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Responses of Clouds and Large‐Scale Circulation to Global Warming Evaluated From Multidecadal Simulations Using a Global Nonhydrostatic Model

Authors :
Akira T. Noda
Chihiro Kodama
Yohei Yamada
Masaki Satoh
Tomoo Ogura
Tomoki Ohno
Source :
Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, Vol 11, Iss 9, Pp 2980-2995 (2019)
Publication Year :
2019
Publisher :
American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2019.

Abstract

Abstract This is the first paper that analyzes data from atmosphere model intercomparison project‐type climate simulations using a cloud‐system‐resolving global nonhydrostatic model without cumulus parameterization focussing particulaly on the relationship between clouds and circulation, and their changes due to global warming. The decrease in fractional coverage of low clouds is key to evaluating cloud radiative effects, because changes in shortwave cloud radiative effects overwhelm those of longwave cloud radiative effects. Thus, improved evaluation of low clouds is important, even in high‐resolution climate simulations. An analysis of heat redistribution by explicitly computed clouds revealed that column‐integrated heating rate due to phase changes correlates highly with vertical velocity at the altitude corresponding to 500 hPa and is closely linked to column water vapor, similar to the present climate result. Using data from year 1 to year 5, the effective climate sensitivity was evaluated to be 3.6−3.7°C. Possible convective aggregation is also examined using an index of modified subsidence fraction and characteristic changes in the number of cold pools. Despite previous idealized‐planet simulations showing more aggregated tropical convection under warmer conditions, here we show a decrease in the subsidence fraction and an increase in the number of smaller cold pools, suggesting that it is possible to realize less convective organization with warming under real atmospheric conditions.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
19422466
Volume :
11
Issue :
9
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.f57362e056f443149c216a268d14a4d2
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1029/2019MS001658