RCEMIP‐ACI: Aerosol‐Cloud Interactions in a Multimodel Ensemble of Radiative‐Convective Equilibrium Simulations
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Aerosol‐cloud interactions are a persistent source of uncertainty in climate research. This study presents findings from a model intercomparison project examining the impact of aerosols on clouds and climate in convection‐permitting radiative‐convective equilibrium (RCE) simulations. Specifically, 11 different modeling teams conducted RCE simulations under varying aerosol concentrations, domain configurations, and sea surface temperatures (SSTs). We analyze the response of domain‐mean cloud and radiative properties to imposed aerosol concentrations across different SSTs. Additionally, we explore the potential impact of aerosols on convective aggregation and large‐scale circulation in large‐domain simulations. The results reveal that the cloud and radiative responses to aerosols vary substantially across models. However, a common trend across models, SSTs, and domain configurations is that increased aerosol loading tends to suppress warm rain formation, enhance cloud water content in the mid‐troposphere, and consequently increase mid‐tropospheric humidity and upper‐tropospheric temperature, thereby impacting static stability. The warming of the upper troposphere can be attributed to reduced lateral entrainment effects due to the higher environmental humidity in the mid‐troposphere. However, models do not agree on aerosol impacts on convective updraft velocity based on the preliminary examination of high‐percentiles of vertical velocity at a single mid‐troposheric layer (500 hPa). In large‐domain simulations, where convection tends to self‐organize, aerosol loading does not consistently influence self‐organization but tends to reduce the intensity of large‐scale circulation forming between convective clusters and dry regions. This reduction in circulation intensity can be explained by the increase in static stability due to the upper tropospheric warming.
DOI: 10.1029/2025ms005141
Authors: Guy Dagan, Susan C. van den Heever, Philip Stier, Tristan H. Abbott, Christian Barthlott, Jean‐Pierre Chaboureau, Jiwen Fan, Stephan de Roode, Blaž Gasparini, Corinna Hoose, Fredrik Jansson, Gayatri Kulkarni, Gabrielle R. Leung, Suf Lorian, Thara Prabhakaran, David M. Romps, Denis Shum, Mirjam Tijhuis, Chiel C. van Heerwaarden, Allison A. Wing, Yunpeng Shan
Institutions: Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Colorado State University, University of Oxford, Princeton University, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Université de Toulouse, Argonne National Laboratory, Delft University of Technology, University of Vienna, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, University of California, Berkeley, Wageningen University & Research, Florida State University
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,650
Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, European Commission, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Technische Universiteit Delft, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Grand Équipement National De Calcul Intensif, Ames Research Center, Langley Research Center, Science Mission Directorate, RIKEN
Awards: The Ruisdael Observatory for atmospheric science, Simulating the Ruisdael Observatory, Fall Panel Meeting Support (Task 29), G2734401356, Clouds and climate transitioning to post-fossil aerosol regime, CAREER: Convective Aggregation and the Hydrological Cycle, Cloud Feedbacks, and Climate Sensitivity, G6465235338, G6940079405, G7349441729, G968119921
OpenAlex ID: W4416281816