Benchmark modeling of aerosol-cloud interactions
EMSL Project ID
25701
Abstract
This proposal requests computing resources from the Molecular Science Computation Facilities (MSCF) to support two projects of the PNNL Aerosol-Climate Initiative: "Benchmark Modeling of the Microphysical Aspects of Cloud-Aerosol Interactions" and "Cloud Resolving Model with Size Resolved Microphysics for Aerosol and Cloud Research". The project seeks to produce a number of benchmark simulations of observed cases of aerosol processing in cloud using a fundamental although computationally intensive approach that represents aerosol and cloud particles with a joint two-dimensional (2-D) size distribution, in which the actual particle size and the dry aerosol particle size are two independent variables. Unlike other bin microphysics models that approximate this 2-D size distribution using two separate one-dimensional grids for AP and cloud droplets, this formulation provides a unified treatment for interstitial AP, activated/scavenged AP, and cloud particles. It consistently tracks evolution of aerosol subjected to micro- and macrophysical processes including transport, sedimentation, activation/ resuspension, condensation/evaporation, collision/coalescence, in- and below-cloud scavenging, and aqueous chemistry. This approach will be further developed to improve its numerical performance and to allow for variations of the aerosol chemical composition within each bin which will lead to greater accuracy of aqueous chemistry calculations.
These modifications will result in new and unique research capabilities for performing benchmark simulations of the microphysical aspects of aerosol - cloud interactions. These capabilities will be demonstrated in a series of numerical simulations. These and subsequent benchmark simulations can ultimately be used in evaluating and improving the parameterizations of cloud processing of aerosols used in cloud-resolving, regional, and global climate and aerosol models.
Project Details
Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Start Date
2007-06-01
End Date
2010-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members
Related Publications
Intercomparison of large-eddy simulations of Arctic mixed-phase clouds: Importance of ice size distribution assumptions
Ovchinnikov M, A Ackerman, A Avramov, A Cheng, J Fan, A Fridlind, SJ Ghan, JY Harrington, C Hoose, A Korolev, G McFarquhar, H Morrison, M Paukert, J Savre, B Shipway, MD Shupe, A Solomon, and K Sulia. 2014. "Intercomparison of Large-eddy Simulations of Arctic Mixed-phase Clouds: Importance of Ice Size Distribution Assumptions." Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems 6(1):223-248. doi:10.1002/2013MS000282
Retrieval of aerosol optical depth in vicinity of broken clouds from reflectance ratios: case study
Kassianov EI, M Ovchinnikov, LK Berg, SA McFarlane, CJ Flynn, R Ferrare, CA Hostetler, and M Alexandrov. 2010. "Retrieval of Aerosol Optical Depth in Vicinity of Broken Clouds from Reflectance Ratios: Case Study." Atmospheric Measurement Techniques 3:1333-1349. doi:10.5194/amt-3-1333-2010.
The cloud condensation nuclei and ice nuclei effects on tropical anvil characteristics and water vapor of the tropical tropopause layer
Fan J, JM Comstock, and M Ovchinnikov. 2010. "The cloud condensation nuclei and ice nuclei effects on tropical anvil characteristics and water vapor of the tropical tropopause layer." Environmental Research Letters 5(4):Article No. 044005. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/5/4/044005
Tropical anvil characteristics and water vapor of the tropical tropopause layer: Impact of heterogeneous and homogeneous freezing parameterizations
Fan J, JM Comstock, M Ovchinnikov, SA McFarlane, G McFarquhar, and G Allen. 2010. "Tropical anvil characteristics and water vapor of the tropical tropopause layer: Impact of heterogeneous and homogeneous freezing parameterizations ." Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres) 115:D12201. doi:10.1029/2009JD012696.
Dominant role by vertical wind shear in regulating aerosol effects on deep convective clouds
Fan J, T Yuan, JM Comstock, SJ Ghan, A Khain, LYR Leung, Z Li, VJ Martins, and M Ovchinnikov. 2009. "Dominant Role by Vertical Wind Shear in Regulating Aerosol Effects on Deep Convective Clouds." Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres) 114(D22206):, doi:10.1029/2009JD012352
Ice formation in Arctic mixed-phase clouds: Insights from a 3-D cloud-resolving model with size-resolved aerosol and cloud microphysics
Fan J, M Ovtchinnikov, JM Comstock, SA McFarlane, and A Khain. 2009. "Ice Formation in Arctic Mixed-Phase Clouds: Insights from a 3-D Cloud-Resolving Model with Size-Resolved Aerosol and Cloud Microphysics ." Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres) 114(D04205):, doi:10.1029/2008JD010782
On reflectance ratios and aerosol optical depth retrieval in the presence of cumulus clouds
Kassianov, E., and M. Ovtchinnikov, 2008: On reflectance ratios and aerosol optical depth retrieval in the presence of cumulus clouds, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L06807, doi:10.1029/2008GL033231.