Daniel E. Johnson

The Atmospheric Energy Budget and Large-Scale Precipitation Efficiency of Convective Systems during TOGA COARE, GATE, SCSMEX, and ARM: Cloud-Resolving Model Simulations

Abstract A two-dimensional version of the Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model is used to simulate convective systems that developed in various geographic locations (east Atlantic, west Pacific, South China Sea, and Great Plains in the United States). Observed large-scale advective tendencies for potential temperature, water vapor mixing ratio, and horizontal momentum derived from field campaigns are used as the main forcing. The atmospheric temperature and water vapor budgets from the model results show that the two largest terms are net condensation (heating/drying) and imposed large-scale forcing (cooling/moistening) for tropical oceanic cases though not for midlatitude continental cases. These two terms are opposite in sign, however, and are not the dominant terms in the moist static energy budget. The balance between net radiation, surface latent heat flux, and net condensational heating vary in these tropical cases, however. For cloud systems that developed over the South China Sea and eastern Atlan...

A Study of the Response of Deep Tropical Clouds to Large-Scale Thermodynamic Forcings. Part I: Modeling Strategies and Simulations of TOGA COARE Convective Systems

Abstract Interactions between deep tropical clouds over the western Pacific warm pool and the larger-scale environment are key to understanding climate change. Cloud models are an extremely useful tool in simulating and providing statistical information on heat and moisture transfer processes between cloud systems and the environment, and can therefore be utilized to substantially improve cloud parameterizations in climate models. In this paper, the Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) cloud-resolving model is used in multiday simulations of deep tropical convective activity over the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE). Large-scale temperature and moisture advective tendencies, and horizontal momentum from the TOGA COARE Intensive Flux Array region, are applied to the GCE version that incorporates cyclical boundary conditions. Sensitivity experiments show that the horizontal extent (size) of the domain produces the largest response to domain-mean temperatur...

Sensitivity of a Cloud-Resolving Model to Bulk and Explicit Bin Microphysical Schemes. Part II: Cloud Microphysics and Storm Dynamics Interactions

Abstract Part I of this paper compares two simulations, one using a bulk and the other a detailed bin microphysical scheme, of a long-lasting, continental mesoscale convective system with leading convection and trailing stratiform region. Diagnostic studies and sensitivity tests are carried out in Part II to explain the simulated contrasts in the spatial and temporal variations by the two microphysical schemes and to understand the interactions between cloud microphysics and storm dynamics. It is found that the fixed raindrop size distribution in the bulk scheme artificially enhances rain evaporation rate and produces a stronger near-surface cool pool compared with the bin simulation. In the bulk simulation, cool pool circulation dominates the near-surface environmental wind shear in contrast to the near-balance between cool pool and wind shear in the bin simulation. This is the main reason for the contrasting quasi-steady states simulated in Part I. Sensitivity tests also show that large amounts of fast-...

Sensitivity of a Cloud-Resolving Model to Bulk and Explicit Bin Microphysical Schemes. Part I: Comparisons

Abstract A two-dimensional cloud-resolving model is used to study the sensitivities of two microphysical schemes, a bulk scheme and an explicit spectral bin scheme, in simulating a midlatitude summertime squall line [Preliminary Regional Experiment for Storm-Scale Operational and Research Meteorology (PRE-STORM), 10–11 June 1985]. In this first part of a two-part paper, the developing and mature stages of simulated storms are compared in detail. Some variables observed during the field campaign are also presented for validation. It is found that both schemes agree well with each other, and also with published observations and retrievals, in terms of storm structures and evolution, average storm flow patterns, pressure and temperature perturbations, and total heating profiles. The bin scheme is able to produce a much more extensive and homogeneous stratiform region, which compares better with observations. However, instantaneous fields and high temporal resolution analyses show distinct characteristics in ...

A Study of the Response of Deep Tropical Clouds to Large-Scale Thermodynamic Forcings. Part II: Sensitivities to Microphysics, Radiation, and Surface Fluxes

Abstract The Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model is used to examine the sensitivities of multiday 2D simulations of deep tropical convection to surface fluxes, interactive radiation, and ice microphysical processes. The simulations incorporate large-scale temperature, moisture, and momentum forcings, from the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE) for the period 19–27 December 1992. This study shows that, when surface fluxes are eliminated, the mean simulated atmosphere is much cooler and drier, convection and CAPE are much weaker, precipitation is less, and low-level to midlevel cloudiness is much greater. Surface fluxes using the TOGA COARE flux algorithm are weaker than with the aerodynamic formulation, but closer to the observed fluxes. In addition, trends similar to those noted above for the case without surface fluxes are produced for the TOGA COARE flux case, albeit to a much lesser extent. The elimination of shortwave and longwave radiation is f...