Publication Abstracts
Hofer et al. 2024
Hofer, S., L.C. Hahn, J.K. Shaw, , O. Bruno, F. Hellmuth, M. Pietschnig, I.A. Mostue, R.O. David, T. Carlsen, and T. Storelvmo, 2024: Realistic representation of mixed-phase clouds increases future climate warming. Commun. Earth Environ., 5, 390, doi:10.1038/s43247-024-01524-2.
Clouds are the main source of uncertainties when projecting climate change. Mixed-phase clouds that contain ice and supercooled-liquid particles are especially hard to constrain, and climate models neither agree on their phase nor their spatial extent. This is problematic, as models that underestimate contemporary supercooled-liquid in mixed-phase clouds will underestimate future warming. Furthermore, it has recently been shown that supercooled-liquid water in mixed-phase clouds is not homogeneously-mixed, neither vertically nor horizontally. However, while there have been attempts at observationally constraining mixed-phase clouds to constrain uncertainties in future warming, all studies only use the phase of the interior of mixed-phase clouds. Here we show, using novel satellite observations that distinguish between cloud-top and interior phase in mixed-phase clouds, that mixed-phase clouds are more liquid at the cloud top globally. We use these observations to constrain the cloud top phase in addition to the interior in a global climate model, leading to +1°C more 21st century warming in NorESM2 SSP5-8.5 climate projections. We anticipate that the difference between cloud top and interior phase in mixed-phase clouds is an important new target metric for future climate model development, because similar mixed-phase clouds related biases in future warming are likely present in many climate models.
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BibTeX Citation
@article{ho07900t,
author={Hofer, S. and Hahn, L. C. and Shaw, J. K. and McGraw, Z. S. and Bruno, O. and Hellmuth, F. and Pietschnig, M. and Mostue, I. A. and David, R. O. and Carlsen, T. and Storelvmo, T.},
title={Realistic representation of mixed-phase clouds increases future climate warming},
year={2024},
journal={Communications Earth and Environment},
volume={5},
pages={390},
doi={10.1038/s43247-024-01524-2},
}
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RIS Citation
TY - JOUR ID - ho07900t AU - Hofer, S. AU - Hahn, L. C. AU - Shaw, J. K. AU - McGraw, Z. S. AU - Bruno, O. AU - Hellmuth, F. AU - Pietschnig, M. AU - Mostue, I. A. AU - David, R. O. AU - Carlsen, T. AU - Storelvmo, T. PY - 2024 TI - Realistic representation of mixed-phase clouds increases future climate warming JA - Commun. Earth Environ. JO - Communications Earth and Environment VL - 5 SP - 390 DO - 10.1038/s43247-024-01524-2 ER -
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