ISSN:
1573-1472
Keywords:
Stratocumulus
;
Precipitation
;
Marine boundary layer
;
Surface energy balance
;
Earth's radiative budget
;
Coupled ocean-atmosphere models
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Geosciences
,
Physics
Notes:
Abstract In the `First Lagrangian' of the Atlantic Stratocumulus Experiment(ASTEX), a cloudy air mass was tracked as it was advected by thetrade winds toward higher sea surface temperatures. In this study,a full diurnal cycle observed during this experiment is simulated andthe impact of the precipitation parameterization is examined. The modelwe use is the one dimensional version of the hydrostatic primitiveequation model MAR (Modéle Atmosphérique Régional) developed at the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL).It includes an E-∈ turbulence closure, a wide-band formulationof the radiative transfer, and a parameterized microphysical schemeallowing partial condensation. The model realistically reproducesthe diurnal clearing of the cloud layer as well as the formation ofcumulus clouds under the stratocumulus deck. Nevertheless, as thesurface warms and the boundary layer becomes more convective,the simulation progressively differs from the observed evolution.Further experiments are carried out with different precipitationparameterizations commonly used in mesoscale modelsand general circulation models (GCMs).A strong sensitivity of the simulated liquid water path evolution isfound. The impact on the surface energy flux and the solar fluxreflected by the cloud is also examined. For both fluxes averagedover 24 hours, differences as large as 20 W m-2 are obtainedbetween the various simulations. Low cloudiness covers large areasover the ocean and such errors on the reflected solar flux may stronglyaffect the Earth's radiative budget in GCM simulations. We estimatethat the impact on the globally averaged outgoing solar flux could beas large as 5 W m-2. Furthermore, when atmospheric models arecoupled to ocean models, errors in the surface energy exchanges mayinduce significant drift in the simulated climate.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1002482230580
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