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Framework for idealized climate simulations with spatiotemporal stochastic clouds and planetary-scale circulations

Tianhong Huang*, Samuel N. Stechmann, and Jason L. Torchinsky

  • University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA

  • *thuang76@wisc.edu
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Phys. Rev. Fluids 7, 010502 – Published 20 January, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevFluids.7.010502

Abstract

In climate predictions, clouds are the leading source of uncertainty. This is partly because, to simulate the fluid dynamics of climate over the entire globe, a large grid spacing must be used, so clouds are a subgrid-scale parametrization rather than a resolved feature. Here, a framework is investigated with finer grid spacing of O(1) or O(10)km so that some clouds are not subgrid-scale; instead, clouds evolve on the numerical grid. This cloud evolution is achieved using stochastic modeling. Hence, the framework is idealized in the sense that the full fluid dynamics of cloud circulations is still not resolved, and simplified vertical structures are used. Nevertheless, the fluid dynamics model includes evolving clouds that interactively adjust in size, shape, lifetime, and regional coverage. In addition, different cloud types are included with different roles in the climate system, including deep convective clouds and also boundary-layer clouds such as shallow cumulus and stratocumulus clouds. Other basic aspects of the idealized climate system are planetary-scale circulations (e.g., Walker circulation) and radiation. With these ingredients (evolving clouds, planetary-scale circulations, and radiation), the framework has the potential for idealized investigations of climate change with interactive cloud–radiative feedback of individual clouds. Here, the formulation of the model equations is presented, and numerical simulations are shown to illustrate the model dynamics and climate change.

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Cloud Physics Invited Papers

Physical Review Fluids publishes a collection of papers associated with invited talks presented at the mini-symposium on the Cloud Physics at the 73rd Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics.

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Phys. Rev. Fluids 7, 010502– Published 20 January, 2022
  • Received 4 August 2021
  • Accepted 16 December 2021
Article part of CHORUS
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