[1] High Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder (HIRDLS) temperature profiles are analyzed to derive global properties of gravity waves. We describe a wavelet analysis technique that determines covarying wave temperature amplitude in adjacent temperature profile pairs, the wave vertical wavelength as a function of height, and the horizontal wave number along the line joining each profile pair. The analysis allows a local estimate of the magnitude of gravity wave momentum flux as a function of geographic location and height on a daily basis. We examine global distributions of these gravity wave properties in the monthly mean and on an individual day, and we also show sample instantaneous wave events observed by HIRDLS. The results are discussed in terms of previous satellite and radiosonde observational analyses and middle atmosphere general circulation model studies that parameterize gravity wave effects on the mean flow. The high vertical and horizontal resolution afforded by the HIRDLS measurements allows the analysis of a wider range of wave vertical and horizontal wavelengths than previous studies and begins to show individual wave events associated with mountains and convection in high detail. Mountain wave observations show clear propagation to altitudes in the mesosphere.

This paper describes climate simulations of the Community Atmosphere Model, version 5 (CAM5), coupled with a higher-order turbulence closure known as Cloud Layers Unified by Binormals (CLUBB). CLUBB is a unified parameterization of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) and shallow convection that is centered around a trivariate probability density function (PDF) and replaces the conventional PBL, shallow convection, and cloud macrophysics schemes in CAM5. CAM-CLUBB improves many aspects of the base state climate compared to CAM5. Chief among them is the transition of stratocumulus to trade wind cumulus regions in the subtropical oceans. In these regions, CAM-CLUBB provides a much more gradual transition that is in better agreement with observational analysis compared to CAM5, which is too abrupt. The improvement seen in CAM-CLUBB can be largely attributed to the gradual evolution of the simulated turbulence, which is in part a result of the unified nature of the parameterization, and to the general improved representation of shallow cumulus clouds compared to CAM5. In addition, there are large differences in the representation and structure of marine boundary layer clouds between CAM-CLUBB and CAM5. CAM-CLUBB is also shown to be more robust, in terms of boundary layer clouds, to changes in vertical resolution for global simulations in a preliminary test.

[1] The High Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder (HIRDLS) experiment was designed to provide global temperature and composition data on the region from the upper troposphere to the mesopause with vertical and horizontal resolution not previously available. The science objectives are the study of small-scale dynamics and transports, including stratosphere-troposphere exchange, upper troposphere/lower stratosphere chemistry, aerosol, cirrus and PSC distributions, and gravity waves. The instrument features 21 channels, low noise levels, high vertical resolution, and a mechanical cooler for long life. During launch most of the optical aperture became obscured, so that only a potion of an optical beam width at a large azimuth from the orbital plane on the side away from the Sun can see the atmosphere. Irrecoverable loss of capabilities include limitation of coverage to the region 65°S-82°N and inability to obtain longitudinal resolution finer than an orbital spacing. While this optical blockage also impacted radiometric performance, extensive effort has gone into developing corrections for the several effects of the obstruction, so that radiances from some of the channels can be put into retrievals for temperature. Changes were also necessary for the retrieval algorithm. The validation of the resulting temperature retrievals is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of these corrections. The random errors range from $0.5 K at 20 km to $1.0 at 60 km, close to those predicted. Comparisons with high-resolution radiosondes, lidars, ACE-FTS, and ECMWF analyses give a consistent picture of HIRDLS temperatures being 1-2 K warm from 200 to 10 hPa and within ±2 K of standards from 200 to 2 hPa (but warmer in the region of the tropical tropopause), above which HIRDLS appears to be cold. Comparisons show that both COSMIC and HIRDLS can see small vertical features down to about 2 km

Abstract. This paper describes the coupling of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) version 5 with a unified multi-variate probability density function (PDF) parameterization, Cloud Layers Unified by Binormals (CLUBB). CLUBB replaces the planetary boundary layer (PBL), shallow convection, and cloud macrophysics schemes in CAM5 with a higher-order turbulence closure based on an assumed PDF. Comparisons of single-column versions of CAM5 and CAM-CLUBB are provided in this paper for several boundary layer regimes. As compared to large eddy simulations (LESs), CAM-CLUBB and CAM5 simulate marine stratocumulus regimes with similar accuracy. For shallow convective regimes, CAM-CLUBB improves the representation of cloud cover and liquid water path (LWP). In addition, for shallow convection CAM-CLUBB offers better fidelity for subgrid-scale vertical velocity, which is an important input for aerosol activation. Finally, CAM-CLUBB results are more robust to changes in vertical and temporal resolution when compared to CAM5.

1] High Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder (HIRDLS) and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) measurements of cirrus frequency of occurrence in the upper tropical troposphere are quantified for September 2006 to August 2007. Monthly geospatial averages of cloud frequency of occurrence between 90 and 177 hPa are similar and correlate well with Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) relative humidity with respect to ice (RHI) data, though clouds are present at individual RHI values less than 100%, due to the 5, 1, and sub-1 km vertical resolutions of the MLS, HIRDLS, and CALIPSO experiments. Seasonal variations in cloud frequency of occurrence are similar, with largest frequencies during winter (December-February). Though the CALIPSO and HIRDLS experiments employ nadir-and limb-viewing observational geometries, respectively, CALIPSO horizontal scales of cirrus are frequently larger than 100 km, and therefore similarities are present in the geospatial distributions of cloud occurrence. Isolated laminar cirrus is most prevalent away from the equator. The monthly patterns of HIRDLS and CALIPSO cloud occurrence are archived for useful comparisons to climate models.