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A cloud resolving model as a cloud parameterization in the NCAR Community Climate System Model: Preliminary results
Author(s) -
Khairoutdinov Marat F.,
Randall David A.
Publication year - 2001
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 - 10.1029/2001gl013552
Subject(s) - cloud cover , cloud computing , climate model , environmental science , meteorology , cloud fraction , climatology , cloud forcing , climate change , computer science , geology , geography , oceanography , operating system
Preliminary results of a short climate simulation with a 2‐D cloud resolving model (CRM) installed into each grid column of an NCAR Community Climate System Model (CCSM) are presented. The CRM replaces the conventional convective and stratiform cloud parameterizations, and allows for explicit computation of the global cloud fraction distribution for radiation computations. The extreme computational cost of the combined CCSM/CRM model has thus far limited us to a two‐month long climate simulation (December‐January) using 2.8° × 2.8° resolution. The simulated geographical distributions of the total rainfall, precipitable water, cloud cover, and Earth radiation budget, for the month of January, look very reasonable.