Evaluation of Cloud and Precipitation Simulations in CAM6 and AM4 Using Observations Over the Southern Ocean
Abstract This study uses cloud and radiative properties collected from in situ and remote sensing instruments during two coordinated campaigns over the Southern Ocean between Tasmania and Antarctica in January–February 2018 to evaluate the simulations of clouds and precipitation in nudged‐meteorolog...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:404539953aa24af294eaa69211f3b1fc 2023-05-15T13:48:50+02:00 Evaluation of Cloud and Precipitation Simulations in CAM6 and AM4 Using Observations Over the Southern Ocean Xiaoli Zhou Rachel Atlas Isabel L. McCoy Christopher S. Bretherton Charles Bardeen Andrew Gettelman Pu Lin Yi Ming 2021-02-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001241 https://doaj.org/article/404539953aa24af294eaa69211f3b1fc EN eng American Geophysical Union (AGU) https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001241 https://doaj.org/toc/2333-5084 2333-5084 doi:10.1029/2020EA001241 https://doaj.org/article/404539953aa24af294eaa69211f3b1fc Earth and Space Science, Vol 8, Iss 2, Pp n/a-n/a (2021) cloud and precipitation Southern Ocean field campaigns climate model evaluation Astronomy QB1-991 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001241 2022-12-31T10:43:09Z Abstract This study uses cloud and radiative properties collected from in situ and remote sensing instruments during two coordinated campaigns over the Southern Ocean between Tasmania and Antarctica in January–February 2018 to evaluate the simulations of clouds and precipitation in nudged‐meteorology simulations with the CAM6 and AM4 global climate models sampled at the times and locations of the observations. Fifteen SOCRATES research flights sampled cloud water content, cloud droplet number concentration, and particle size distributions in mixed‐phase boundary layer clouds at temperatures down to −25°C. The 6‐week CAPRICORN2 research cruise encountered all cloud regimes across the region. Data from vertically pointing 94 GHz radars deployed was compared with radar simulator output from both models. Satellite data were compared with simulated top‐of‐atmosphere (TOA) radiative fluxes. Both models simulate observed cloud properties fairly well within the variability of observations. Cloud base and top in both models are generally biased low. CAM6 overestimates cloud occurrence and optical thickness while cloud droplet number concentrations are biased low, leading to excessive TOA reflected shortwave radiation. In general, low clouds in CAM6 precipitate at the same frequency but are more homogeneous compared to observations. Deep clouds are better simulated but produce snow too frequently. AM4 underestimates cloud occurrence but overestimates cloud optical thickness even more than CAM6, causing excessive outgoing longwave radiation fluxes but comparable reflected shortwave radiation. AM4 cloud droplet number concentrations match observations better than CAM6. Precipitating low and deep clouds in AM4 have too little snow. Further investigation of these microphysical biases is needed for both models. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Southern Ocean Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Southern Ocean Earth and Space Science 8 2 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
cloud and precipitation Southern Ocean field campaigns climate model evaluation Astronomy QB1-991 Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
cloud and precipitation Southern Ocean field campaigns climate model evaluation Astronomy QB1-991 Geology QE1-996.5 Xiaoli Zhou Rachel Atlas Isabel L. McCoy Christopher S. Bretherton Charles Bardeen Andrew Gettelman Pu Lin Yi Ming Evaluation of Cloud and Precipitation Simulations in CAM6 and AM4 Using Observations Over the Southern Ocean |
topic_facet |
cloud and precipitation Southern Ocean field campaigns climate model evaluation Astronomy QB1-991 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
Abstract This study uses cloud and radiative properties collected from in situ and remote sensing instruments during two coordinated campaigns over the Southern Ocean between Tasmania and Antarctica in January–February 2018 to evaluate the simulations of clouds and precipitation in nudged‐meteorology simulations with the CAM6 and AM4 global climate models sampled at the times and locations of the observations. Fifteen SOCRATES research flights sampled cloud water content, cloud droplet number concentration, and particle size distributions in mixed‐phase boundary layer clouds at temperatures down to −25°C. The 6‐week CAPRICORN2 research cruise encountered all cloud regimes across the region. Data from vertically pointing 94 GHz radars deployed was compared with radar simulator output from both models. Satellite data were compared with simulated top‐of‐atmosphere (TOA) radiative fluxes. Both models simulate observed cloud properties fairly well within the variability of observations. Cloud base and top in both models are generally biased low. CAM6 overestimates cloud occurrence and optical thickness while cloud droplet number concentrations are biased low, leading to excessive TOA reflected shortwave radiation. In general, low clouds in CAM6 precipitate at the same frequency but are more homogeneous compared to observations. Deep clouds are better simulated but produce snow too frequently. AM4 underestimates cloud occurrence but overestimates cloud optical thickness even more than CAM6, causing excessive outgoing longwave radiation fluxes but comparable reflected shortwave radiation. AM4 cloud droplet number concentrations match observations better than CAM6. Precipitating low and deep clouds in AM4 have too little snow. Further investigation of these microphysical biases is needed for both models. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Xiaoli Zhou Rachel Atlas Isabel L. McCoy Christopher S. Bretherton Charles Bardeen Andrew Gettelman Pu Lin Yi Ming |
author_facet |
Xiaoli Zhou Rachel Atlas Isabel L. McCoy Christopher S. Bretherton Charles Bardeen Andrew Gettelman Pu Lin Yi Ming |
author_sort |
Xiaoli Zhou |
title |
Evaluation of Cloud and Precipitation Simulations in CAM6 and AM4 Using Observations Over the Southern Ocean |
title_short |
Evaluation of Cloud and Precipitation Simulations in CAM6 and AM4 Using Observations Over the Southern Ocean |
title_full |
Evaluation of Cloud and Precipitation Simulations in CAM6 and AM4 Using Observations Over the Southern Ocean |
title_fullStr |
Evaluation of Cloud and Precipitation Simulations in CAM6 and AM4 Using Observations Over the Southern Ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
Evaluation of Cloud and Precipitation Simulations in CAM6 and AM4 Using Observations Over the Southern Ocean |
title_sort |
evaluation of cloud and precipitation simulations in cam6 and am4 using observations over the southern ocean |
publisher |
American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001241 https://doaj.org/article/404539953aa24af294eaa69211f3b1fc |
geographic |
Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Southern Ocean |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Southern Ocean |
op_source |
Earth and Space Science, Vol 8, Iss 2, Pp n/a-n/a (2021) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001241 https://doaj.org/toc/2333-5084 2333-5084 doi:10.1029/2020EA001241 https://doaj.org/article/404539953aa24af294eaa69211f3b1fc |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001241 |
container_title |
Earth and Space Science |
container_volume |
8 |
container_issue |
2 |
_version_ |
1766249835064721408 |