Using model analysis and satellite data to assess cloud and precipitation in midlatitude cyclones

Field, Paul R.; Bodas‐Salcedo, Alejandro; Brooks, M. E.

doi:10.1002/qj.858

Cited by 38 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 50 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Many previous studies have demonstrated the usefulness of averaging around cyclone centers to examine midlatitude behavior, including aerosol variability (Field et al, 2011;Field and Wood, 2007;Naud et al, 2016Naud et al, , 2017Catto, 2016;Grandey et al, 2013). A variety of different techniques for locating cyclone centers and compositing around elements of cyclones exist in the literature, utilizing pressure fields , and flipped so they are poleward oriented (c).…”

Section: Cyclone Compositingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The averaging region used to calculate CDNC SW is shown using red shading. (Jung et al, 2006;Löptien et al, 2008;Hoskins and Hodges, 2002;Field et al, 2008), geopotential height (Blender and Schubert, 2000), and vorticity (Sinclair, 1994;Hoskins and Hodges, 2002;Catto et al, 2010). In this study we utilize the methodology described in Field and Wood (2007).…”

Section: Cyclone Compositingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It should be noted that cyclonemean here and in the rest of this article refers to an average taken within a 2000 km radius of the cyclone center. WCB moisture flux is a proxy for the moisture flux ingested by the cyclone and is a good predictor of the cyclone-mean rain rate in observations and global climate models (Field and Wood, 2007;Field et al, 2011).…”

Section: Large-scale Environmental Controls On Midlatitude Cyclones Imentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Aerosol midlatitude cyclone indirect effects in observations and high-resolution simulations

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Aerosol-cloud interactions are a major source of uncertainty in inferring the climate sensitivity from the observational record of temperature. The adjustment of clouds to aerosol is a poorly constrained aspect of these aerosolcloud interactions. Here, we examine the response of midlatitude cyclone cloud properties to a change in cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC). Idealized experiments in high-resolution, convection-permitting global aquaplanet simulations with constant CDNC are compared to 13 years of remote-sensing observations. Observations and idealized aquaplanet simulations agree that increased warm conveyor belt (WCB) moisture flux into cyclones is consistent with higher cyclone liquid water path (CLWP). When CDNC is increased a larger LWP is needed to give the same rain rate. The LWP adjusts to allow the rain rate to be equal to the moisture flux into the cyclone along the WCB. This results in an increased CLWP for higher CDNC at a fixed WCB moisture flux in both observations and simulations. If observed cyclones in the top and bottom tercile of CDNC are contrasted it is found that they have not only higher CLWP but also cloud cover and albedo. The difference in cyclone albedo between the cyclones in the top and bottom third of CDNC is observed by CERES to be between 0.018 and 0.032, which is consistent with a 4.6-8.3 Wm −2 in-cyclone enhancement in upwelling shortwave when scaled by annualmean insolation. Based on a regression model to observed cyclone properties, roughly 60 % of the observed variability in CLWP can be explained by CDNC and WCB moisture flux.

show abstract

Section: Cyclone Compositingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Cyclone Compositingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Large-scale Environmental Controls On Midlatitude Cyclones Imentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Aerosol midlatitude cyclone indirect effects in observations and high-resolution simulations

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The CloudSat (known as Quickbeam) simulator (Haynes et al 2007;Bodas-Salcedo et al 2011) provides the ability to directly compare equivalent fields from CloudSat and reanalysis/forecast/climate models (e.g., Bodas-Salcedo et al 2008;Greenwald et al 2010;Naud et al 2010;Govekar et al 2011;Field et al 2011;Jiang et al 2012;Franklin et al 2013;Govekar et al 2014;Booth et al 2013). The simulator works by distributing model hydrometeors amongst the sub-grid columns with radar reflectivity, including attenuation, calculated at each model level.…”

Section: Cospmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Having established uncertainty in the fidelity with which these fields are reproduced in both model and reanalysis, latent heating and associated processes in the model are then directly compared to reanalysis. For the first time this study combines both remote sensing data (see e.g., Field et al 2008Field et al , 2011Govekar et al 2014;Booth et al 2013) and reanalysis (see e.g., Bengtsson et al 2006Bengtsson et al , 2009Catto et al 2010) to evaluate a climate model within a composite cyclone centred framework, allowing both the structure of cloud features to be evaluated and the underlying processes within the model which are responsible for any errors in the representation of those features to be investigated. The study focusses on winter (DJF), northern hemisphere ETCs since this is the season when the stormtracks and ETCs in the Atlantic and Pacific are at their most intense.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Using satellite and reanalysis data to evaluate the representation of latent heating in extratropical cyclones in a climate model

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

exhibit biases in cloud structure, with more clouds at lower altitudes than those observed in ISCCP in the warm conveyor belt region. As a result, latent heat release in ERAI is concentrated at lower altitudes. CloudSat indicates that much precipitation may be produced at too low an altitude in both HiGEM and ERAI, particularly ERAI, and neither capture observed variability in precipitation intensity. The potential vorticity structure in composite extratropical cyclones in HiGEM and ERAI is also compared. A more pronounced tropopause ridge evolves in HiGEM on the leading edge of the composite as compared to ERAI. One future area of research to be addressed is what impact these biases in the representation of latent heating have on climate projections produced by HiGEM. The biases found in ERAI indicate caution is required when using reanalyses to study cloud features and precipitation processes in extratropical cyclones or using reanalysis to evaluate climate models' ability to represent their structure.

show abstract

The relationship between clouds and dynamics in Southern Hemisphere extratropical cyclones in the real world and a climate model

2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The representation of clouds over the Southern Ocean in contemporary climate models remains a major challenge. A major dynamical influence on the structure of clouds is the passage of extratropical cyclones. They exert significant dynamical influences on the clouds in the dynamically active frontal regions as well as in the dynamically suppressed regions ahead and behind the cyclones. A cyclone compositing methodology is applied to a reanalysis and vertical profiles of cloudiness from CloudSat/CALIPSO to quantify the relationship between clouds and dynamics in extratropical cyclones over the Southern Ocean. It is found that the range of cloud fraction, vertical motion, and relative humidity changes considerably with height. There is a strong quasi‐linear relationship between the three variables which changes with altitude. After establishing the observed relationships, the methodology is applied to the Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator to evaluate the model's ability to simulate the identified cloud‐dynamics relationships. While the model is able to qualitatively reproduce the overall cloud structure, the circulation around the cyclone is generally too weak. As a result, the model fails to represent the observed cloud to dynamics relationship. This wrong relationship in the model leads to a misrepresentation of the cloud field manifested as either an error in the cloud fraction or as simulating the “right” clouds for the “wrong” reason. The result underscores the importance of relationship‐oriented model evaluation techniques over simple right or wrong assessments.

show abstract

Using model analysis and satellite data to assess cloud and precipitation in midlatitude cyclones

Cited by 38 publications

References 50 publications

Aerosol midlatitude cyclone indirect effects in observations and high-resolution simulations

Aerosol midlatitude cyclone indirect effects in observations and high-resolution simulations

Using satellite and reanalysis data to evaluate the representation of latent heating in extratropical cyclones in a climate model

The relationship between clouds and dynamics in Southern Hemisphere extratropical cyclones in the real world and a climate model

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About