IMPACT OF CLOUD DROPLETS SPECTRAL UNCERTAINTY ON MESOSCALE PRECIPITATION

1 INTRODUCTION Cloud radiation is one of the most important and indefinite factors in atmospheric radiation. As shown in a comparative study by Cess et al. with a climate model, differences can be very large in the outcome of varying schemes of cloud parameterization. It is therefore of great significance to have a relatively accurate scheme of cloud parameterization for the atmospheric radiative transfer process. According to the Mie＇s scattering theory, the scale parameter of the particulate has a very important effect on its optical property. It is then seen that the number concentration and size distribution of cloud droplets play an important in the determination of the optical properties of cloud droplets.

Unrealistic treatment of detrained water substance in FGOALS-s2 and its influence on the model's climate sensitivity

Based on a series of aqua-planet and air–sea coupled experiments,the influence of unrealistic treatment of water substance in the Flexible Global Ocean–Atmosphere–Land System Model,spectral version 2（FGOALS-s2）,on the model＇s climate sensitivity is investigated in this paper.Because the model does not adopt an explicit microphysics scheme,the detrained water substance from the convection scheme is converted back to the humidity.This procedure could lead to an additional increase of water vapor in the atmosphere,which could strengthen the model＇s climate sensitivity.Further sensitivity experiments confirm this deduction.After removing the water vapor converted from the detrained water substance,the water vapor reduced significantly in the upper troposphere and the high clouds also reduced.Quantitative calculations show that the water vapor reduced almost 10% of the total water vapor,and 50% at 150 h Pa,when the detrained water substance was removed,contributing to the 30% atmospheric surface temperature increase.This study calls for an explicit microphysics scheme to be introduced into the model in order to handle the detrained water vapor and thus improve the model＇s simulation skill.

Analysis of surface temperature bias over the Tibetan plateau in the CAS FGOALS-f3-L model

The Chinese Academy of Sciences Flexible Global Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System atmospheric component model(FGOALS-f3-L)participated in Phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project,but its reproducibility of surface temperature(T_(s))over the Tibetan Plateau(TP)as a key climatically sensitive region remains unclear.This study evaluates the capability of FGOALS-f3-L in reproducing the climatological T_(s)over the TP relative to the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis.The results show that FGOALS-f3-L can reasonably capture the spatial pattern of T_(s)but underestimates the annual mean T_(s)for the whole TP.The simulated T_(s)for the whole TP shows a cold bias in winter and spring and a warm bias in summer and autumn.Further quantitative analysis based on the surface energy budget equation shows that the surface albedo feedback(SAF)term strongly contributes to the annual,winter,and spring mean cold bias in the western TP and to the warm bias in the eastern TP.Compared with the SAF term,the surface sensible and latent heat flux terms make nearly opposite contributions to the T_(s)bias and considerably offset the bias due to the SAF term.The cloud radiative forcing term strongly contributes to the annual and seasonal mean weak cold bias in the eastern TP.The longwave radiation term associated with the overestimated water vapor content accounts for a large portion of the warm bias over the whole TP in summer and autumn.Improving land surface and cloud processes in FGOALS-f3-L is critical to reduce the T_(s)bias over the TP.

Cloud and Radiation Processes Simulated by a Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean Model

Using NCC/IAP T63 coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model （AOGCM）, two 20-yr integrations were processed, and their ability to simulate cloud and radiation was analysed in detail. The results show that the model can simulate the basic distribution of cloud cover, and however, obvious differences still exist compared with ISCCP satellite data and ERA reanalysis data. The simulated cloud cover is less in general, especially the abnormal low values in some regions of ocean. By improving the cloud cover scheme, simulated cloud cover in the eastern Pacific and Atlantic, summer hemisphere＇s oceans from subtropical to mid-latitude is considerably improved. But in the tropical Indian Ocean and West Pacific the cloud cover difference is still evident, mainly due to the deficiency of high cloud simulation in these regions resulting from deep cumulus convection. In terms of the analysis on radiation and cloud radiative forcing, we find that simulation on long wave radiation is better than short wave radiation. The simulation error of short wave radiation is caused mostly by the simulation difference in short wave radiative forcing, sea ice, and snow cover, and also by not involving aerosol＇s effect. The simulation error of long wave radiation is mainly resulting from deficiency in simulating cloud cover and underlying surface temperature. Corresponding to improvement of cloud cover, the simulated radiation （especially short wave radiation） in eastern oceans, summer hemisphere＇s oceans from subtropical to mid-latitude is remarkably improved. This also brings obvious improvement to net radiation in these regions.

THE ROLE OF CLOUDE/RADIATION IN LONG-RANGE NUMERICAL WEATHER PREDICTION

We investigate the role of clouds and radiation in the general circulation of the atmosphere using a model designed for 30-day predictions.Comprehensive verifications of 30-day predictions for the 500 hPa geo- potential height field have been carried out,using the data from ECMWF objective analyses that cover the period from May 5 to June 3,1982.We perform three model simulations,including experiments with interac- tive cloud formation,without clouds,and without radiative heating.The latter two experiments allow us to study the effects of cloud/radiation interactions and feedbacks on the predicted vertical velocity,and the meridional and zonal wind profiles,averaged over a 30-day period. We demonstrate that the Hadley circulation is maintained by the presence of clouds.The radiative cooling in the atmosphere intensifies the vertical motion in low latitudes and,to some extent,also strengthens the overall meridional circulation.The meridional winds are correctly reproduced in the model if clouds are incorporated. The zonal winds are significantly affected by clouds and radiative cooling.Without an appropriate incor- poration of these physical elements,the model results would deviate significantly from observations.The presence of clouds strengthens the westerlies in middle and high levels.In May,the northerly movement of the jet stream over eastern Asia is,in part,associated with the presence of clouds.

Galactic center research:manifestations of the central black hole

This review summarizes a few of the frontiers of Galactic center research that are currently the focus of considerable activity and attention. It is aimed at pro- viding a necessarily incomplete sketch of some of the timely work being done on phenomena taking place in, or originating in, the central few parsecs of the Galaxy, with particular attention to topics related to the Galactic black hole （GBH）. We have chosen to expand on the following exciting topics： 1） the characterization and the im- plications for the variability of emission from the GBH, 2） the strong evidence for a powerful X-ray flare in the Galactic center within the past few hundred years, and the likelihood that the GBH is implicated in that event, 3） the prospects for detecting the ＂shadow＂ of the GBH, 4） an overview of the current state of research on the central S-star cluster, and what has been learned from the stellar orbits within that cluster, and 5） the current hypotheses for the origin of the G2 dust cloud that is projected to make a close passage by the GBH in 2013.

The features of cloud overlapping in Eastern Asia and their effect on cloud radiative forcing

Characteristics of cloud overlap over Eastern Asia are analyzed using a threeyear dataset （20072009） from the cloud observing satellite CloudSat. Decorrelation depth Lis retrieved, which represents cloud overlap characteristics in the simulation of cloudradiation processes in global climate models. Results show that values of L in six study regions are generally within the range 03 km. By categorizing L according to cloud amount in subregions, peak L appears near subregions with cloud amount between 0.6 and 0.8. Average L is 2.5 km. L at higher altitudes is generally larger than at lower lati tudes. Seasonal variations of L are also clearly demonstrated. The sensitivity of cloud radiative forcing （CRF） to L;y in Community Atmosphere Model 3.0 of the National Center for Atmospheric Research （CAM3/NCAR） is analyzed. The result shows that L can have a big impact on simulation of CRF, especially in major monsoon regions and the MidEastern Pacif ic, where the difference in CRF can reach 4050 W m2. Therefore, accurate parameterization of cloud vertical overlap struc ture is important to CRF simulation and its feedback to climate.

Cloud Microphysical Budget Associated with Torrential Rainfall During the Landfall of Severe Tropical Storm Bilis (2006)

Effects of vertical wind shear, radiation, and ice clouds on cloud microphysical budget associated with torrential rainfall during landfall of severe tropical storm Bilis （2006） are investigated by using a series of analysis of two-day grid-scale sensitivity experiment data. When upper-tropospheric upward motions and lower-tropospheric downward motions occur on 15 July 2006, the removal of vertical wind shear and ice clouds increases rainfall contributions from the rainfall type （CM） associated with positive net condensation and hydrometeor loss/convergence, whereas the exclusion of cloud radiative effects and cloud-radiation in- teraction reduces rainfall contribution from CM. The elimination of vertical wind shear and cloud-radiation interaction increases rainfall contribution from the rainfall type （Cm） associated with positive net conden- sation and hydrometeor gain/divergence, but the removal of cloud radiative effects and ice clouds decreases rainfall contribution from Cm. The enhancements in rainfall contribution from the rainfall type （cM） as- sociated with negative net condensation and hydrometeor loss/convergence are caused by the exclusion of cloud radiative effects, cloud-radiation interaction and ice clouds, whereas the reduction in rainfall contri- bution from cM results from the removal of vertical wind shear. When upward motions appear throughout the troposphere on 16 July, the exclusion of all these effects increases rainfall contribution from CM, but generally decreases rainfall contributions from Cm and cM.

Aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions:A challenging problem in regional environment and climate research

Aerosols affect clouds in two broad ways： （i） presence of more number of aerosols leads to formation of more smaller droplets, and reduces coalescence, resulting in brighter clouds that reflect more solar energy back to space, hence they contribute to cooling of the Earth＇s surface and （ii） numerous smaller cloud droplets tend to reduce precipitation and change the extent of cloud cover and increase cloud lifetime and albedo. One of our recent studies on aerosols over the lndo-Gangetic Plains （IGP） relative to the pristine oceans to the south of Indian Ocean showed that highly absorbing aerosols could potentially lead to the revival of active condition preceded by long break. The absorption of solar radiation by aerosols such as black carbon and desert dust produces surface cooling and local stabilization of lower atmosphere. This stability effect is overcome by the enhanced moisture convergence due to the meridional gradient of aerosol-induced heating. In some other studies, we showed association between cloud thickness and cloud to sub-cloud ratio （SCR）, aerosol variability （in terms of aerosol optical depth and aerosol index） and monsoon precipitation and climate over regional scale. This paper provides an overview of some salient results that have been obtained from the studies conducted, using the ground- and space-based active and passive remote sensing techniques, at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology （IITM）, Pune, India in the recent decade.

PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THE ATMOSPHERIC RADIATIVE HEATING FIELDS IN AUTUMN IN THE MID LATITUDE ARID AREAS OF CHINA

A parameterized radiation and cloud model developed at the University of Utah,U.S.A.has been used to compute the atmospheric radiative properties in Zhangye area during the pilot experiment of HEIFE in September of 1988.Some characteristics of atmospheric radiative heating fields during the autumn in Zhangye area have been analysed,and some questions that merit attention in the future observation are also discussed in this paper.