Evaluation of aerosol-cloud interactions in GISS ModelE using ARM observations
Authors
Gijs de Boer — University of Colorado
Surabi Menon — Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Susanne E. Bauer — NASA - Goddard Institute for Space Studies
Tami Fairless — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Andrew M. Vogelmann — Brookhaven National Laboratory
Maureen C. Cribb — University of Maryland
Category
Aerosol-Cloud-Radiation Interactions
Description
Evaluation of effective radius parameterizations using measurements from three ARM campaigns. The top row compares volumetric radius against parameterized and measured droplet effective radius, while the bottom row compares measured and parameterized values for effective radius.
The impacts of aerosol particles on clouds continue to rank among the largest uncertainties in global climate simulation. In this work we assess the capability of the NASA GISS ModelE, coupled to MATRIX aerosol microphysics, in correctly representing warm-phase aerosol-cloud interactions. This evaluation is completed through the analysis of a nudged, multi-year global simulation using measurements from various U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored measurement campaigns and satellite-based observations. Campaign observations include the Aerosol Intensive Operations Period (Aerosol IOP) and Routine ARM Aerial Facility Clouds with Low Optical Water Depths (CLOWD) Optical Radiative Observations (RACORO) at the Southern Great Plains site in Oklahoma, the Marine Stratus Radiation, Aerosol, and Drizzle (MASRAD) campaign at Pt. Reyes, California, and the ARM Mobile Facility’s 2008 deployment to China. This combination of data sets provides a variety of aerosol and atmospheric conditions under which to test ModelE parameterizations. In addition to these localized comparisons, we evaluate the global impact of changes in parameterizations studied. We will provide a basic overview of simulation performance, as well as a detailed analysis of parameterizations relevant to aerosol indirect effects.
