The importance of clouds

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The importance of clouds
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The Global Climate System
http//www.dkrz.de/dkrz/broschuere-eng/research/cl
imatesystem.html
http//www.lwr.kth.se/Grundutbildning/1B1292/Compe
ndium_online/ch05s01s02.html
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Radiation in the climate system
Kiehl and Trenberth, BAMS, 1997
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Net cloud radiative effect from ERBE
-90 -70 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0
10 20 30 40
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Latent Heating
Combined satellite rainfall measurements Reflects
locations of major precipitating cloud
systems spatiotemporal variability
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The Global Hydrological Cycle
http//www.dkrz.de/dkrz/broschuere-eng/research/wa
ter.html
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From global to local range of scales
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Impact of cloud type upon radiation
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Impact of cloud type upon radiation
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Impact of cloud type upon radiation
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Distribution of cloud types
Deep convection
High
Anvils
Tropical East Pacific
Mid-level
Low
Stratocumulus
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Radiative effect of cloud types
High
Mid-level
Low
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Factors influencing cloud types
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ERBE net cloud forcing
SST anomaly from zonal mean
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ISCCP inferred St/Sc amount
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Tropical-subtropical general circulation
from Randall et al., J. Atmos. Sci., 37,
125-130, 1980
cold SST
warm SST
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Seasonal cycle of precipitation
Jan 2004
Jul 2004
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Interannual variability of precipitation
El Niño
Jan 1998
La Niña
Jan 1999
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Global frequency and distribution of lightning as
observed from space Christian et al., J. Geophys.
Res., 2003.
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Tight couplings between SST, winds, and clouds
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Clouds and precipitation associated with
midlatitude cyclones
warm conveyor
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Orographic precipitation enhancement
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Clouds and climate change
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Clouds in climate models- change in low cloud
amount for 2?CO2
GFDL
CCM
model number
from Stephens (2005)
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Change in radiative forcing (present day
preindustrial)
IPCC (2001)
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Pacific Northwest Projected River Flow
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• Cloud effects on atmospheric chemistry
• Acidity of rain
• Gas-particle conversion
• Biogeochemical feedbacks to tropical cloud pattern

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Hobbs 2000
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Hobbs 2000
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• Modeling clouds and precipitation
• Forecasting of precipitation
• Climate impacts

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From the sublime.
10x10x5 m resolution 20x20x3 km domain Stevens
et al. (2002)
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.to the ridiculous, but necessary
3x3o resolution global domain climateprediction.
net
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Hobbs 2000