Simulation of Aerosol-Cloud Interactions in the WRF Model at the Southern Great Plains Site

Simulation of Aerosol-Cloud Interactions in the WRF Model at the Southern Great Plains Site PDF Author: Jonathan Michael Vogel
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The aerosol direct and indirect effects were investigated for three specific cases during the March 2000 Cloud IOP at the SGP site by using a modified WRF model. The WRF model was previously altered to include a two-moment bulk microphysical scheme for the aerosol indirect effect and a modified Goddard shortwave radiation scheme for the aerosol direct effect. The three cases studied include a developing low pressure system, a low precipitation event of mainly cirrus clouds, and a cold frontal passage. Three different aerosol profiles were used with surface concentrations ranging from 210 cm^-3 to 12,000 cm^-3. In addition, each case and each aerosol profile was run both with and without the aerosol direct effect. Regardless of the case, increasing the aerosol concentration generally increased cloud water and droplet values while decreasing rain water and droplet values. Increased aerosols also decreased the surface shortwave radiative flux for every case; which was greatest when the aerosol direct effect was included. For convective periods during polluted model runs, the aerosol direct effect lowered the surface temperature and reduced convection leading to a lower cloud fraction. During most convective periods, the changes to cloud, rain, and ice water mixing ratios and number concentrations produced a nonlinear precipitation trend. A balance between these values was achieved for moderate aerosol profiles, which produced the highest convective precipitation rates. In non-convective cases, due to the presence of ice particles, aerosol concentration and precipitation amounts were positively correlated. The aerosol threshold between precipitation enhancement and suppression should be further studied for specific cloud types as well as for specific synoptic weather patterns to determine its precise values. The electronic version of this dissertation is accessible from http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/148070

Simulation of Aerosol-Cloud Interactions in the WRF Model at the Southern Great Plains Site

Simulation of Aerosol-Cloud Interactions in the WRF Model at the Southern Great Plains Site PDF Author: Jonathan Michael Vogel
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The aerosol direct and indirect effects were investigated for three specific cases during the March 2000 Cloud IOP at the SGP site by using a modified WRF model. The WRF model was previously altered to include a two-moment bulk microphysical scheme for the aerosol indirect effect and a modified Goddard shortwave radiation scheme for the aerosol direct effect. The three cases studied include a developing low pressure system, a low precipitation event of mainly cirrus clouds, and a cold frontal passage. Three different aerosol profiles were used with surface concentrations ranging from 210 cm^-3 to 12,000 cm^-3. In addition, each case and each aerosol profile was run both with and without the aerosol direct effect. Regardless of the case, increasing the aerosol concentration generally increased cloud water and droplet values while decreasing rain water and droplet values. Increased aerosols also decreased the surface shortwave radiative flux for every case; which was greatest when the aerosol direct effect was included. For convective periods during polluted model runs, the aerosol direct effect lowered the surface temperature and reduced convection leading to a lower cloud fraction. During most convective periods, the changes to cloud, rain, and ice water mixing ratios and number concentrations produced a nonlinear precipitation trend. A balance between these values was achieved for moderate aerosol profiles, which produced the highest convective precipitation rates. In non-convective cases, due to the presence of ice particles, aerosol concentration and precipitation amounts were positively correlated. The aerosol threshold between precipitation enhancement and suppression should be further studied for specific cloud types as well as for specific synoptic weather patterns to determine its precise values. The electronic version of this dissertation is accessible from http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/148070

Aerosol-Cloud Interactions from Urban, Regional, to Global Scales

Aerosol-Cloud Interactions from Urban, Regional, to Global Scales PDF Author: Yuan Wang
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3662471752
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 100

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Book Description
The studies in this dissertation aim at advancing our scientific understandings about physical processes involved in the aerosol-cloud-precipitation interaction and quantitatively assessing the impacts of aerosols on the cloud systems with diverse scales over the globe on the basis of the observational data analysis and various modeling studies. As recognized in the Fifth Assessment Report by the Inter-government Panel on Climate Change, the magnitude of radiative forcing by atmospheric aerosols is highly uncertain, representing the largest uncertainty in projections of future climate by anthropogenic activities. By using a newly implemented cloud microphysical scheme in the cloud-resolving model, the thesis assesses aerosol-cloud interaction for distinct weather systems, ranging from individual cumulus to mesoscale convective systems. This thesis also introduces a novel hierarchical modeling approach that solves a long outstanding mismatch between simulations by regional weather models and global climate models in the climate modeling community. More importantly, the thesis provides key scientific solutions to several challenging questions in climate science, including the global impacts of the Asian pollution. As scientists wrestle with the complexities of climate change in response to varied anthropogenic forcing, perhaps no problem is more challenging than the understanding of the impacts of atmospheric aerosols from air pollution on clouds and the global circulation.

Model Simulations of Aerosol Effects on Clouds and Precipitation in Comparison with ARM Data

Model Simulations of Aerosol Effects on Clouds and Precipitation in Comparison with ARM Data PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 4

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Book Description
Observation-based studies have shown that the aerosol cloud lifetime effect or the increase of cloud liquid water path (LWP) with increased aerosol loading may have been overestimated in climate models. Here, we simulate shallow warm clouds on 05/27/2011 at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) measurement site established by Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program using a single column version of a global climate model (Community Atmosphere Model or CAM) and a cloud resolving model (CRM). The LWP simulated by CAM increases substantially with aerosol loading while that in the CRM does not. The increase of LWP in CAM is caused by a large decrease of the autoconversion rate when cloud droplet number increases. In the CRM, the autoconversion rate is also reduced, but this is offset or even outweighed by the increased evaporation of cloud droplets near cloud top, resulting in an overall decrease in LWP. Our results suggest that climate models need to include the dependence of cloud top growth and the evaporation/condensation process on cloud droplet number concentrations.

Investigation of the Aerosol-cloud Interaction Using the WRF Framework

Investigation of the Aerosol-cloud Interaction Using the WRF Framework PDF Author: Guohui Li
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
In this dissertation, a two-moment bulk microphysical scheme with aerosol effects is developed and implemented into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to investigate the aerosol-cloud interaction. Sensitivities of cloud properties to the representation of aerosol size distributions are first evaluated using a simple box model and a cloud resolving model with a detailed spectral-bin microphysics, indicating that the three-moment method generally exhibits better performance in modeling cloud properties than the two-moment method against the sectional approach. A convective cloud event occurring on August 24, 2000 in Houston, Texas is investigated using the WRF model, and the simulation results are qualitatively in agreement with the measurements. Simulations with various aerosol profiles demonstrate that the response of precipitation to the increase of aerosol concentrations is non-monotonic. The maximal cloud cover, core updraft, and maximal vertical velocity exhibit similar responses as precipitation. The WRF model with the two-moment microphysical scheme successfully simulates the development of a squall line that occurred in the south plains of the U.S. Model experiments varying aerosol concentrations from the clean background case to the polluted continental case show that the aerosol concentrations insignificantly influence the rainfall pattern/distribution, but can remarkably alter the precipitation intensity. The WRF experiment with polluted aerosols predicts 12.8% more precipitation than that with clean aerosols, as well as more intensive rainfall locally. Using the monthly mean cloudiness from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP), a trend of increasing deep convective clouds over the north Pacific in winter from 1984 to 2005 is detected. Additionally, through analyzing the results from the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) version 2, we also show a trend of increasing wintertime precipitation over the north Pacific from 1984 to 2005. Simulations with the WRF model reveal that the increased deep convective clouds and precipitation are reproduced when accounting for the aerosol effect from the increasing Asian pollution outflow.

Study of Aerosol/Cloud/Radiation Interactions Over the ARM SGP Site

Study of Aerosol/Cloud/Radiation Interactions Over the ARM SGP Site PDF Author: C. Chuang
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 9

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Book Description
While considerable advances in the understanding of atmospheric processes and feedbacks in the climate system have led to a better representation of these mechanisms in general circulation models (GCMs), the greatest uncertainty in predictability of future climate arises from clouds and their interactions with radiation. To explore this uncertainty, cloud resolving model has been evolved as one of the main tools for understanding and testing cloud feedback processes in climate models, whereas the indirect effects of aerosols are closely linked with cloud feedback processes. In this study we incorporated an existing parameterization of cloud drop concentration (Chuang et al., 2002a) together with aerosol prediction from a global chemistry/aerosol model (IMPACT) (Rotman et al., 2004; Chuang et al., 2002b; Chuang et al., 2005) into LLNL cloud resolving model (Chin, 1994; Chin et al., 1995; Chin and Wilhelmson, 1998) to investigate the effects of aerosols on cloud/precipitation properties and the resulting radiation fields over the Southern Great Plains.

Efficacy of Aerosol-Cloud Interactions Under Varying Meteorological Conditions

Efficacy of Aerosol-Cloud Interactions Under Varying Meteorological Conditions PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Several studies have demonstrated that cloud dynamical processes such as entrainment mixing may be the primary modulator of cloud optical properties in certain situations. For example, entrainment of dry air alters the cloud drop size distribution by enhancing drop evaporation. However, the effect of entrainment mixing and other forms or turbulence is still quite uncertain. Although these factors and aerosol-cloud interactions should be considered together when evaluating the efficacy of aerosol indirect effects, the underlying mechanisms appear to be dependent upon each other. In addition, accounting for them is impossible with the current understanding of aerosol indirect effect. Therefore, careful objective screening and analysis of observations are needed to determine the extent to which mixing related properties affect cloud optical properties, apart from the aerosol first indirect effect. This study addresses the role of aerosol-cloud interactions in the context of varying meteorological conditions based on ARM data obtained at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site in Oklahoma and at Pt. Reyes, California. Previous analyses of the continental stratiform clouds at the SGP site have shown that the thicker clouds of high liquid water path (LWP) tend to contain sub adiabatic LWPs. These sub adiabatic LWPs, which result from active mixing processes, correspond to a lower susceptibility of the clouds to aerosol-cloud interactions, and, hence, to reduced aerosol indirect effects. In contrast, the consistently steady and thin maritime stratus clouds observed at Pt. Reyes are much closer to adiabatic. These clouds provide an excellent benchmark for the study of the aerosol influence on modified marine clouds relative to continental clouds, since they form in a much more homogeneous meteorological environment than those at the continental site.

Opportunities to Improve Representation of Clouds and Aerosols in Climate Models with Classified Observing Systems

Opportunities to Improve Representation of Clouds and Aerosols in Climate Models with Classified Observing Systems PDF Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309443458
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 53

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Book Description
One of the most significant and uncertain aspects of climate change projections is the impact of aerosols on the climate system. Aerosols influence the climate indirectly by interacting with nearby clouds leading to small changes in cloud cover, thickness, and altitude, which significantly affect Earth's radiative balance. Advancements have been made in recent years on understanding the complex processes and atmospheric interactions involved when aerosols interact with surrounding clouds, but further progress has been hindered by limited observations. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine organized a workshop to discuss the usefulness of the classified observing systems in advancing understanding of cloud and aerosol interactions. Because these systems were not developed with weather and climate modeling as a primary mission objective, many participants said it is necessary for scientists to find creative ways to utilize the data. The data from these systems have the potential to be useful in advancing understanding of cloud and aerosol interactions. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program

The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program PDF Author: D. D. Turner
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781944970055
Category : Atmospheric radiation
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


A Synthesis of Observations of Aerosol-cloud Interactions Over the Pristine, Biologically Active Southern Ocean and the Implications for Global Climate Model Predictions

A Synthesis of Observations of Aerosol-cloud Interactions Over the Pristine, Biologically Active Southern Ocean and the Implications for Global Climate Model Predictions PDF Author: Isabel Louise McCoy
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 121

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Book Description
The change in planetary albedo due to aerosol-cloud interactions (aci) during the industrial era is the leading source of uncertainty in inferring Earth's climate sensitivity to increased greenhouse gases from the historical record. Examining pristine environments such as the Southern Ocean (SO) helps us to understand the pre-industrial (PI) state and constrain radiative forcing associated with aci (RFaci). Cloud droplet number concentration (Nd) is a key aci indicator variable. Using global climate models (GCMs), this study finds that the hemispheric contrast in Nd of liquid clouds between the pristine SO and the polluted Northern Hemisphere observed in the present-day (PD) can be used as a proxy for the increase in Nd from the PI. The hemispheric difference constraint and MODIS satellite observations suggest that PI Nd may have been higher than previously thought and provide an estimate of RFaci between -1.2 and -0.6 Wm-2. Southern Ocean liquid clouds can reach Nd levels comparable to the polluted outflows of East Asia and the United States despite persistent precipitation depletion associated with mid-latitude storm systems. This high Nd in one of the most pristine regions on Earth motivates further investigation of the mechanisms driving Nd in the real world and better inclusion of the mechanisms in models. In this study, aerosol and cloud microphysical data from the 2018 Southern Ocean Cloud Radiation Aerosol Transport Experimental Study (SOCRATES) aircraft campaign are used to identify a novel and potentially important mechanism missing or poorly represented in models: production of new particles through synoptic uplift. The small, Aitken mode particles produced in this process dominate the free tropospheric atmosphere in the summertime SO. We find it is likely that entrainment of free tropospheric Aitken aerosols is a leading contributor to sub-cloud cloud condensation nuclei and thus may be a key control on Nd. The free tropospheric Aitken reservoir may maintain the persistently high Nd observed across the SO against precipitation depletion. Finally, our observational comparisons with nudged Community Atmosphere Model (CAM6) hindcasts highlight large aerosol number and composition discrepancies that may significantly and negatively impact the ability of current climate models to capture aci in pristine, PI environments.

Modeling Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation Interactions in Mountainous Regions

Modeling Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation Interactions in Mountainous Regions PDF Author: Ana Barros
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electronic books
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
In mountainous regions, the nonlinear thermodynamics of orographic land-atmosphere interactions (LATMI) in organizing and maintaining moisture convergence patterns on the one hand, and aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions (ACPI) in modulating the vertical structure of precipitation and space-time variability of surface precipitation on the other, are difficult to separate unambiguously because the physiochemical characteristics of aerosols themselves exhibit large sub-regional scale variability. In this chapter, ACPI in the Central Himalayas are examined in detail using aerosol observations during JAMEX09 (Joint Aerosol Monsoon Campaign 2009) to specify CCN activation properties for simulations of a premonsoon convective storm using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) version 3.8.1. The focus is on contrasting AIE during episodes of remote pollution run-up from the Indo-Gangetic Plains and when only local aerosols are present in Central Nepal. This study suggests strong coupling between the vertical structure of convection in complex terrain that governs the time-scales and spatial organization of cloud development, CCN activation rates, and cold microphysics (e.g. graupel production is favored by slower activation spectra) that result in large shifts in the spatial distribution of precipitation, precipitation intensity and storm arrival time.