Using Satellite Observations to Evaluate Model Microphysical Representation of Arctic Mixed-Phase Clouds.

ABSTRACT: Mixed-phase clouds play an important role in determining Arctic warming, but are parametrized in models and difficult to constrain with observations. We use two satellite-derived cloud phase metrics to investigate the vertical structure of Arctic clouds in two global climate models that use the Community Atmosphere Model version 6 (CAM6) atmospheric component. We report a model error limiting ice nucleation, produce a set of Arctic-constrained model runs by adjusting model microphysical variables to match the cloud phase metrics, and evaluate cloud feedbacks for all simulations. Models in this small ensemble uniformly overestimate total cloud fraction in the summer, but have variable representation of cloud fraction and phase in the winter and spring. By relating modeled cloud phase metric

SUBMITTER: Shaw J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9285086 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature