Robust and Nonrobust Impacts of Atmospheric Cloud‐Radiative Interactions on the Tropical Circulation and Its Response to Surface Warming
Abstract The impact of cloud‐radiative interactions on the tropical circulation and its response to surface warming are studied in aquaplanet model simulations with prescribed sea‐surface temperatures from eight global atmosphere models. Simulations with enabled and disabled cloud‐radiative interact...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2018-08-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL079599 |
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| author | Nicole Albern Aiko Voigt Stefan A. Buehler Verena Grützun |
| author_facet | Nicole Albern Aiko Voigt Stefan A. Buehler Verena Grützun |
| author_sort | Nicole Albern |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The impact of cloud‐radiative interactions on the tropical circulation and its response to surface warming are studied in aquaplanet model simulations with prescribed sea‐surface temperatures from eight global atmosphere models. Simulations with enabled and disabled cloud‐radiative interactions are compared. In a present‐day‐like climate, the presence of cloud‐radiative interactions strengthens the Hadley cell, narrows and strengthens tropical ascent, and widens subtropical descent. These cloud impacts are robust across models and are shown to be related to the energetics and mass constraints of the tropical atmosphere. Cloud‐radiative interactions have no robust impact on the circulation response to surface warming but amplify model differences in the response of the ascent and the Hadley cell strength. The lack of robust cloud impacts is consistent with the fact that surface warming‐induced changes in atmospheric cloud‐radiative effects are small compared to the cloud‐radiative effects in the present‐day‐like climate. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d93abe6d16344258aec4bb93a3e4d05e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2018-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-d93abe6d16344258aec4bb93a3e4d05e2025-08-20T02:57:52ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072018-08-0145168577858510.1029/2018GL079599Robust and Nonrobust Impacts of Atmospheric Cloud‐Radiative Interactions on the Tropical Circulation and Its Response to Surface WarmingNicole Albern0Aiko Voigt1Stefan A. Buehler2Verena Grützun3Meteorologisches Institut Universität Hamburg Hamburg GermanyInstitute of Meteorology and Climate Research—Department Troposphere Research Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Karlsruhe GermanyMeteorologisches Institut Universität Hamburg Hamburg GermanyMeteorologisches Institut Universität Hamburg Hamburg GermanyAbstract The impact of cloud‐radiative interactions on the tropical circulation and its response to surface warming are studied in aquaplanet model simulations with prescribed sea‐surface temperatures from eight global atmosphere models. Simulations with enabled and disabled cloud‐radiative interactions are compared. In a present‐day‐like climate, the presence of cloud‐radiative interactions strengthens the Hadley cell, narrows and strengthens tropical ascent, and widens subtropical descent. These cloud impacts are robust across models and are shown to be related to the energetics and mass constraints of the tropical atmosphere. Cloud‐radiative interactions have no robust impact on the circulation response to surface warming but amplify model differences in the response of the ascent and the Hadley cell strength. The lack of robust cloud impacts is consistent with the fact that surface warming‐induced changes in atmospheric cloud‐radiative effects are small compared to the cloud‐radiative effects in the present‐day‐like climate.https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL079599cloud‐radiative interactionstropical circulationHadley cellCOOKIEclimate changeglobal climate model |
| spellingShingle | Nicole Albern Aiko Voigt Stefan A. Buehler Verena Grützun Robust and Nonrobust Impacts of Atmospheric Cloud‐Radiative Interactions on the Tropical Circulation and Its Response to Surface Warming Geophysical Research Letters cloud‐radiative interactions tropical circulation Hadley cell COOKIE climate change global climate model |
| title | Robust and Nonrobust Impacts of Atmospheric Cloud‐Radiative Interactions on the Tropical Circulation and Its Response to Surface Warming |
| title_full | Robust and Nonrobust Impacts of Atmospheric Cloud‐Radiative Interactions on the Tropical Circulation and Its Response to Surface Warming |
| title_fullStr | Robust and Nonrobust Impacts of Atmospheric Cloud‐Radiative Interactions on the Tropical Circulation and Its Response to Surface Warming |
| title_full_unstemmed | Robust and Nonrobust Impacts of Atmospheric Cloud‐Radiative Interactions on the Tropical Circulation and Its Response to Surface Warming |
| title_short | Robust and Nonrobust Impacts of Atmospheric Cloud‐Radiative Interactions on the Tropical Circulation and Its Response to Surface Warming |
| title_sort | robust and nonrobust impacts of atmospheric cloud radiative interactions on the tropical circulation and its response to surface warming |
| topic | cloud‐radiative interactions tropical circulation Hadley cell COOKIE climate change global climate model |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL079599 |
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