Parameterizing Raindrop Formation Using Machine Learning

Raindrop formation processes in warm clouds mainly consist of condensation and collision-coalescence of small cloud droplets. Once raindrops form, they can continue growing through collection of cloud droplets and self-collection. In this study, we develop novel emulators to represent raindrop formation as a function of various physical or background environmental conditions by using a sophisticated aerosol-cloud model containing 300 droplet size bins and machine learning methods. The emulators are then implemented in two microphysics schemes in the Weather Research and Forecasting Model and tested in two idealized cases. The simulations of shallow convection with the emulators show a clear enhancement of raindrop formation compared to the original simulations, regardless of the scheme in which they were embedded. On the other hand, the simulations of deep convection show a more complex response to the implementation of the emulators, in terms of the changes in the amount of rainfall, due to the larger number of microphysical processes involved in the cloud system (i.e., ice-phase processes). Our results suggest the potential of emulators to replace the conventional parameterizations, which may allow us to improve the representation of physical processes at an affordable computational expense.