Assessing Clouds Using Satellite Observations Through Three Generations of Global Atmosphere Models
Abstract Clouds are parameterized in climate models using quantities on the model grid‐scale to approximate the cloud cover and impact on radiation. Because of the complexity of processes involved with clouds, these parameterizations are one of the key challenges in climate modeling. Differences in...
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2023
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:8cf496280b3940db915eafda8d88a2f3 2024-01-21T10:10:37+01:00 Assessing Clouds Using Satellite Observations Through Three Generations of Global Atmosphere Models Brian Medeiros Jonah Shaw Jennifer E. Kay Isaac Davis 2023-07-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EA002918 https://doaj.org/article/8cf496280b3940db915eafda8d88a2f3 EN eng American Geophysical Union (AGU) https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EA002918 https://doaj.org/toc/2333-5084 2333-5084 doi:10.1029/2023EA002918 https://doaj.org/article/8cf496280b3940db915eafda8d88a2f3 Earth and Space Science, Vol 10, Iss 7, Pp n/a-n/a (2023) Astronomy QB1-991 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2023 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EA002918 2023-12-24T01:42:47Z Abstract Clouds are parameterized in climate models using quantities on the model grid‐scale to approximate the cloud cover and impact on radiation. Because of the complexity of processes involved with clouds, these parameterizations are one of the key challenges in climate modeling. Differences in parameterizations of clouds are among the main contributors to the spread in climate sensitivity across models. In this work, the clouds in three generations of an atmosphere model lineage are evaluated against satellite observations. Satellite simulators are used within the model to provide an appropriate comparison with individual satellite products. In some respects, especially the top‐of‐atmosphere cloud radiative effect, the models show generational improvements. The most recent generation, represented by two distinct branches of development, exhibits some regional regressions in the cloud representation; in particular the southern ocean shows a positive bias in cloud cover. The two branches of model development show how choices during model development, both structural and parametric, lead to different cloud climatologies. Several evaluation strategies are used to quantify the spatial errors in terms of the large‐scale circulation and the cloud structure. The Earth mover's distance is proposed as a useful error metric for the passive satellite data products that provide cloud‐top pressure‐optical depth histograms. The cloud errors identified here may contribute to the high climate sensitivity in the Community Earth System Model, version 2 and in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, version 1. Article in Journal/Newspaper Southern Ocean Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Southern Ocean Earth and Space Science 10 7 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Astronomy QB1-991 Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
Astronomy QB1-991 Geology QE1-996.5 Brian Medeiros Jonah Shaw Jennifer E. Kay Isaac Davis Assessing Clouds Using Satellite Observations Through Three Generations of Global Atmosphere Models |
topic_facet |
Astronomy QB1-991 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
Abstract Clouds are parameterized in climate models using quantities on the model grid‐scale to approximate the cloud cover and impact on radiation. Because of the complexity of processes involved with clouds, these parameterizations are one of the key challenges in climate modeling. Differences in parameterizations of clouds are among the main contributors to the spread in climate sensitivity across models. In this work, the clouds in three generations of an atmosphere model lineage are evaluated against satellite observations. Satellite simulators are used within the model to provide an appropriate comparison with individual satellite products. In some respects, especially the top‐of‐atmosphere cloud radiative effect, the models show generational improvements. The most recent generation, represented by two distinct branches of development, exhibits some regional regressions in the cloud representation; in particular the southern ocean shows a positive bias in cloud cover. The two branches of model development show how choices during model development, both structural and parametric, lead to different cloud climatologies. Several evaluation strategies are used to quantify the spatial errors in terms of the large‐scale circulation and the cloud structure. The Earth mover's distance is proposed as a useful error metric for the passive satellite data products that provide cloud‐top pressure‐optical depth histograms. The cloud errors identified here may contribute to the high climate sensitivity in the Community Earth System Model, version 2 and in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, version 1. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Brian Medeiros Jonah Shaw Jennifer E. Kay Isaac Davis |
author_facet |
Brian Medeiros Jonah Shaw Jennifer E. Kay Isaac Davis |
author_sort |
Brian Medeiros |
title |
Assessing Clouds Using Satellite Observations Through Three Generations of Global Atmosphere Models |
title_short |
Assessing Clouds Using Satellite Observations Through Three Generations of Global Atmosphere Models |
title_full |
Assessing Clouds Using Satellite Observations Through Three Generations of Global Atmosphere Models |
title_fullStr |
Assessing Clouds Using Satellite Observations Through Three Generations of Global Atmosphere Models |
title_full_unstemmed |
Assessing Clouds Using Satellite Observations Through Three Generations of Global Atmosphere Models |
title_sort |
assessing clouds using satellite observations through three generations of global atmosphere models |
publisher |
American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EA002918 https://doaj.org/article/8cf496280b3940db915eafda8d88a2f3 |
geographic |
Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Southern Ocean |
genre |
Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Southern Ocean |
op_source |
Earth and Space Science, Vol 10, Iss 7, Pp n/a-n/a (2023) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EA002918 https://doaj.org/toc/2333-5084 2333-5084 doi:10.1029/2023EA002918 https://doaj.org/article/8cf496280b3940db915eafda8d88a2f3 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EA002918 |
container_title |
Earth and Space Science |
container_volume |
10 |
container_issue |
7 |
_version_ |
1788702020012605440 |