Abstract
Characteristics of the total clear-sky greenhouse effect (GA) and cloud radiative forcings (CRFs), along with the radiative-related water vapor and cloud properties simulated by the Spectral Atmospheric Model developed by LASG/IAP (SAMIL) are evaluated. Impacts of the convection scheme on the simulation of CRFs are discussed by using two AMIP (Atmospheric Model Inter-comparison Project) type simulations employing different convection schemes: the new Zhang-McFarlane (NZH) and Tiedtke (TDK) convection schemes. It shows that both the climatological GA and its response to El Niño warming are simulated well, both in terms of spatial pattern and magnitude. The impact of the convection scheme on GA is not significant. The climatological longwave CRF (LWCRF) and its response to El Niño warming are simulated well, but with a prominently weaker magnitude. The simulation of the climatology (response) of LWCRF in the NZH (TDK) run is slightly more realistic than in the TDK (NZH) simulation, indicating significant impacts of the convection scheme. The shortwave CRF (SWCRF) shows large biases in both spatial pattern and magnitude, and the results from the TDK run are better than those from the NZH run. A spuriously excessive negative climatological SWCRF over the southeastern Pacific and an insufficient response of SWCRF to El Niño warming over the tropical Pacific are seen in the NZH run. These two biases are alleviated in the TDK run, since it produces vigorous convection, which is related to the low threshold for convection to take place. Also, impacts of the convection scheme on the cloud profile are discussed.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Arakawa, A., 2004: The cumulus parameterization problem: Past, present, and future. J. Climate, 17, 2493–2525.
Bao, Q., G. Wu, Y. Liu, J. Yang, Z. Wang, and T. Zhou, 2010: An introduction to the coupled model FGOALS1.1-s and its performance in East Asia. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 27, doi: 10.1007/s00376-010-9177-1.
Bony, S., and J. Dufresne, 2005: Marine boundary layer clouds at the heart of tropical cloud feedback uncertainties in climate models. Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, doi: 10.1029/2005GL023851.
Cess, R. D., and Coauthors, 1990: Intercomparison and interpretation of climate feedback processes in 19 atmospheric general circulation models. J. Geophys. Res., 95, 16601–16615.
Cess, R. D., and Coauthors, 1996: Cloud feedback in atmospheric general circulation models: An update. J. Geophys. Res., 101, 12791–12794.
Charlock, T. P., and V. Ramanathan, 1985: The Albedo field and cloud radiative forcing produced by a general circulation model with internally generated cloud optics. J. Atmos. Sci., 42, 1408–1429.
Chen, H., T. Zhou, R. Yu, and Q. Bao, 2009: The East Asian summer monsoon simulated by coupled model FGOALS_s. Chinese J. Atmos. Sci., 33(1), 155–167. (in Chinese)
Chen, H., T. Zhou, R. B. Neale, X. Wu, and G. J. Zhang, 2010: Performance of the New NCAR CAM3.5 in East Asian summer monsoon simulations: sensitivity to modifications of the convection scheme. J. Climate, 23, 3657–3675.
Collins, W. D., and Coauthors, 2006: The Community Climate System Model version 3 (CCSM3). J. Climate, 19, 2122–2143.
Colman, R., 2003: A comparison of climate feedbacks in general circulation models. Climate Dyn., 20, 865–873.
Cusack, S., A. Slingo, J. M. Edwards, and M. Wild, 1998: The radiative impact of simple aerosol climatology on the Hadley Centre climate model. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 124, 2517–2526.
Dai, F., R. Yu, X. Zhang, and Y. Yu, 2005: A statistically-based low-level cloud scheme and its tentative application in a general circulation model. Acta Meteoro logica Sinica, 19, 263–274.
Del Genio, A., and W. Kovari, 2002: Climatic properties of tropical precipitating convection under varying environmental conditions. J. Climate, 15, 2597–2615.
Edwards, J. M., and A. Slingo, 1996: Studies with a flexible new radiationcode. I: choosing a configuration for a large-scale model. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 122, 689–719.
Emanuel, K. A., and M. Zivkovic-Rothman, 1999: Development and evaluation of a convection scheme for use in climate models. J. Atmos. Sci., 56, 1766–1782.
Guilyardi, E., P. Braconnot, F. Jin, S. T. Kim, M. Kolasinski, T. Li, and I. Musat, 2009: Atmosphere feedbacks during ENSO in a coupled GCM with a modified atmospheric convection scheme. J. Climate, 22, 5698–5718.
Hack, J. J., 1994: Parameterization of moist convection in the National Center for Atmospheric Research community climate model (CCM2). J. Geophys. Res., 99, 5551–5568.
Haladay, T., and G. Stephens, 2009: Characteristics of tropical thin cirrus clouds deduced from joint Cloud-Sat and CALIPSO observations. J. Geophys. Res., 114, doi: 10.1029/2008JD010675.
Hall, A., and S. Manabe, 1999: The role of water vapor feedback in unperturbed climate variability and global warming. J. Climate, 12, 2327–2346.
Hansen, J., and Coauthors, 2002: Climate forcings in Goddard Institute for Space Studies SI2000 simulations, J. Geophys. Res., 107(D18), doi: 10.1029/2001JD001143.
Hodson, D. L. R., R. T. Sutton, C. Cassou, N. Keenlyside, Y. Okumura, and T. Zhou, 2010: Climate impacts of recent multidecadal changes in Atlantic Ocean sea surface temperature: A multimodel comparison. Climate Dyn., 34, 1041–1058, doi: 10.1007/s00382-009-0571-2.
Holtslag, A. A., and C. H. Moeng, 1991: Eddy diffusivity and counter gradient transport in the convective atmospheric boundary layer. J. Atmos. Sci., 48, 1690–1698.
Houghton, J. T., Y. Ding, D. J. Griggs, M. Noguer, P. J. van der Linden, X. Dai, K. Maskell, and C. A. Johnson, 2001: Climate change 2001: The Scientific Basis. Cambridge University Press Cambridge, 892pp.
Hourdin, F., and Coauthors, 2006: The LMDZ4 general circulation model: Climate performance and sensitivity to parametrized physics with emphasis on tropical convection. Climate Dyn., 27, 787–813.
Klein, S. A., and D. L. Hartmann, 1993: The seasonal cycle of low stratiform clouds. J. Climate, 6, 1587–1606.
Kucharski, F., and Coauthors, 2009: The CLIVAR C20C project: Skill of simulating Indian monsoon rainfall on interannual to decadal timescales. Does GHG forcing play a role? Climate Dyn., 33, 615–627, doi:10.1007/s00382-008-0462-y.
Li, L., B. Wang, and T. Zhou, 2007, Contributions of natural and anthropogenic forcings to the summer cooling over eastern China: An AGCM study. Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L18807, doi: 10.1029/2007GL030541
Li, J., Y. Liu, Z. Sun, and G. Wu, 2009: The impacts of the radiation and cumulus convective parameterization on the radiation fluxes in SAMIL. Acta Meteorologica Sinica, 67(03), 355–369. (in Chinese)
Li, G., and G. J. Zhang, 2008: Understanding biases in shortwave cloud radiative forcing in the national center for atmospheric research community atmosphere model (CAM3) during El Niño. J. Geophys. Res., 113, doi: 10.1029/2007JD008963.
Li, H., L. Feng, and T. Zhou, 2010a: Multi-model projection of July–August climate extreme changes over China under CO2 doubling. Part I: Precipitation. Adv. Atmos. Sci., doi: 10.1007/s00376-010-0013-4.
Li, H., L. Feng, and T. Zhou, 2010b: Multi-model projection of July–August climate extreme changes over China under CO2 doubling. Part II: Temperature. Adv. Atmos. Sci., doi: 10.1007/s00376-010-0052-x.
Liu, Y. M., K. Liu, and G. X. Wu, 2007: The impacts of the cumulus convective parameterization on the atmospheric water-content and rainfall simulation in SAMIL. Chinese J. Atmos. Sci., 31, 1201–1211. (in Chinese)
Lloyd, J., E. Guilyardi, H. Weller, and J. Slingo, 2009: The role of atmosphere feedbacks during ENSO in the CMIP3 models. Atmos. Sci. Lett., 10, 170–176.
Maloney, E. D., and D. L. Hartmann, 2001: The sensitivity of intraseasonal variability in the NCAR CCM3 to changes in convective parameterization. J. Climate, 14, 2015–2034.
Nordeng, T. E., 1994: Extended versions of the convective parameterization scheme at ECMWF and their impact on the mean and transient activity of the model in the tropics. ECMWF Technical Memorandum, 206, 41pp.
Ockert-Bell, M. E., and D. L. Hartmann, 1992a: The effect of cloud type on earth energy balance: Results for selected regions. J. Climate, 5, 1157–1171.
Ockert-Bell, M. E., and D. L. Hartmann, 1992b: The effect of cloud type on earth-energy balance: Results for selected regions. J. Climate, 5, 1157–1171.
Press, W. H., S.A. Teukolsky, W. T. Vetterling, and B. P. Flannery, 1992: Numerical Recipes. Cambridge University Press, 963pp.
Randall, D. A., and Coauthors, 2007: Climate models and their evaluation. Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis, Solomon et al., Eds., Cambridge University Press, 589–662.
Raval, A., and V. Ramanathan, 1989: Observational determination of the greenhouse-effect. Nature, 342, 758–761.
Rossow, W. B., and R. A. Schiffer, 1999: Advances in understanding clouds from ISCCP. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 80(11), 2261–2287.
Rossow, W. B., and E. N. Duenas, 2004: The International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Web site—An online resource for research. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 85, 167–172.
Sanchez-Gomez, E., C. Cassou, D. L. R. Hodson, N. Keenlyside, Y. Okumura, and T. Zhou, 2008: North Atlantic weather regimes response to Indian-western Pacific Ocean warming: A multi-model study. Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L15706, doi:10.1029/2008GL034345.
Scaife, A. A., Coauthors, 2009: The CLIVAR C20C Project: Selected twentieth century climate events. Climate Dyn., 33, 603–614, doi: 10.1007/s00382-008-0451-1.
Schmidt, G. A., and Coauthors, 2006: Present-day atmospheric simulations using GISS ModelE: Comparison to in situ, satellite, and reanalysis data. J. Climate, 19, 153–192.
Shi, G. Y., 2007: Atmospheric Radiation Science. Science and Technology Press, 402pp. (in Chinese)
Shine, K. P., and A. Sinha, 1991: Sensitivity of the Earth’s climate to height-dependent changes in the water vapour mixing ratio. Nature, 354, 382–384.
Slingo, J. M., 1987: The development and verification of a cloud prediction scheme for the ECMWF model. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 113, 899–927.
Smith, T. M., and R. W. Reynolds, 2004: Improved extended reconstruction of SST (1854–1997). J. Climate, 17, 2466–2477.
Soden, B. J., and I. M. Held, 2006: An assessment of climate feedbacks in coupled ocean-atmosphere models. J. Climate, 19, 3354–3360.
Song, X. L., 2005: The evaluation analysis of two kinds of mass flux cumulus parameterization in climate simulation. Ph. D. dissertaion, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 145pp. (in Chinese)
Song, X., X. Wu, G. J. Zhang, and R. W. Arritt, 2008: Understanding the effects of convective momentum transport on climate simulations: The role of convective heating. J. Climate, 21, 5034–5047.
Sun, D. Z., and R. S. Lindzen, 1993: Wator vapor feedback and the ice age snowline record. Ann. Geophys., 11, 204–215.
Sun, D. Z., J. Fasullo, T. Zhang, and A. Roubicek, 2003: On the radiative and dynamical feedbacks over the equatorial Pacific cold tongue. J. Climate, 16, 2425–2432.
Sun, D. Z., and Coauthors, 2006: Radiative and dynamical feedbacks over the equatorial cold tongue: Results from nine atmospheric GCMs. J. Climate, 19, 4059–4074.
Sun, Z., 2005: Parameterizations of radiation and cloud optical properties. BMRC Research Report, 1–6.
Tiedtke, M., 1989: A comprehensive mass flux scheme for cumulus parameterization in large scale models. Mon. Wea. Rev., 117, 1779–1800.
Uppala, S., 2006: From ERA-15 to ERA-40 and ERA-Interim. ECMWF-GEO Workshop on Atmospheric Reanalysis, Reading, United Kingdom, ECMWF, 17–22.
Wang, J., W. B. Rossow, and Y. C. Zhang, 2000: Cloud vertical structure and its variations from 20-yr global rawinsonde dataset. J. Climate, 12, 3041–3056.
Weare, B. C., and A. M. Groups, 1996: Evaluation of the vertical structure of zonally averaged cloudiness and its variability in the atmospheric model intercomparison project. J. Climate, 9, 3419–3431.
Wen, X., T. Zhou, S. Wang, B. Wang, H. Wan, and J. Li, 2007: Performance of a reconfigured Atmospheric General Circulation Model at low resolution. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 24(4), 712–728.
Wylie, D. P., and W. P. Menzel, 1999: Eight years of high cloud statistics using HIRS. J. Climate, 12(1), 170–184.
Wu, C. Q., and T. J. Zhou, 2010: The cloud radiative forcing characteristics over East Asia simulated by the CFMIP Atmospheric General Circulation models. Acta Meteorological Sinica, in press. (in Chinese)
Xie, P., and P. A. Arkin, 1997: Global precipitation: A 17-year monthly analysis based on gauge observations, satellite estimates, and numerical model outputs. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 78(11), 2539–2558.
Xu, K. M., and D. A. Randall, 1996: A semiempirical cloudiness parameterization for use in climate models. J. Atmos. Sci., 53(21), 3084–3102.
Yu, Y., and Coauthors, 2008: Coupled model simulations of climate changes in the 20th century and beyond. Adv. Atmos. Sci, 25(4), 641–654.
Zhang, G. J., 2002: Convective quasi-equilibrium in mid-latitude continental environment and its effect on convective parameterization. J. Geophys. Res., 107, doi: 10.1029/2001JD001005.
Zhang, G. J., and N. A. McFarlane, 1995: Sensitivity of climate simulations to the parameterization of cumulus convection in the Canadian Climate Centre general circulation model. Atmos.-Ocean, 33, 407–446.
Zhang, J., T. Zhou, Q. Bao, and B. Wu, 2010a: The vertical structures of temperature anomalies associated with El Niño simulated by LASG/IAP AGCM: Sensitivity to convection schemes. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 27, 1051–1063, doi: 10.1007/s00376-010-9167-3.
Zhang, L., T. Zhou, B. Wu, and Q. Bao, 2010b: The annual modes of tropical precipitation simulated by the LASG/IAP coupled ocean-atmosphere model FGOALS_s1.1. Acta Meteor. Sinica, 24, 189–202.
Zhang, M. H., W. Y. Lin, S. A. Klein, J. T. Bacmeister, S. Bony, R. T. Cederwall, and A. D. D. Genio, 2005: Comparing clouds and their seasonal variations in 10 atmospheric general circulation models with satellite measurements. J. Geophys. Res., 110, doi: 10.1029/2004JD005021.
Zhang, T., and D. Z. Sun, 2006: Response of water vapor and clouds to El Niño warming in three NCAR models. J. Geophys. Res., 111, doi:10.1029/2005JD006700.
Zhang, T., and D. Sun, 2008: What causes the excessive response of clear-sky greenhouse effect to El Niño warming in NCAR Community Atmosphere Models? J. Geophys. Res., 113, doi: 10.1029/2007JD009247.
Zhang, Y., W. B. Rossow, A. A. Lacis, V. Oinasm, and M. I. Mishchenko, 2004: Calculation of radiative fluxes from the surface to top of atmosphere based on ISCCP and other global data sets: Refinements of the radiative transfer model and the input data. J. Geophys. Res., 109, doi: 1029/2003JD004457.
Zhou, T., and Z. Li, 2002: Simulation of the east Asian summer monsoon by using a variable resolution atmospheric GCM. Climate Dynamics, 19, 167–180
Zhou, T., and R. Yu, 2006: Twentieth century surface air temperature over China and the globe simulated by coupled climate models. J. Climate, 19, 5843–5858.
Zhou, T., R. Yu, X. Liu, Y. Guo, Y. Yu, and X. Zhang, 2005a: Weak response of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation to an increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide in IAP/LASG Climate System Model. Chinese Science Bulletin, 50(6), 592–598.
Zhou, T., R. Yu, Z. Z. Wang, and T. W. Wu, 2005b: The Atmospheric General Circulation Model SAMIL and Its Associated Coupled Climate System Model FGOALS-s. Vol. 4, Impacts of the Ocaen-Land-Atmosphere Interaction over the Asian Monsoon Domain on the Climate Change over China, China Meteorological Press, 288pp. (in Chinese)
Zhou, T., Y. Yu, H. Liu, W. Li, X. You, and G. Zhou, 2007: Progress in the development and application of climate ocean models and ocean-atmosphere coupled models in China. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 24(4), 729–738.
Zhou, T., B. Wu, X. Wen, L. Li, and B. Wang, 2008: A fast version of LASG/IAP climate system model and its 1000-year control integration. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 25(4), 655–672, doi: 10.1007/s00376-008-0655-7.30.
Zhou, T., B. Wu, and B. Wang, 2009a: How well do Atmospheric General Circulation Models capture the leading modes of the interannual variability of Asian-Australian Monsoon? J. Climate, 22, 1159–1173.
Zhou, T., and Coauthors, 2009b: Why the western pacific subtropical high has extended westward since the late 1970s. J. Climate, 22, 2199–2215.
Zhou, T., and Coauthors, 2009c: The CLIVAR C20C Project: Which components of the Asian-Australian Monsoon circulation variations are forced and reproducible? Climate Dyn., 33, 1051–1068, doi: 10.1007/s00382-008-0501-8.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wu, C., Zhou, T., Sun, DZ. et al. Water vapor and cloud radiative forcings over the Pacific Ocean simulated by the LASG/IAP AGCM: Sensitivity to convection schemes. Adv. Atmos. Sci. 28, 80–98 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-010-9205-1
Received:
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-010-9205-1