Evaluation of clouds and radiative fluxes in the EC-Earth general circulation model

Climate Dynamics

Volumn 43, Issue 9-10, 2014, Pages 2777-2796

  Lacagnina, Carlo ^a   Selten, Frank ^a  

^a ROYAL NETHERLANDS METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE KNMI   (Netherlands)

Author keywords

Cloud bias; Cloud metrics; EC Earth; Moist convection; Radiative fluxes bias

Indexed keywords

EID: 84894796656     PISSN: 09307575     EISSN: 14320894     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s00382-014-2093-9     Document Type: Article

References (118)

1. Adler RF, Huffman GJ, Chang A, Ferraro R, Xie P, Janowiak J, Rudolf B, Schneider U, Curtis S, Bolvin D, Gruber A, Susskind J, Arkin P (2003) The version 2 global precipitation climatology project (GPCP) monthly precipitation analysis (1979-Present). J Hydrometeorol 4:1147–1167
2. Baker MB (1997) Cloud microphysics and climate. Science 276:1072–1078
3. Barker HW, Stephens GL, Fu Q (1999) The sensitivity of domain-averaged solar fluxes to assumptions about cloud geometry. Q J R Meteorol Soc 125:2127–2152
4. Bechtold P, Köhler M, Jung T, Leutbecher M, Doblas-Reyes F, Rodwell MJ, Vitart F, Balsamo G (2008) Advances in simulating atmospheric variability with the ECMWF model: from synoptic to decadal time-scales. Q J R Meteorol Soc 134:1337–1351
5. Beljaars ACM, Viterbo P (1999) The role of the boundary layer in a numerical weather prediction model. In: Holtslag AAM, Duynkerke PG (eds) Clear and cloudy boundary layers. North Holland Publishers, Amsterdam
6. Bender FA-M, Rodhe H, Charlson RJ, Ekman AML, Loeb N (2006) 22 views of the global albedo-comparison between 20 GCMs and two satellites. Tellus 58A:320–330
7. Bennartz R (2007) Global assessment of marine boundary layer cloud droplet number concentration from satellite. J Geophys Res 112:D02201. doi:10.1029/2006JD007547
8. Bodas-Salcedo A, Webb MJ, Bony S, Chepfer H, Dufresne JL, Klein SA, Zhang Y, Marchand R, Haynes JM, Pincus R, John VO (2011) COSP: satellite simulation software for model assessment. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 92(8):1023–1043. doi:10.1175/2011BAMS2856.1
9. Bony S, Lau K-M, Sud YC (1997) Sea surface temperature and large-scale circulation influences on tropical greenhouse effect and cloud radiative forcing. J Clim 10:2055–2077
10. Bony S, Dufresne J-L, LeTreut H, Morcrette J-J, Senior C (2004) On dynamic and thermodynamic components of cloud changes. Clim Dyn 22:71–86
11. Bony S, Dufresne J-L (2005) Marine boundary layer clouds at the heart of cloud feedback uncertainties in climate models. Geophys Res Lett 32:L20806. doi:10.1029/2005GL023851
12. Bony S, Colman R, Kattsov VM, Allan RP, Bretherton CS, Dufresne J-L, Hall A, Hallegatte S, Holland MM, Ingram W, Randall DA, Soden DJ, Tselioudis G, Webb MJ (2006) How well do we understand and evaluate climate change feedback processes? J Clim 19:3445–3482. doi:10.1175/JCLI3819.1
13. Bretherton CS, de Roode SR, Jakob C, Andreas EL, Intrieri J, Moritz RE, Persson POG (2000) A comparison of the ECMWF forecast model with observations over the annual cycle at SHEBA. J Geophys Res volume: FIRE Arctic Clouds Experiment Special Issue
14. Bretherton CS, Hartmann DL (2009) Large-scale controls on cloudiness. Peer-reviewed book chapter for perturbed clouds in the climate system: their relationship to energy balance, atmospheric dynamics and precipitation. In: Heintzenberg J, Charlson RJ (eds) Strungmann Forum Reports, vol. 2, MIT Press, pp 217–234
15. Bretherton CS, Wyant MC (1997) Moisture transport, lower-tropospheric stability, and decoupling of cloud-topped boundary layers. J Atmos Sci 54:148–167
16. Bretherton CS et al (1999) An intercomparison of radiatively-driven entrainment and turbulence in a smoke cloud, as simulated by different numerical models. Q J R Meteorol Soc 125:391–423
17. Cess RD et al. (1996) Cloud feedback in atmospheric general circulation models: an update. J Geophys Res 101:12791–12794
18. Chang FL, Li ZQ (2005) A new method for detection of cirrus overlapping water clouds and determination of their optical properties. J Atmos Sci 62:3993–4009
19. Charlock TP, Ramanathan V (1985) The albedo field and cloud radiative forcing produced by a general circulation model with internally generated cloud optics. J Atmos Sci 42:1405–1429
20. Chen R, Wood R, Li Z, Ferraro R, Chang F-L (2008) Studying the vertical variation of cloud droplet effective radius using ship and space-borne remote sensing data. J Geophys Res 113:D00A02. doi:10.1029/2007JD009596
21. Clement AC, Burgman R, Norris JR (2009) Observational and model evidence for positive low level cloud feedback. Science 325:460–464. doi:10.1126/science.1171255
22. Derbyshire SH, Beau I, Bechtold P, Grandpeix J-Y, Piriou J-M, Redelsperger J-L, Soares PMM (2004) Sensitivity of moist convection to environmental humidity. Q J R Meteorol Soc 130:3055–3079
23. Dhuria HL, Kyle HL (1990) Cloud types and the tropical earth radiation budget. J Clim 3:1409–1434
24. Dufresne J-L, Bony S (2008) An assessment of the primary sources of spread of global warming estimates from coupled atmosphere-ocean models. J Clim 21(19):5135–5144
25. Emanuel KA (1991) A scheme for representing cumulus convection in large-scale models. J Atmos Sci 48:2313–2335
26. Emanuel KA, Neelin JD, Bretherton CS (1994) On large-scale circulations in convecting atmospheres. Q J R Meteorol Soc 120:1111–1143
27. Forbes RM, Tompkins A (2011) An improved representation of cloud and precipitation. ECMWF Newsletter No. 129, 13–18
28. Fouquart Y, Bonnel B (1980) Computations of solar heating of the earth’s atmosphere: a new parameterization. Beitr Phys Atmos 53:35–62
29. Greuell W, van Meijgaard E, Clerbaux N, Meirink JF (2011) Evaluation of model-predicted top-of-atmosphere radiation and cloud parameters over Africa with observations from GERB and SEVIRI. J Clim 24:4015–4036. doi:10.1175/2011JCLI3856.1
30. Guilyardi E, Braconnot P, Jin F-F, Kim ST, Kolasinski M, Li T, Musat I (2009) Atmosphere feedbacks during ENSO in a coupled GCM with a modified atmospheric convection scheme. J Clim 22:5698–5718
31. Harrison EF, Minnis P, Barkstrom BR, Ramanathan V, Cess RD, Gibson GG (1990) Seasonal variation of cloud radiative forcing derived from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment. J Geophys Res 95:18687–18703
32. Hazeleger W, Wang X, Severijns C, Stefanescu S, Bintanja R, Sterl A, Wyser K, Semmler T, Yang S, van den Hurk B, van Noije T, van der Linden E, van der Wiel K (2012) EC-Earth V2.2: description and validation of a new seamless earth system prediction model. Clim Dyn 39:2611–2629. doi:10.1007/s00382-011-1228-5
33. Hazeleger W, Severijns C, Semmler T, Stefanescu S, Yang S, Wang X, Wyser K, Dutra E, Bintanja R, van den Hurk B, van Noije T, Selten F, Sterl A, et al (2010) EC-Earth: a seamless earth-system prediction approach in action. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 91:1357–1363. doi:10.1175/2010BAMS2877.1
34. Held IM, Soden BJ (2006) Robust responses of the hydrological cycle to global warming. J Clim 19:5686–5699. doi:10.1175/JCLI3990.1
35. Heymsfield AJ (2003) Properties of tropical and midlatitude ice cloud particle ensembles: part I: median mass diameters and terminal velocities. J Atmos Sci 60:2592–2611
36. Houze RA (1993) Cloud dynamics. Academic Press, New York
37. Hu Y, Rodier S, Xu K, Sun W, Huang J, Lin B, Zhai P, Josset D (2010) Occurrence, liquid water content, and fraction of supercooled water clouds from combined CALIOP/IIR/MODIS measurements. J Geophys Res 115:D00H34. doi:10.1029/2009JD012384
38. Jakob C (2001) The representation of cloud cover in atmospheric general circulation models. PhD thesis, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, p 193
39. Jin Y, Rossow WB, Wylie DP (1996) Comparison of the climatologies of high-level clouds from HIRS and ISCCP. J Clim 9:2850–2879
40. Kanamitsu M, Ebisuzaki W, Woollen J, Yang SK, Hnilo JJ, Fiorino M, Potter G (2002) NCEP-DOE AMIP-II reanalysis. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 83:1631–1643
41. Kay JE et al (2012) Exposing global cloud biases in the community atmosphere model (CAM) using satellite observations and their corresponding instrument simulators. J Clim 25:5190–5207
42. Kessler E (1969) On the distribution and continuity of water substance in atmospheric circulation. Meteorological Monographs, vol. 10. Am Meteorol Soc, Boston, MA
43. Klein SA, Hartmann DL (1993) The seasonal cycle of low stratiform clouds. J Clim 6:1588–1606
44. Klein SA, Jakob C (1999) Validation and sensitivities of frontal clouds simulated by the ECMWF model. Mon Weather Rev 127:2514–2531
45. Klein SA, Zhang Y, Zelinka MD, Pincus R, Boyle J, Gleckler PJ (2013) Are climate model simulations of clouds improving? An evaluation using the ISCCP simulator. J Geophys Res Atmos 118:1329–1342. doi:10.1002/jgrd.50141
46. Klocke D, Pincus R, Quaas J (2011) On constraining estimates of climate sensitivity with present-day observations through model weighting. J Clim 24:6092–6099
47. Koenigk T, Brodeau L, Graversen RG, Karlsson J, Svensson G, Tjernstrom M, Willen U, Wyser K (2013) Arctic climate change in 21st century CMIP5 simulations with EC-Earth. Clim Dyn 40(11):2719–2743. doi:10.1007/s00382-012-1505-y
48. Köhler M (2005) Improved prediction of boundary layer clouds. ECMWF Newsletter, (104), ECMWF, Shinfield Park, Reading RG2 9AX, UK
49. Korolev A, Field PR (2008) The effect of dynamics on mixed-phase clouds: theoretical considerations. J Atmos Sci 65:66–86
50. Kubar TL, Hartmann DL, Wood R (2007) Radiative and convective driving of tropical high clouds. J Clim 20:5510–5526
51. Kuo HL, Raymond WH (1980) A quasi-one-dimensional cumulus cloud model and parametrization of cumulus heating and mixing effects. Mon Weather Rev 108:991–1009
52. Lacagnina C, Selten F (2013a) Changes in the cloud properties in response to El Niño: a bivariate approach. Clim Dyn 40(11–12):2973–2991
53. Lacagnina C, Selten F (2013b) A novel diagnostic technique to investigate cloud-controlling factors. J Geophys Res Atmos 118:5979–5991. doi:10.1002/jgrd.50511
54. Lauer A, Hamilton K (2013) Simulating clouds with global climate models: a comparison of CMIP5 results with CMIP3 and satellite data. J Clim 26:3823–3845
55. Lin WY, Zhang MH, Loeb NG (2009) Seasonal variation of the physical properties of marine boundary layer clouds off the California coast. J Clim 22:2624–2638
56. Loeb NG, Wielicki BA, Doelling DR, Smith GL, Keyes DF, Kato S, Manalo-Smith N, Wong T (2009) Toward optimal closure of the earths top-of-atmosphere radiation budget. J Clim 22:748–766. doi:10.1175/2008JCLI2637.1
57. Ma C-C, Mechoso CR, Robertson AW, Arakawa A (1996) Peruvian stratus clouds and the tropical Pacific circulation: a coupled ocean atmosphere GCM study. J Clim 9:1635–1645
58. Madec G (2008) NEMO ocean engine. Note du Pole de modelisation, Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace (IPSL), France, No. 27 ISSN No. 1288–1619
59. Marchand R, Ackerman T (2010) An analysis of cloud cover in multiscale modeling framework global climate model simulations using 4 and 1 km horizontal grids. J Geophys Res 115:D16207. doi:10.1029/2009JD013423
60. Marchand R, Ackerman T, Smyth M, Rossow WB (2010) A review of cloud top height and optical depth histograms from MISR, ISCCP, and MODIS. J Geophys Res 115:D16206. doi:10.1029/2009JD013422
61. Marchand R, Ackerman T (2011) A cloud-resolving model with an adaptive vertical grid for boundary layer clouds. J Atmos Sci 68:1058–1074. doi:10.1175/2010JAS3638.1
62. Martin GM, Johnson DW, Spice A (1994) The measurement and parameterization of effective radius of droplets in warm stratocumulus clouds. J Atmos Sci 51:1823–1842
63. Matheson MA, Coakley JA, Tahnk WR (2005) Aerosol and cloud property relationships for summertime stratiform clouds in the northeastern Atlantic from advanced very high resolution radiometer observations. J Geophys Res 110:D24204
64. Morcrette JJ, Clough SA, Mlawer EJ, Iacono MJ (1998) Impact of a validated radiative transfer scheme, RRTM, on the ECMWF model climate and 10-day forecasts. ECMWF Technical Memo No. 252, p 47
65. Morcrette J-J, Fouquart Y (1986) The overlapping of cloud layers in shortwave radiation parameterizations. J Atmos Sci 43:321–328
66. Murphy J, Sexton DH, Barnett DN, Jones GS, Webb MJ, Collins M, Stainforth DA (2004) Quantification of modelling uncertainties in a large ensemble of climate change simulations. Nature 430:768772
67. Nam CCW, Quaas J (2012) Evaluation of clouds and precipitation in the ECHAM5 general circulation model using CALIPSO and CloudSat satellite data. J Clim 25:4975–4992. doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-11-00347.1
68. Nieuwstadt FTM (1984) The turbulent structure of the stable, nocturnal boundary layer. J Atmos Sci 41:2202–2216
69. Nitta T (1975) Observational determination of cloud mass flux distributions. J Atmos Sci 32:73–91
70. Nordeng T-E (1994) Extended versions of the convection parametrization scheme at ECMWF and their impact upon the mean climate and transient activity of the model in the tropics. ECMWF Tech. Memo. No 206
71. Ou SC, Liou K-N (1995) Ice microphysics and climatic temperature feedback. Atmos Res 35:127–138
72. Pincus R, Baker MB (1994) Effect of precipitation on the albedo susceptibility of clouds in the marine boundary layer. Nature 372:250252
73. Pincus R, Platnick S, Ackerman SA, Hemler RS, Hofmann RJP (2012) Reconciling simulated and observed views of clouds: MODIS, ISCCP, and the limits of instrument simulators. J Clim 25:4699–4720. doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-11-00267.1
74. Platnick S (2000) Vertical photon transport in cloud remote sensing problems. J Geophys Res 105:22919–22935. doi:10.1029/2000JD900333
75. Platnick S, King MD, Ackerman SA, Menzel WP, Baum BA, Riedi JC, Frey RA (2003) The MODIS cloud products: algorithms and examples from Terra. IEEE Trans Geosci Remote Sens 41:459–473
76. Rauber RM, Tokay A (1991) An explanation for the existence of supercooled water at the top of cold clouds. J Atmos Sci 48:1005–1023
77. Rossow WB, Schiffer RA (1999) Advances in understanding clouds from ISCCP. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 80:2261–2288
78. Ryan BF et al (2000) Simulations of a cold front by cloud-resolving, limited-area, and large-scale models, and a model evaluation using in situ and satellite observations. Mon Weather Rev 128:3218–3235
79. Sandu I, Stevens B, Pincus R (2010) On the transitions in marine boundary layer cloudiness. Atmos Chem Phys 10:2377–2391
80. Sekiguchi M et al (2003) A study of the direct and indirect effects of aerosols using global satellite data sets of aerosol and cloud parameters. J Geophys Res 108, doi:10.1029/2002JD003359
81. Shonk JKP, Hogan RJ, Manner J (2012) Impact of improved representation of horizontal and vertical cloud structure in a climate model. Clim Dyn 38:2365–2376. doi:10.1007/s00382-011-1174-2
82. Siebesma AP, et al (2004) Cloud representation in general circulation models over the northern Pacific Ocean: AEUROCS intercomparison study. Q J R Meteorol Soc 130:3245–3267
83. Siebesma AP, Pedro MM (2007) A combined eddy-diffusivity mass-flux approach for the convective boundary layer. J Atmos Sci 64:1230–1248. doi:10.1175/JAS3888.1
84. Simmons A, Uppala C, Dee D, Kobayashi S (2007) ERA-Interim: new ECMWF reanalysis products from 1989 onwards. ECMWF Newsletter No. 110, pp 25–35
85. Simpson J (1971) On cumulus entrainment and one-dimensional models. J Atmos Sci 28:449–455
86. Simpson J, Kummerow C, Tao WK, Adler RF (1996) On the tropical rainfall measuring mission (TRMM). Meteorol Atmos Phys 60:19–36
87. Slingo A (1990) Sensitivity of the Earths radiation budget to changes is low clouds. Nature 343:49–51. doi:10.1038/343049a0
88. Smith TM, Reynolds RW (2004) Improved extended reconstruction of SST (1854–1997). J Clim 17:2466–2477
89. Soden BJ, Held IM (2006) An assessment of climate feedbacks in coupled atmosphere-ocean models. J Clim 19:3354–3360
90. Solomon S, et al (2007) Climate change 2007: the physical science basis: contribution of working group I to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN 0521705967
91. Spencer RW, Braswell WD (1997) How dry is the tropical free troposphere? Implications for global warming theory. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 78:1097–1106
92. Stackhouse PW Jr, Gupta SK, Cox SJ, Zhang T, Mikovitz JC, Hinkelman LM (2011) 24.5-year SRB data set released. GEWEX News 21:10–12
93. Stephens GL (1978) Radiation profiles in extended water clouds. II: parameterization schemes. J Atmos Sci 35:2123–2132. doi:10.1175/1520-0469(1978)0352123:RPIEWC2.0.CO;2
94. Stephens GL, Platt CMR (1987) Aircraft observations of the radiative and microphysical properties of stratocumulus and cumulus cloud fields. J Clim Appl Meteorol 26:1243–1269
95. Stevens B et al (2003) On entrainment in nocturnal marine stratocumulus. Q J R Meteorol Soc 129(595):3469–3492
96. Stevens B, Brenguier J-L (2009) Cloud-contolling factors: low clouds. In: Heintzenberg J, Charlson R (eds) Clouds in the perturbed climate system: their relationship to energy balance, atmospheric dynamics, and precipitation. pp 173–196
97. Stocker TF, et al (2001) Physical climate processes and feedbacks. In: Houghton JT, et al (eds) Climate change 2001: the scientific basis, contributions of working group I to the third assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
98. Stubenrauch CJ, Rossow WB, Kinne S, Ackerman S, Cesana G, Chepfer H, Di Girolamo L, Getzewich B, Guignard A, Heidinger A, Maddux BC, Menzel WP, Minnis P, Pearl C, Platnick S, Poulsen C, Riedi J, Sun-Mack S, Walther A, Winker D, Zeng S, Zhao G (2012) Assessment of global cloud datasets from satellites: project and database initiated by the GEWEX radiation panel. Bull Am Meteorol Soc. doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-12-00117
99. Sundqvist H (1978) A parameterization scheme for non-convective condensation including prediction of cloud water content. Q J R Meteorol Soc 104:677–690
100. Tiedtke M (1989) A comprehensive mass flux scheme for cumulus parameterization in large-scale models. Mon Weather Rev 117:1779–1800
101. Tiedtke M (1993) Representation of clouds in large-scale models. Mon Weather Rev 121:3040–3061
102. Valcke S (2006) OASIS3 user guide (prism 2–5). CERFACS technical report TR/CMGC/06/73, PRISM Report No 3, Toulouse, France. p 60
103. Vecchi GA, Soden BJ (2007) Global warming and the weakening of the tropical circulation. J Clim 20:4316–4340
104. Vial J, Dufresne J-L, Bony S (2013) On the interpretation of inter-model spread in CMIP5 climate sensitivity estimates. Clim Dyn 41:3339–3362
105. Viterbo P, Beljaars ACM, Mahouf J-F, Teixeira J (1999) The representation of soil moisture freezing and its impact on the stable boundary layer. Q J R Meteorol Soc 125:2401–2426
106. Wallace JM (1992) Effect of deep convection on the regulation of tropical sea surface temperature. Nature 357:230–231
107. Walther A, Heidinger A (2012) Implementation of the daytime cloud optical and microphysical properties algorithm (DCOMP) in PATMOS-x. J Appl Meteorol Clim 51:1371–1390
108. Wang L, Wang Y, Lauer A, Xie S-P (2011) Simulation of seasonal variation of marine boundary layer clouds over the Eastern Pacific with a regional climate model. J Clim 24:3190–3210. doi:10.1175/2010JCLI3935.1
109. Webb MJ, et al (2006) On the contribution of local feedback mechanisms to the range of climate sensitivity in two GCM ensembles. Clim Dyn 27:17–38
110. Webb M, Senior C, Bony S, Morcrette J-J (2001) Combining ERBE and ISCCP data to assess clouds in the Hadley Centre, ECWMF and LMD atmospheric climate models. Clim Dyn 17:905–922
111. Wetherald RT, Manabe S (1988) Cloud feedback process in a general circulation model. J Atmos Sci 45:1397–1415
112. Williams KD, Ringer MA, Senior CA (2003) Evaluating the cloud response to climate change and current climate variability. Clim Dyn 20:705–721
113. Williams KD, Ringer MA, Senior CA, Webb MJ, McAvaney BJ, Andronova N, Bony S, Dufresne J-L, Emori S, Gudgel R, Knutson T, Li B, Lo K, Musat I, Wegner J, Slingo A, Mitchell JFB (2006) Evaluation of a component of the cloud response to climate change in an intercomparison of climate models. Clim Dyn 26:145–165. doi:10.1007/s00382-005-0067-7
114. Wood R, Bretherton CS (2006) Spatial variability of liquid water path in marine low cloud: the importance of mesoscale cellular convection. J Clim 19:1748–1764
115. Wyant MC et al (2010) The PreVOCA experiment: modeling the lower troposphere in the southeast Pacific. Atmos Chem Phys 10:4757–4774
116. Yu L, Jin X, Weller RA (2008) Multidecade global flux datasets from the objectively analyzed air-sea fluxes (OAFlux) project: latent and sensible heat fluxes, ocean evaporation, and related surface meteorological variables. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, OAFlux Project Technical Report. OA-2008-01, p 64. Woods Hole. Massachusetts
117. Zhang GJ, Vogelmann AM, Jensen MP, Collins WD, Luke EP (2010) Relating satellite-observed cloud properties from MODIS to meteorological conditions for marine boundary layer clouds. J Clim 23:1374–1391. doi:10.1175/2009JCLI2897.1
118. Zhang Z, Platnick S (2011) An assessment of differences between cloud effective particle radius retrievals for marine water clouds from three MODIS spectral bands. J Geophys Res 116:D20215. doi:10.1029/2011JD016216