Evaluating new cloud-radiation and hydrologic cycle parametrizations
Richard C. J. SomervilleScripps Institution of Oceanography.
University of California, san Diego, USA. CERFACS, Toulouse, France
Thursday, June 17, 10:30 CERFACS Conference Room
Due to security reasons, external persons are asked to present an ID at the Meteo-France guard post
Abstract
A parameterization is an algorithm for representing the ensemble effect of small-scale processes on the prognostic fields of a large-scale model, such as a climate model or a numerical weather prediction model. A prominent example of parameterization research is the challenge of realistically representing the effects of clouds, their effects on the hydrologic cycle, and their interactions with solar and terrestrial radiation. Recently, advances in theory, diagnostic process modeling, and surface- and space-based observations have pointed the way to substantial improvements in current treatments of these processes. The availability of new observational data from field programs has also yielded new insights into the relationships between cloud microphysics and cloud radiative effects. Diagnostic modeling tests carried out in the maritime tropics, in polar regions, and in mid-latitudes have shown that parameterizations incorporating detailed cloud microphysics can significantly reduce typical model biases in cloud-modulated fields such as solar radiation received at the Earth's surface. This research shows strong potential for improved climate simulations and more accurate weather forecasts.
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