A single-column model intercomparison on the stratocumulus representation in present-day and future climate

Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems

Volumn 7, Issue 2, 2015, Pages 617-647

  Dal Gesso, S ^a   Van Der Dussen, J J ^b   Siebesma, A P ^a,b   De Roode, S R ^b   Boutle, I A ^c   Kamae, Y ^d   Roehrig, R ^e   Vial, J ^f  

^a ROYAL NETHERLANDS METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE KNMI   (Netherlands)

^b DELFT UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY   (Netherlands)

^c MET OFFICE   (United Kingdom)

^d NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES   (Japan)

^e CENTRE NATIONAL DE RECHERCHES MÉTÉOROLOGIQUES   (France)

^f CNRS   (France)

Author keywords

cloud feedback; general circulation models; large eddy simulation; single column model; stratocumulus

Indexed keywords

BOUNDARY LAYERS; CLOUDS; LARGE EDDY SIMULATION; PRECIPITATION (METEOROLOGY); TROPOSPHERE;

CLOUD FEEDBACKS; FUTURE CLIMATE; GENERAL CIRCULATION MODEL; NOISY BEHAVIOR; SINGLE-COLUMN MODEL; STRATOCUMULUS; STRATOCUMULUS-TOPPED BOUNDARY LAYERS; THERMODYNAMIC CONDITIONS;

CLIMATE MODELS;

ATMOSPHERIC GENERAL CIRCULATION MODEL; BENCHMARKING; BOUNDARY LAYER; CLIMATE CHANGE; CLIMATE MODELING; COMPARATIVE STUDY; FUTURE PROSPECT; LARGE EDDY SIMULATION; PERTURBATION; PRECIPITATION (CLIMATOLOGY); STRATOCUMULUS; THERMODYNAMICS; TROPOSPHERE;

EID: 85027919200     PISSN: None     EISSN: 19422466     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1002/2014MS000377     Document Type: Article

References (56)

1. Bellon, G., and, B. Stevens, (2012), Using the sensitivity of large-eddy simulations to evaluate atmospheric-boundary-layer models, J. Atmos. Sci., 69, 1582-1601.
2. Blossey, P. N., C. S. Bretherton, M. Zhang, A. Cheng, S. Endo, T. Heus, Y. Liu, A. Lock, S. R. de Roode, and, K.-M. Xu, (2013), Marine low cloud sensitivity to an idealized climate change: The CGILS LES intercomparison, J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 5, 234-258, doi: 10.1002/jame.20025.
3. Böing, S. J., H. J. J. Jonker, A. P. Siebesma, and, W. W. Grabowski, (2012), Influence of the subcloud layer on the development of a deep convective ensemble, J. Atmos. Sci., 69 (9), 2682-2698.
4. Bony, S., and, J.-L. Dufresne, (2005), Marine boundary layer clouds at the heart of tropical cloud feedback uncertainties in climate models, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L20806, doi: 10.1029/2005GL023851.
5. Bony, S., and, K. A. Emanuel, (2001), A parameterization of the cloudiness associated with cumulus convection; evaluation using TOGA COARE data, J. Atmos. Sci., 58 (21), 3158-3183.
6. Boutle, I. A., and, S. J. Abel, (2012), Microphysical controls on the stratocumulus topped boundary-layer structure during VOCALS-REx, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12 (6), 2849-2863.
7. Bretherton, C. S., and, M. C. Wyant, (1997), Moisture transport, lower-tropospheric stability, and decoupling of cloud-topped boundary layers, J. Atmos. Sci., 54 (1), 148-167.
8. Bretherton, C. S., P. N. Blossey, and, C. R. Jones, (2013), Mechanisms of marine low cloud sensitivity to idealized climate perturbations: A single-LES exploration extending the CGILS cases, J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 5, 316-337, doi: 10.1002/jame.20019.
9. Brient, F., and, S. Bony, (2012), Interpretation of the positive low-cloud feedback predicted by a climate model under global warming, Clim. Dyn., 40, 1-17.
10. Cess, R. D., et al., (1989), Interpretation of cloud-climate feedback as produced by 14 atmospheric general circulation models, Science, 245 (4917), 513-516.
11. Cheedela, S. K., (2013), Single column models and low cloud feedbacks, PhD thesis, Univ. of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
12. Dal Gesso, S., A. P. Siebesma, R. S. de Roode, and, J. M. van Wessem, (2014a), A mixed-layer model perspective on stratocumulus steady-states in a perturbed climate, Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc., 140 (684), 2119-2131.
13. Dal Gesso, S., A. P. Siebesma, and de Roode (2014b), Evaluation of low-cloud climate feedback through single-column model equilibrium states, Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc.
14. Deardorff, J. W., (1966), The counter-gradient heat flux in the lower atmosphere and in the laboratory, J. Atmos. Sci., 23 (5), 503-506.
15. Duynkerke, P. G., et al., (2004), Observations and numerical simulations of the diurnal cycle of the EUROCS stratocumulus case, Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc., 130 (604), 3269-3296.
16. Emanuel, K. A., (1991), A scheme for representing cumulus convection in large-scale models, J. Atmos. Sci., 48 (21), 2313-2329.
17. Grant, A. L. M., (2001), Cloud-base fluxes in the cumulus-capped boundary layer, Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc., 127 (572), 407-421.
18. Hazeleger, W., et al., (2012), EC-Earth V2. 2: Description and validation of a new seamless earth system prediction model, Clim. Dyn., 39 (11), 2611-2629.
19. Heus, T., et al., (2010), Formulation of the Dutch atmospheric large-eddy simulation (DALES) and overview of its applications, Geosci. Model Dev., 3 (2), 415-444.
20. Hourdin, F., et al., (2006), The LMDZ4 general circulation model: Climate performance and sensitivity to parameterized physics with emphasis on tropical convection, Clim. Dyn., 27 (7-8), 787-813.
21. Kessler, E., (1995), On the continuity and distribution of water substance in atmospheric circulations, Atmos. Res., 38 (1), 109-145.
22. Klein, S. A., and, D. L. Hartmann, (1993), The seasonal cycle of low stratiform clouds, J. Clim., 6 (8), 1587-1606.
23. Lenderink, G., and, A. A. M. Holtslag, (2000), Evaluation of the kinetic energy approach for modeling turbulent fluxes in stratocumulus, Mon. Weather Rev., 128 (1), 244-258.
24. Lin, J.-L., T. Qian, and, T. Shinoda, (2014), Stratocumulus clouds in southeastern pacific simulated by eight CMIP5/CFMIP global climate models, J. Clim., 27 (8), 3000-3022.
25. Lock, A. P., A. R. Brown, M. R. Bush, G. M. Martin, and, R. N. B. Smith, (2000), A new boundary layer mixing scheme. Part I: Scheme description and single-column model tests, Mon. Weather Rev., 128 (9), 3187-3199.
26. Martin, G. M., et al., (2011), The HadGEM2 family of met office unified model climate configurations, Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss., 4 (2), 765-841.
27. Mellor, G. L., and, T. Yamada, (1974), A hierarchy of turbulence closure models for planetary boundary layers, J. Atmos. Sci., 31 (7), 1791-1806.
28. Nakanishi, M., and, H. Niino, (2004), An improved Mellor-Yamada level-3 model with condensation physics: Its design and verification, Boundary Layer Meteorol., 112 (1), 1-31.
29. Nam, C., S. Bony, J.-L. Dufresne, and, H. Chepfer, (2012), The too few, too bright tropical low-cloud problem in CMIP5 models, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L21801, doi: 10.1029/2012GL053421.
30. Park, S., C. B. Leovy, and, M. A. Rozendaal, (2004), A new heuristic Lagrangian marine boundary layer cloud model, J. Atmos. Sci., 61 (24), 3002-3024.
31. Qu, X., A. Hall, S. A. Klein, and, P. M. Caldwell, (2013), On the spread of changes in marine low cloud cover in climate model simulations of the 21st century, Clim. Dyn., 42, 1-24.
32. Randall, D. A., J. A. Coakley Jr,., D. H. Lenschow, C. W. Fairall, and, R. A. Kropfli, (1984), Outlook for research on subtropical marine stratification clouds, Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 65 (12), 1290-1301.
33. Ricard, J., and, J. Royer, (1993), A statistical cloud scheme for use in an AGCM, Ann. Geophys., 11, 1095-1115.
34. Rieck, M., L. Nuijens, and, B. Stevens, (2012), Marine boundary layer cloud feedbacks in a constant relative humidity atmosphere, J. Atmos. Sci., 69 (8), 2538-2550.
35. Siebesma, A. P., et al., (2004), Cloud representation in general-circulation models over the northern Pacific Ocean: A EUROCS intercomparison study, Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc., 130 (604), 3245-3267.
36. Siebesma, A. P., P. M. M. Soares, and, J. Teixeira, (2007), A combined eddy-diffusivity mass-flux approach for the convective boundary layer, J. Atmos. Sci., 64 (4), 1230-1248.
37. Smith, R. N. B., (1990), A scheme for predicting layer clouds and their water content in a general circulation model, Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc., 116 (492), 435-460.
38. Taylor, K. E., R. J. Stouffer, and, G. A. Meehl, (2012), An overview of CMIP5 and the experiment design, Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 93 (4), 485-498.
39. Teixeira, J., et al., (2011), Tropical and subtropical cloud transitions in weather and climate prediction models: The GCSS/WGNE pacific cross-section intercomparison (GPCI), J. Clim., 24 (20), 5223-5256.
40. Tiedtke, M., (1989), A comprehensive mass flux scheme for cumulus parameterization in large-scale models, Mon. Weather Rev., 117 (8), 1779-1800.
41. Tiedtke, M., (1993), Representation of clouds in large-scale models, Mon. Weather Rev., 121 (11), 3040-3061.
42. van der Dussen, J. J., S. R. de Roode, S. Dal Gesso, and, A. P. Siebesma, (2014), A LES study of the influence of the free troposphere on the response of stratocumulus response to a climate perturbation, J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst, in press.
43. Vecchi, G. A., B. J. Soden, A. T. Wittenberg, I. M. Held, A. Leetmaa, and, M. J. Harrison, (2006), Weakening of tropical pacific atmospheric circulation due to anthropogenic forcing, Nature, 441 (7089), 73-76.
44. Vial, J., J.-L. Dufresne, and, S. Bony, (2013), On the interpretation of inter-model spread in CMIP5 climate sensitivity estimates, Clim. Dyn., 41 (11-12), 3339-3362.
45. Voldoire, A., et al., (2013), The CNRM-CM5.1 global climate model: Description and basic evaluation, Clim. Dyn., 40 (9-10), 2091-2121.
46. Walters, D. N., et al., (2011), The met office unified model global atmosphere 3.0/3.1 and JULES global land 3.0/3.1 configurations, Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss., 4 (2), 1213-1271.
47. Watanabe, M., S. Emori, M. Satoh, and, H. Miura, (2009), A PDF-based hybrid prognostic cloud scheme for general circulation models, Clim. Dyn., 33 (6), 795-816.
48. Watanabe, M., et al., (2010), Improved climate simulation by MIROC5: Mean states, variability, and climate sensitivity, J. Clim., 23, 6312-6335.
49. Webb, M., C. Senior, S. Bony, and, J.-J. Morcrette, (2001), Combining ERBE and ISCCP data to assess clouds in the Hadley centre, ECMWF and LMD atmospheric climate models, Clim. Dyn., 17 (12), 905-922.
50. Williams, K. D., and, M. J. Webb, (2009), A quantitative performance assessment of cloud regimes in climate models, Clim. Dyn., 33 (1), 141-157.
51. Wilson, D. R., and, S. P. Ballard, (1999), A microphysically based precipitation scheme for the UK Meteorological Office Unified Model, Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc., 125 (557), 1607-1636.
52. Wilson, D. R., A. C. Bushell, A. M. Kerr-Munslow, J. D. Price, and, C. J. Morcrette, (2008), PC2: A prognostic cloud fraction and condensation scheme. I: Scheme description, Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc., 134 (637), 2093-2107.
53. Wood, R., (2012), Stratocumulus clouds, Mon. Weather Rev., 140 (8), 2373-2423.
54. Wood, R., and, C. S. Bretherton, (2004), Boundary layer depth, entrainment, and decoupling in the cloud-capped subtropical and tropical marine boundary layer, J. Clim., 17 (18), 3576-3588.
55. Zhang, M., and, C. S. Bretherton, (2008), Mechanisms of low cloud-climate feedback in idealized single-column simulations with the community atmospheric model, version 3 (CAM3), J. Clim., 21 (18), 4859-4878.
56. Zhang, M., et al., (2013), CGILS: Results from the first phase of an international project to understand the physical mechanisms of low cloud feedbacks in single column models, J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 5, 826-842, doi: 10.1002/2013MS000246.