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Sensitivity of a GCM climate simulation to differences in continental versus maritime cloud drop sizeExtensive observations indicate a distinct difference between maritime and continental effective drop size, r(sub e), for warm clouds. The latest version of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Climate Model (CCM2) is used to explore the sensitivity of differentiating between continental and maritime r(sub e) on the simulated climate. The results of this study indicate that the smaller drop size over continents leads to a reduction of surface-absorbed solar radiation from 20 to 60 W/sq m. This reduction in surface solar flux leads to a cooling of the continents by up to -3.5 K. The reduction in surface solar flux and temperature also leads to a reduction in latent heat flux and precipitation over land. In the January simulation, there is a significant shift in tropical precipitation associated with the Australian monsoon. This shift leads to a response in the extra tropical geopotential height field over the western United States. All of these changes reduce biases in the current version of CCM2.
Document ID
19950036206
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Kiehl, J. T.
(National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
November 20, 1994
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 99
Issue: D11
ISSN: 0148-0227
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Accession Number
95A67805
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: DE-FG05-93ER61376
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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