Publication Abstracts

Ovchinnikov et al. 2014

Ovchinnikov, M., A.S. Ackerman, A. Avramov, A. Cheng, J. Fan, A.M. Fridlind, S. Ghan, J. Harrington, C. Hoose, A. Korolev, G.M. McFarquhar, H. Morrison, M. Paukert, J. Savre, B.J. Shipway, M.D. Shupe, A. Solomon, and K. Sulia, 2014: Intercomparison of large-eddy simulations of Arctic mixed-phase clouds: Importance of ice size distribution assumptions. J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst., 6, no. 1, 223-248, doi:10.1002/2013MS000282.

Large-eddy simulations of mixed-phase Arctic clouds by 11 different models are analyzed with the goal of improving understanding and model representation of processes controlling the evolution of these clouds. In a case based on observations from the Indirect and Semi-Direct Aerosol Campaign (ISDAC), it is found that ice number concentration, Ni, exerts significant influence on the cloud structure. Increasing Ni leads to a substantial reduction in liquid water path (LWP), in agreement with earlier studies. In contrast to previous intercomparison studies, all models here use the same ice particle properties (i.e., mass-size, mass-fall speed, and mass-capacitance relationships) and a common radiation parameterization. The constrained setup exposes the importance of ice particle size distributions (PSD) in influencing cloud evolution. A clear separation in LWP and IWP predicted by models with bin and bulk microphysical treatments is documented and attributed primarily to the assumed shape of ice PSD used in bulk schemes. Compared to the bin schemes that explicitly predict the PSD, schemes assuming exponential ice PSD underestimate ice growth by vapor deposition and overestimate mass-weighted fall speed leading to an underprediction of IWP by a factor of two in the considered case. Sensitivity tests indicate LWP and IWP are much closer to the bin model simulations when a modified shape factor which is similar to that predicted by bin model simulation is used in bulk scheme. These results demonstrate the importance of representation of ice PSD in determining the partitioning of liquid and ice and the longevity of mixed-phase clouds.

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BibTeX Citation

@article{ov04000e,
  author={Ovchinnikov, M. and Ackerman, A. S. and Avramov, A. and Cheng, A. and Fan, J. and Fridlind, A. M. and Ghan, S. and Harrington, J. and Hoose, C. and Korolev, A. and McFarquhar, G. M. and Morrison, H. and Paukert, M. and Savre, J. and Shipway, B. J. and Shupe, M. D. and Solomon, A. and Sulia, K.},
  title={Intercomparison of large-eddy simulations of Arctic mixed-phase clouds: Importance of ice size distribution assumptions},
  year={2014},
  journal={Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems},
  volume={6},
  number={1},
  pages={223--248},
  doi={10.1002/2013MS000282},
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - JOUR
ID  - ov04000e
AU  - Ovchinnikov, M.
AU  - Ackerman, A. S.
AU  - Avramov, A.
AU  - Cheng, A.
AU  - Fan, J.
AU  - Fridlind, A. M.
AU  - Ghan, S.
AU  - Harrington, J.
AU  - Hoose, C.
AU  - Korolev, A.
AU  - McFarquhar, G. M.
AU  - Morrison, H.
AU  - Paukert, M.
AU  - Savre, J.
AU  - Shipway, B. J.
AU  - Shupe, M. D.
AU  - Solomon, A.
AU  - Sulia, K.
PY  - 2014
TI  - Intercomparison of large-eddy simulations of Arctic mixed-phase clouds: Importance of ice size distribution assumptions
JA  - J. Adv. Model. Earth Syst.
JO  - Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
VL  - 6
IS  - 1
SP  - 223
EP  - 248
DO  - 10.1002/2013MS000282
ER  -

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