_facet | Xiquan Dong Peng Wu Yuan Wang Baike Xi Yiyi Huang |
| author_sort | Xiquan Dong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Low stratiform clouds have profound impacts on the hydrological cycle and the Earth’s radiation budget. However, realistic simulation of low clouds in climate models presents a major challenge. Here we employ the newly retrieved cloud and drizzle microphysical properties to improve the autoconversion and accretion parameterizations in a microphysical scheme. We find that the new autoconversion (accretion) rate contributes 14% lower (greater) to total drizzle water content than the original scheme near the cloud top. Compared to satellite results, the simulated cloud liquid water path (LWP) and shortwave cloud radiative effect using the original scheme in a climate model agree well on global average but with large regional differences. Simulations using the updated scheme show a 7.3% decrease in the light rain frequency, and a 10% increase in LWP. The updated microphysics scheme alleviates the long‐lasting problem in most climate models, that is “too frequent and too light precipitation.” |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ae7bbefae431419da976dcbef1c43ed0 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-ae7bbefae431419da976dcbef1c43ed02025-08-20T03:11:04ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072021-03-01486n/an/a10.1029/2020GL091836New Observational Constraints on Warm Rain Processes and Their Climate ImplicationsXiquan Dong0Peng Wu1Yuan Wang2Baike Xi3Yiyi Huang4Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences University of Arizona Tucson AZ USADepartment of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences University of Arizona Tucson AZ USADivision of Geological and Planetary Sciences California Institute of Technology Pasadena CA USADepartment of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences University of Arizona Tucson AZ USADepartment of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences University of Arizona Tucson AZ USAAbstract Low stratiform clouds have profound impacts on the hydrological cycle and the Earth’s radiation budget. However, realistic simulation of low clouds in climate models presents a major challenge. Here we employ the newly retrieved cloud and drizzle microphysical properties to improve the autoconversion and accretion parameterizations in a microphysical scheme. We find that the new autoconversion (accretion) rate contributes 14% lower (greater) to total drizzle water content than the original scheme near the cloud top. Compared to satellite results, the simulated cloud liquid water path (LWP) and shortwave cloud radiative effect using the original scheme in a climate model agree well on global average but with large regional differences. Simulations using the updated scheme show a 7.3% decrease in the light rain frequency, and a 10% increase in LWP. The updated microphysics scheme alleviates the long‐lasting problem in most climate models, that is “too frequent and too light precipitation.”https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL091836 |
| spellingShingle | Xiquan Dong Peng Wu Yuan Wang Baike Xi Yiyi Huang New Observational Constraints on Warm Rain Processes and Their Climate Implications Geophysical Research Letters |
| title | New Observational Constraints on Warm Rain Processes and Their Climate Implications |
| title_full | New Observational Constraints on Warm Rain Processes and Their Climate Implications |
| title_fullStr | New Observational Constraints on Warm Rain Processes and Their Climate Implications |
| title_full_unstemmed | New Observational Constraints on Warm Rain Processes and Their Climate Implications |
| title_short | New Observational Constraints on Warm Rain Processes and Their Climate Implications |
| title_sort | new observational constraints on warm rain processes and their climate implications |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL091836 |
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