Arctic Cloud Simulations with the Mesoscale Model Gesima PDF Download

Author: Jiaxiong Pi
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 206

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Recent climate modeling results highlighted the Arctic as a region of importance and vulnerability to global climate change. The ability to understand and simulate cloud and radiative properties is of central importance to our understanding of the Arctic climate system. The mesoscale model GESIMA is used to simulate microphysical properties and radiation process of Arctic clouds. For an idealized case, the cloud module is tested in a vertical column to study the importance of individual microphysical processes and the model's sensitivity to aerosol number concentration. For the three-dimensional simulations, the comparisons between simulations and observations show that the GESIMA model can capture the main processes in the clouds. For two aerosol scenarios, the simulation results show that the anthropogenic aerosol can alter microphysical properties of Arctic clouds, and consequently surface precipitation and radiation budget. The three-dimensional GESIMA model is sensitive to depositional nucleation process. These different parameterizations of the process have a significant effect on Ice Water Path (IWP), surface precipitation and radiation at the top of atmosphere.

Author: Jiaxiong Pi
Publisher: National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada
ISBN: 9780612664296
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 206

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Author:
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 5

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Mixed-phase arctic stratus clouds are the predominant cloud type in the Arctic (Curry et al. 2000) and through various feedback mechanisms exert a strong influence on the Arctic climate. Perhaps one of the most intriguing of their features is that they tend to have liquid tops that precipitate ice. Despite the fact that this situation is colloidally unstable, these cloud systems are quite long lived - from a few days to over a couple of weeks. It has been hypothesized that mixed-phase clouds are maintained through a balance between liquid water condensation resulting from the cloud-top radiative cooling and ice removal by precipitation (Pinto 1998; Harrington et al. 1999). In their modeling study Harrington et al. (1999) found that the maintenance of this balance depends strongly on the ambient concentration of ice forming nucleus (IFN). In a follow-up study, Jiang et al. (2002), using only 30% of IFN concentration predicted by Meyers et al. (1992) IFN parameterization were able to obtain results similar to the observations reported by Pinto (1998). The IFN concentration measurements collected during the Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (M-PACE), conducted in October 2004 over the North Slope of Alaska and the Beaufort Sea (Verlinde et al. 2005), also showed much lower values then those predicted (Prenne, pers. comm.) by currently accepted ice nucleation parameterizations (e.g. Meyers et al. 1992). The goal of this study is to use the extensive IFN data taken during M-PACE to examine what effects low IFN concentrations have on mesoscale cloud structure and coastal dynamics.

Author: Neil P. Barton
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781124479354
Category : Clouds
Languages : en
Pages :

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This dissertation examines two decades of Arctic cloud cover data and the variability in Arctic clouds with relation to changes in sea ice using observational and reanalysis data, as well as a state-of-the-art mesoscale model. Decadal length Arctic cloud cover data are examined because of the inherent differences within these measurements that have not been explored in previous research. Cloud cover data are analyzed from regions poleward of 60°N from several sources of visual surface observations including surface remotely sensed measurements at two locations, two spaced-based passive remotely sensed datasets (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer Polar Pathfinder extended (APPx) and Television Infrared Observation Satellite Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) Polar Pathfinder (TPP)), and one reanalysis dataset (European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting Reanalysis (ERA-40)) are compared. The passive remotely sensed data are sensitive to surface type. Cloud amounts from the APPx and TPP decrease with increases in sea ice concentrations. In comparison to the surface remotely sensed measurements over sea ice, the APPx and TPP cloud amounts are consistently low. The ERA-40 output cloud cover not contain a sharp decrease from water to ice surfaces, and compares reasonably with the remotely sensed surface measurements over sea ice. During the northern hemisphere winter at land stations, the TPP and ERA-40 cloud amounts are similar. This is most likely a result of the ERA-40 model using TOVS irradiances as input data. The APPx and surface cloud amounts are similar during all seasons, but they are not in precise agreement with the TPP/ERA-40 values. Cloud amounts from the ERA-40 are also most similar to surface measurements in regions where radiosonde data are used as input. Cloud radiative forcing calculated from the ERA-40 output is examined with relation to sea ice concentrations using 20 years of data. The radiative effect of clouds varies linearly with sea ice concentrations during the winter and spring. This relationship is most statistically significant in the North Atlantic region, but statistically significant relationships also occurring the northern Pacific. Statistically significant correlations do not occur during the summer months. By calculating differences in cloud amount during low and high sea ice concentration summers, greater cloud cover amounts occur with decreases in sea ice in the Arctic poleward of the Pacific at the 80 percent statistical significant level. In October, clouds are varying with relation to sea ice near the sea ice edge. One-month lag relationships are calculated to examine if the cloud radiative forcing terms are changing before or after changes in sea ice concentration. Changes in the longwave radiative forcing of clouds occurs before changes in sea ice concentrations and surface temperatures in the North Atlantic region. Cloud radiative forcing, sea ice concentrations, and surface temperatures are interrelated in this region, and may be forced by the same physical mechanism. The response of Arctic clouds and surface radiative properties is examined using the polar version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) regional model over the Laptev Sea. WRF is run for four Septembers and Octobers with anomalously low and high sea ice concentrations. Differences in the surface radiative forcing, cloud radiative forcing, cloud properties and the surface heat budget are examined for the composite low and high years. In both months, there are more clouds during low sea ice years. WRF produces more low-level liquid cloud amount during years without sea ice. The increase in clouds during low sea ice years corresponds with an increase in downwelling longwave radiation, and hence longwave cloud radiative forcing. Increases in downwelling longwave radiation during low sea ice years are canceled by the increased amount of upwelling longwave radiation, which is a result of warmer surface skin temperatures. In September, the decrease in surface albedo associated with sea ice retreat/melt results in an increased net surface radiation during low sea ice years. In October, the changes in net surface radiation are not statistically significant. After the Arctic solar night begins, during times with no sea ice, large latent and sensible heat upward surface fluxes aids in the deepening of the boundary layer and preventing the formation of the typical Arctic inversion. In WRF, the increases in cloud water liquid content and downwelling longwave radiation, in low sea ice years, seems to be a result of increased open water, while the changes in the boundary layer are the result of changes in the surface radiative fluxes.

Author: Loewe, Katharina
Publisher: KIT Scientific Publishing
ISBN: 3731506866
Category : Physics
Languages : en
Pages : 174

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This work provides new insights into macro- and microphysical properties of Arctic mixed-phase clouds: first, by comparing semi-idealized large eddy simulations with observations; second, by dissecting the influences of different surface types and boundary layer structures on Arctic mixed- phase clouds; third, by elucidating the dissipation process; and finally by analyzing the main microphysical processes inside Arctic mixed-phase clouds.

Author: Gesa K. Eirund
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Author: Ming Zhao
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781303050398
Category : Arctic regions
Languages : en
Pages : 93

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The Arctic is a region that is very sensitive to global climate change while also experiencing significant changes in its surface air temperature, sea-ice cover, atmospheric circulation, precipitation, snowfall, biogeochemical cycling, and land surface. Although previous studies have shown that the arctic clouds play an important role in the arctic climate changes, the arctic clouds are poorly understood and simulated in climate model due to limited observations. Furthermore, most of the studies were based on short-term experiments and typically only cover the warm seasons, which do not provide a full understanding of the seasonal cycle of arctic clouds. To address the above concerns and to improve our understanding of arctic clouds, six years of observational and retrieval data from 1999 to 2004 at the Atmospheric Radiation Management (ARM) Climate Research Facility (ACRF) North Slope of Alaska (NSA) Barrow site are used to understand the arctic clouds and related radiative processes. In particular, we focus on the liquid-ice mass partition in the mixed-phase cloud layer. Statistical results show that aerosol type and concentration are important factors that impact the mixed-phase stratus (MPS) cloud microphysical properties: liquid water path (LWP) and liquid water fraction (LWF) decrease with the increase of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentration; the high dust loading and dust occurrence in the spring are possible reasons for the much lower LWF than the other seasons. The importance of liquid-ice mass partition on surface radiation budgets was analyzed by comparing cloud longwave radiative forcings under the same LWP but different ice water path (IWP) ranges. Results show the ice phase enhance the surface cloud longwave (LW) forcing by 8~9 W m−2 in the moderately thin MPS. This result provides an observational evidence on the aerosol glaciation effect in the moderately thin MPS, which is largely unknown so far. The above new insights are important to guide the model parameterizations of liquid-ice mass partition in arctic mixed-phase clouds, and are served as a test bed to cloud models and cloud microphysical schemes. The observational data between 1999 and 2007 are used to assess the performance of the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model in the Arctic region. The ECMWF model-simulated near-surface humidity had seasonal dependent biases as large as 20%, while also experiencing difficulty representing boundary layer (BL) temperature inversion height and strength during the transition seasons. Although the ECMWF model captured the seasonal variation of surface heat fluxes, it had sensible heat flux biases over 20 W m−2 in most of the cold months. Furthermore, even though the model captured the general seasonal variations of low-level cloud fraction (LCF) and LWP, it still overestimated the LCF by 20% or more and underestimated the LWP over 50% in the cold season. On average, the ECMWF model underestimated LWP by ~30 g m−2 but more accurately predicted ice water path for BL clouds. For BL mixed-phase clouds, the model predicted water-ice mass partition was significantly lower than the observations, largely due to the temperature dependence of water-ice mass partition used in the model. The new cloud and BL schemes of the ECMWF model that were implemented after 2003 only resulted in minor improvements in BL cloud simulations in summer. These results indicate that significant improvements in cold season BL and mixed-phase cloud processes in the model are needed. In this study, single-layer MPS clouds were simulated by the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model under different microphysical schemes and different ice nuclei (IN) number concentrations. Results show that by using proper IN concentration, the WRF model incorporated with Morrison microphysical scheme can reasonably capture the observed seasonal differences in temperature dependent liquid-ice mass partition. However, WRF simulations underestimate both LWP and IWP indicating its deficiency in capturing the radiative impacts of arctic MPS clouds.

Author: Constantin Andronache
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 012810550X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 302

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Mixed-Phase Clouds: Observations and Modeling presents advanced research topics on mixed-phase clouds. As the societal impacts of extreme weather and its forecasting grow, there is a continuous need to refine atmospheric observations, techniques and numerical models. Understanding the role of clouds in the atmosphere is increasingly vital for current applications, such as prediction and prevention of aircraft icing, weather modification, and the assessment of the effects of cloud phase partition in climate models. This book provides the essential information needed to address these problems with a focus on current observations, simulations and applications. Provides in-depth knowledge and simulation of mixed-phase clouds over many regions of Earth, explaining their role in weather and climate Features current research examples and case studies, including those on advanced research methods from authors with experience in both academia and the industry Discusses the latest advances in this subject area, providing the reader with access to best practices for remote sensing and numerical modeling

Author:
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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The goal of this project is the development and evaluation of improved parameterization of arctic cloud and radiation processes and implementation of the parameterizations into a climate model. Our research focuses specifically on the following issues: (1) continued development and evaluation of cloud microphysical parameterizations, focusing on issues of particular relevance for mixed phase clouds; and (2) evaluation of the mesoscale simulation of arctic cloud system life cycles.

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aeronautics
Languages : en
Pages : 836

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