On the Representation of Aerosol-cloud Interactions in Atmospheric Models

On the Representation of Aerosol-cloud Interactions in Atmospheric Models PDF Author: Donifan Barahona
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Atmospheric aerosols
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Anthropogenic atmospheric aerosols (suspended particulate matter) can modify the radiative balance (and climate) of the Earth by altering the properties and global distribution of clouds. Current climate models however cannot adequately account for many important aspects of these aerosol-cloud interactions, ultimately leading to a large uncertainty in the estimation of the magnitude of the effect of aerosols on climate. This thesis focuses on the development of physically-based descriptions of aerosol-cloud processes in climate models that help to address some of such predictive uncertainty. It includes the formulation of a new analytical parameterization for the formation of ice clouds, and the inclusion of the effects of mixing and kinetic limitations in existing liquid cloud parameterizations. The parameterizations are analytical solutions to the cloud ice and water particle nucleation problem, developed within a framework that considers the mass and energy balances associated with the freezing and droplet activation of aerosol particles. The new frameworks explicitly account for the impact of cloud formation dynamics, the aerosol size and composition, and the dominant freezing mechanism (homogeneous vs. heterogeneous) on the ice crystal and droplet concentration and size distribution. Application of the new parameterizations is demonstrated in the NASA Global Modeling Initiative atmospheric and chemical and transport model to study the effect of aerosol emissions on the global distribution of ice crystal concentration, and, the effect of entrainment during cloud droplet activation on the global cloud radiative properties. The ice cloud formation framework is also used within a parcel ensemble model to understand the microphysical structure of cirrus clouds at very low temperature. The frameworks developed in this work provide an efficient, yet rigorous, representation of cloud formation processes from precursor aerosol. They are suitable for the study of the effect of anthropogenic aerosol emissions on cloud formation, and can contribute to the improvement of the predictive ability of atmospheric models and to the understanding of the impact of human activities on climate.

On the Representation of Aerosol-cloud Interactions in Atmospheric Models

On the Representation of Aerosol-cloud Interactions in Atmospheric Models PDF Author: Donifan Barahona
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Atmospheric aerosols
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Anthropogenic atmospheric aerosols (suspended particulate matter) can modify the radiative balance (and climate) of the Earth by altering the properties and global distribution of clouds. Current climate models however cannot adequately account for many important aspects of these aerosol-cloud interactions, ultimately leading to a large uncertainty in the estimation of the magnitude of the effect of aerosols on climate. This thesis focuses on the development of physically-based descriptions of aerosol-cloud processes in climate models that help to address some of such predictive uncertainty. It includes the formulation of a new analytical parameterization for the formation of ice clouds, and the inclusion of the effects of mixing and kinetic limitations in existing liquid cloud parameterizations. The parameterizations are analytical solutions to the cloud ice and water particle nucleation problem, developed within a framework that considers the mass and energy balances associated with the freezing and droplet activation of aerosol particles. The new frameworks explicitly account for the impact of cloud formation dynamics, the aerosol size and composition, and the dominant freezing mechanism (homogeneous vs. heterogeneous) on the ice crystal and droplet concentration and size distribution. Application of the new parameterizations is demonstrated in the NASA Global Modeling Initiative atmospheric and chemical and transport model to study the effect of aerosol emissions on the global distribution of ice crystal concentration, and, the effect of entrainment during cloud droplet activation on the global cloud radiative properties. The ice cloud formation framework is also used within a parcel ensemble model to understand the microphysical structure of cirrus clouds at very low temperature. The frameworks developed in this work provide an efficient, yet rigorous, representation of cloud formation processes from precursor aerosol. They are suitable for the study of the effect of anthropogenic aerosol emissions on cloud formation, and can contribute to the improvement of the predictive ability of atmospheric models and to the understanding of the impact of human activities on climate.

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.

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.

Aerosol-Cloud-Climate Interactions

Aerosol-Cloud-Climate Interactions PDF Author: Peter V. Hobbs
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0080959962
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 259

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Book Description
Aerosol and clouds play important roles in determining the earth's climate, in ways that we are only beginning to comprehend. In conjunction with molecular scattering from gases, aerosol and clouds determine in part what fraction of solar radiation reaches the earth's surface, and what fraction of the longwave radiation from the earth escapes to space. This book provides an overview of the latest research on atmospheric aerosol and clouds and their effects on global climate. Subjects reviewed include the direct and indirect effects of aerosol on climate, the radiative properties of clouds and their effects on the Earth's radiation balance, the incorporation of cloud effects in numerical weather prediction models, and stratospheric aerosol and clouds.

On the Representation of Sub-grid Scale Phenomena and Its Impact on Clouds Properties and Climate

On the Representation of Sub-grid Scale Phenomena and Its Impact on Clouds Properties and Climate PDF Author: Ricardo Morales Betancourt
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aerosols
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
This thesis addresses a series of questions related to the problem of achieving reliable and physically consistent representations of aerosol-cloud interaction in global circulation models (GCM). In-situ data and modeling tools are used to develop and evaluate novel parameterization schemes for the process of aerosol activation for applications in GCM simulations. Atmospheric models of different complexity were utilized, ranging from detailed Lagrangian parcel model simulations of the condensational growth of droplets, to one-dimensional single column model with aerosol and cloud microphysics, and finally GCM simulations performed with the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM). A scheme for mapping the sub-grid scale variability of cloud droplet number concentrations (CDNC) to a number of microphysical process rates in a GCM was tested, finding that neglecting this impact can have substantial influences in the integrated cloud properties. A comprehensive comparison and evaluation of two widely used, physically-based activation parameterizations was performed in the framework of CAM5.1. This was achieved by utilizing a numerical adjoint sensitivity approach to comprehensively investigate their response under the wide range of aerosol and dynamical conditions encountered in GCM simulations. As a result of this, the specific variables responsible for the observed differences in the physical response across parameterizations are encountered, leading to further parameterization improvement.

Analysis of the Aerosol-radiation-cloud Interactions Through the Use of Regional Climate/chemistry Coupled Models

Analysis of the Aerosol-radiation-cloud Interactions Through the Use of Regional Climate/chemistry Coupled Models PDF Author: Rocío Baró Esteban
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
The response of the climate systems to aerosols and their effect on the radiative budget of the Earth is the most uncertain climate feedback and one of the key topics in climate change mitigation. Air quality-climate studies (AQCI) are a key, but uncertain contributor to the anthropogenic forcing that remains poorly understood. To build confidence in the AQCI studies, regional-scale integrated meteorology-atmospheric chemistry models are in demand. The main objective of the present Thesis is the characterization of the uncertainties in the climate-chemistry-aerosol-cloud-radiation system associated to the aerosol direct and indirect radiative effects caused by aerosols over Europe, employing an ensemble of fully-coupled climate and chemistry model simulations. The first topic covered deals with the microphysics parameterization configuration of an online-coupled model. The differences when using two microphysics schemes within the Weather Research and Forecasting coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model are analyzed. The evaluated simulations come from the Air quality Model Evaluation International Initiative (AQMEII) Phase 2. The impact on several variables is estimated when selecting Morrison vs. Lin microphysics. The results showed smaller and more numerous cloud droplets simulated with the Morrison and therefore this scheme is more effective in scattering shortwave radiation. Also, the impact of biomass burning (BB) aerosols on surface winds during the Russian heat wave and wildfires episode is studied. The methodology consists of three WRF-Chem simulations over Europe, run under the context of EuMetChem COST Action ES1004, differing in the inclusion (or not) of aerosol-radiation (ARI) and aerosol-cloud interactions (ACI). These aerosols can affect surface winds where emission sources are located and further from the release areas. Local winds decrease due to a reduction of shortwave radiation at the ground, which leads to decreases in 2-m temperature. Atmospheric stability increases when considering aerosol feedbacks, inducing a lower planetary boundary layer height. This Dissertation also investigates the ability of an ensemble of simulations to elucidate the aerosol-radiation-cloud interactions. An assessment of whether the inclusion of atmospheric aerosol radiative feedbacks during two aerosol case studies of an ensemble of on-line coupled models improves the simulation results for maximum, mean and minimum 2-m temperature is done. The simulations (COST Action ES1004) are evaluated against observational data from E-OBS database. In both episodes, a general underestimation of the studied variables is found, being most noticeable in maximum temperature. The biases are improved when including ARI or ARI+ACI in the dust case. Although the ensemble does not outperform the individual models (in general), its improvements when including ARI+ARI are more remarkable. Last, an improvement of the spatio-temporal variability and correlation coefficients when aerosol radiative effects are included is found. Finally, the representation of the ACI in regional-scale integrated models when simulating the climate-chemistry-cloud-radiation system is analyzed. It complements the temperature analyses. The evaluated simulations are run in the context of AQMEII Phase 2 and include the ARI+ACI interactions. Simulations are evaluated against the (ESA) Cloud_cci data. Results show an underestimation(overestimation) of cloud fraction (CFR) over land(ocean) areas, which could be related to satellite retrieval missing thin clouds. Lower bias and mean absolute error (MAE) are found in the ensemble Cloud optical depth (COD) and cloud liquid ice path (CIP) are generally underestimated. The differences are related to microphysics. The development of this Thesis has contributed to the state of the art in AQCI studies. Although including aerosol feedbacks does not modify the bias, the spatio-temporal variability and correlation coefficients are improved.

The Impact of Aerosol-cloud-radiation Interaction on California Weather

The Impact of Aerosol-cloud-radiation Interaction on California Weather PDF Author: Hsiang-He Lee
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781321363142
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The source-oriented Weather Research and Forecasting chemistry model (SOWC) was modified to include warm/cold cloud processes and applied to investigate 1) how source-oriented aerosols influence fog formation and optical properties in the atmosphere, 2) how aerosol mixing state influences cloud and ice formation and atmospheric optical properties during a winter storm, and 3) the direct, semi-direct, and indirect effects of long-range transport dust on severe weather over California and the Eastern Pacific. SOWC tracks 6-dimensional chemical variables (X, Z, Y, Size Bins, Source Types, Species) through an explicit simulation of atmospheric chemistry and physics. In this study, all aerosol source types can activate to form cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) based on the Köhler theory, but the dust is the only source of ice nuclei (IN). Furthermore, a new source-oriented cloud module in the two-moment Purdue Lin microphysics scheme, and a new module with all source-oriented hydrometeors (cloud, ice, rain, snow and graupel) in the Morrison two-moment microphysics scheme were implemented into the SOWC model to study fog events and winter storm cases, respectively. In Chapter 2, the enhanced SOWC model was used to study a fog event that occurred on January 17th, 2011, in the Central Valley of California. The SOWC reasonably portrays the spatial distribution and duration of the fog event consistent with observations. The source-oriented mixture representation of particles reduced cloud droplet number relative to the internal mixture approach that artificially coats hydrophobic particles with hygroscopic components. The fraction of aerosols activating into CCN at a supersaturation of 0.5% in the Central Valley decreased from 86% in the internal mixture model to 68% in the source-oriented model. This increased the surface energy flux by 3-5 W m-2 and surface temperature by as much as 0.15 K. In Chapter 3, the enhanced SOWC model was used to study a winter storm that occurred on March 6th, 2011, in California. Compared to ground based observations, SOWC with the modified Morrison microphysics scheme and modified Goddard radiation schemes predicted reasonable precipitation, but the onset of precipitation is delayed by 5 hours. Immersion freezing was the main mechanism for ice nuclei formation. Secondary coatings on dust particles increased IN from immersion freezing but decreased IN from contact freezing. Increasing CCN and IN in the internal mixing experiment produced more ice crystals and cloud droplets but did not significantly alter total perception under the conditions studied. However, because of the reducing riming efficiency from snow to graupel in the source-oriented mixing experiment, it resulted more snowfall (less rainfall) on the ground, especially over the mountain area. In Chapter 4, the SOWC model was used to understand the direct, semi-direct, and indirect effects of long-range transport dust on severe weather over Eastern Pacific Ocean. The maximum averaged IN nucleation rate increased 36% after adding long-range transport dust. Because clouds in mid-latitude originate precipitately via the ice phase, an increase in IN can enhance ice formation from supercooled water by heterogenetic freezing (mainly contact freezing) and then to alter hydrometer water amount. Adding long-range transport dust increased the mixing ratio and number concentration for almost all hydrometers. However, the changes of adding local dust in local+LR_dust from LR_dust is more complicated due to the importance of hydrometers in the cumulus scheme. The change in the strength of convection after adding long-range transport dust (or local dust) also produces a noticeable distinction in the precipitation pattern, but the total precipitation did not have major difference after adding long-range transport dust (or local dust).

Fast Processes in Large-Scale Atmospheric Models

Fast Processes in Large-Scale Atmospheric Models PDF Author: Yangang Liu
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119528941
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 483

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Book Description
Improving weather and climate prediction with better representation of fast processes in atmospheric models Many atmospheric processes that influence Earth’s weather and climate occur at spatiotemporal scales that are too small to be resolved in large scale models. They must be parameterized, which means approximately representing them by variables that can be resolved by model grids. Fast Processes in Large-Scale Atmospheric Models: Progress, Challenges and Opportunities explores ways to better investigate and represent multiple parameterized processes in models and thus improve their ability to make accurate climate and weather predictions. Volume highlights include: Historical development of the parameterization of fast processes in numerical models Different types of major sub-grid processes and their parameterizations Efforts to unify the treatment of individual processes and their interactions Top-down versus bottom-up approaches across multiple scales Measurement techniques, observational studies, and frameworks for model evaluation Emerging challenges, new opportunities, and future research directions The American Geophysical Union promotes discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. Its publications disseminate scientific knowledge and provide resources for researchers, students, and professionals.

Modeling Aerosol - Water Interactions in Subsaturated and Supersaturated Environments

Modeling Aerosol - Water Interactions in Subsaturated and Supersaturated Environments PDF Author: Christos Fountoukis
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aerosols
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The current dissertation is motivated by the need for an improved understanding of aerosol -- water interactions both in subsaturated and supersaturated atmospheric conditions with a strong emphasis on air pollution and climate change modeling. A cloud droplet formation parameterization was developed to i) predict droplet formation from a lognormal representation of aerosol size distribution and composition, and, ii) include a size-dependant mass transfer coefficient for the growth of water droplets which explicitly accounts for the impact of organics on droplet growth kinetics. The parameterization unravels most of the physics of droplet formation and is in remarkable agreement with detailed numerical parcel model simulations, even for low values of the accommodation coefficient. The parameterization offers a much needed rigorous and computationally inexpensive framework for directly linking complex chemical effects on aerosol activation in global climate models. The new aerosol activation parameterization was also tested against observations from highly polluted clouds (within the vicinity of power plant plumes). Remarkable closure was achieved (much less than the 20% measurement uncertainty). The error in predicted cloud droplet concentration was mostly sensitive to updraft velocity. Optimal closure is obtained if the water vapor uptake coefficient is equal to 0.06. These findings can serve as much needed constraints in modeling of aerosol-cloud interactions in the North America. Aerosol -- water interactions in ambient relative humidities less than 100% were studied using a thermodynamic equilibrium model for inorganic aerosol and a three dimensional air quality model. We developed a new thermodynamic equilibrium model, ISORROPIA-II, which predicts the partitioning of semi-volatiles and the phase state of K+/Ca2+/Mg2+/NH4+/Na+/SO42-/NO3-/Cl-/H2O aerosols. A comprehensive evaluation of its performance was conducted against the thermodynamic module SCAPE2 over a wide range of atmospherically relevant conditions. Based on its computational rigor and performance, ISORROPIA-II appears to be a highly attractive alternative for use in large scale air quality and atmospheric transport models. The new equilibrium model was also used to thermodynamically characterize aerosols measured at a highly polluted area. In the ammonia-rich environment of Mexico City, nitrate and chloride primarily partition in the aerosol phase with a 20-min equilibrium timescale; PM2.5 is insensitive to changes in ammonia but is to acidic semivolatile species. When RH is below 50%, predictions improve substantially if the aerosol follows a deliquescent behavior. The impact of including crustal species (Ca2+, K+, M2+) in equilibrium calculations within a three dimensional air quality model was also studied. A significant change in aerosol water ( -19.8%) and ammonium ( -27.5%) concentrations was predicted when crustals are explicitly included in the calculations even though they contributed, on average, only a few percent of the total PM2.5 mass, highlighting the need for comprehensive thermodynamic calculations in the presence of dust.

Atmospheric Aerosols

Atmospheric Aerosols PDF Author: S Ramachandran
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1351648454
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 451

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Book Description
This book includes basic knowledge and understanding on the characteristics of aerosols over the continent and oceanic regions, their composition, residence times, sinks and size distributions, and their effects in the radiative transfer and climate of Earth.