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Cloud‐resolving and single‐column simulations of a warm‐frontal cloud system: Implications for the parameterization of layered clouds in GCMs
Author(s) -
Szeto Kit K.,
Lohmann Urike
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1999gl010848
Subject(s) - cloud computing , gcm transcription factors , advection , environmental science , forcing (mathematics) , meteorology , cloud cover , climatology , atmospheric sciences , geology , computer science , general circulation model , climate change , geography , physics , oceanography , thermodynamics , operating system
A winter oceanic cyclonic cloud system was simulated by using both a cloud‐resolving model (CRM) and two single‐column models (SCMs) utilizing different approaches to parameterize layer clouds. When driven with advective forcing derived from the CRM, the SCMs can capture the general developments of the large‐scale cloud field during the warm‐frontal passage. However, the vertical cloud structures differed significantly among the models. Some of the differences in the model cloud structures can be attributed to the lack of, or inappropriateness of the parameterizations of some cloud microphysical processes and subgrid cloudiness in current GCM prognostic cloud schemes. The high resolution CRM results will be valuable in identifying such deficiencies in current GCM cloud schemes and in the future developments and calibrations of these schemes.