Buffering of Aerosol-Cloud Adjustments by Coupling Between Radiative Susceptibility and Precipitation Efficiency

Ci Song; Daniel T. McCoy; Trude Eidhammer; Andrew Gettelman; Isabel L. McCoy; Duncan Watson-Parris; Casey J. Wall; Gregory Elsaesser; Robert Wood

doi:10.1029/2024GL108663

Buffering of Aerosol-Cloud Adjustments by Coupling Between Radiative Susceptibility and Precipitation Efficiency

Ci Song, Daniel T. McCoy, Trude Eidhammer, Andrew Gettelman, Isabel L. McCoy, Duncan Watson-Parris, Casey J. Wall, Gregory Elsaesser, Robert Wood

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6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Aerosol-cloud interactions (ACI) in warm clouds are the primary source of uncertainty in effective radiative forcing (ERF) during the historical period and, by extension, inferred climate sensitivity. The ERF due to ACI (ERFaci) is composed of the radiative forcing due to changes in cloud microphysics and cloud adjustments to microphysics. Here, we examine the processes that drive ERFaci using a perturbed parameter ensemble (PPE) hosted in CAM6. Observational constraints on the PPE result in substantial constraints in the response of cloud microphysics and macrophysics to anthropogenic aerosol, but only minimal constraint on ERFaci. Examination of cloud and radiation processes in the PPE reveal buffering of ERFaci by the interaction of precipitation efficiency and radiative susceptibility.

Original language	English
Article number	e2024GL108663
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	51
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL108663
State	Published - Jun 16 2024

Keywords

aerosol-cloud interactions
global climate models

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10.1029/2024GL108663

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title = "Buffering of Aerosol-Cloud Adjustments by Coupling Between Radiative Susceptibility and Precipitation Efficiency",

abstract = "Aerosol-cloud interactions (ACI) in warm clouds are the primary source of uncertainty in effective radiative forcing (ERF) during the historical period and, by extension, inferred climate sensitivity. The ERF due to ACI (ERFaci) is composed of the radiative forcing due to changes in cloud microphysics and cloud adjustments to microphysics. Here, we examine the processes that drive ERFaci using a perturbed parameter ensemble (PPE) hosted in CAM6. Observational constraints on the PPE result in substantial constraints in the response of cloud microphysics and macrophysics to anthropogenic aerosol, but only minimal constraint on ERFaci. Examination of cloud and radiation processes in the PPE reveal buffering of ERFaci by the interaction of precipitation efficiency and radiative susceptibility.",

keywords = "aerosol-cloud interactions, global climate models",

author = "Ci Song and McCoy, \{Daniel T.\} and Trude Eidhammer and Andrew Gettelman and McCoy, \{Isabel L.\} and Duncan Watson-Parris and Wall, \{Casey J.\} and Gregory Elsaesser and Robert Wood",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024. The Author(s).",

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doi = "10.1029/2024GL108663",

language = "English",

volume = "51",

journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

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T1 - Buffering of Aerosol-Cloud Adjustments by Coupling Between Radiative Susceptibility and Precipitation Efficiency

AU - Song, Ci

AU - McCoy, Daniel T.

AU - Eidhammer, Trude

AU - Gettelman, Andrew

AU - McCoy, Isabel L.

AU - Watson-Parris, Duncan

AU - Wall, Casey J.

AU - Elsaesser, Gregory

AU - Wood, Robert

PY - 2024/6/16

Y1 - 2024/6/16

N2 - Aerosol-cloud interactions (ACI) in warm clouds are the primary source of uncertainty in effective radiative forcing (ERF) during the historical period and, by extension, inferred climate sensitivity. The ERF due to ACI (ERFaci) is composed of the radiative forcing due to changes in cloud microphysics and cloud adjustments to microphysics. Here, we examine the processes that drive ERFaci using a perturbed parameter ensemble (PPE) hosted in CAM6. Observational constraints on the PPE result in substantial constraints in the response of cloud microphysics and macrophysics to anthropogenic aerosol, but only minimal constraint on ERFaci. Examination of cloud and radiation processes in the PPE reveal buffering of ERFaci by the interaction of precipitation efficiency and radiative susceptibility.

AB - Aerosol-cloud interactions (ACI) in warm clouds are the primary source of uncertainty in effective radiative forcing (ERF) during the historical period and, by extension, inferred climate sensitivity. The ERF due to ACI (ERFaci) is composed of the radiative forcing due to changes in cloud microphysics and cloud adjustments to microphysics. Here, we examine the processes that drive ERFaci using a perturbed parameter ensemble (PPE) hosted in CAM6. Observational constraints on the PPE result in substantial constraints in the response of cloud microphysics and macrophysics to anthropogenic aerosol, but only minimal constraint on ERFaci. Examination of cloud and radiation processes in the PPE reveal buffering of ERFaci by the interaction of precipitation efficiency and radiative susceptibility.

KW - aerosol-cloud interactions

KW - global climate models

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85195453673

U2 - 10.1029/2024GL108663

DO - 10.1029/2024GL108663

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85195453673

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 51

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 11

M1 - e2024GL108663

ER -

Buffering of Aerosol-Cloud Adjustments by Coupling Between Radiative Susceptibility and Precipitation Efficiency

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