Gregarious Convection and Radiative Feedbacks in Idealized Worlds
Abstract
What role does convection play in cloud feedbacks? What role does convective aggregation play in climate? A flurry of recent studies explores self-aggregation of moist convection in diverse simulations using explicit convection and interactive radiation. The implications involve upper level dry areas acting as infrared windowsthe climate systems radiator fins. A positive feedback maintains these: dry columns undergo radiative cooling which drives descent and further drying. If the resulting clumpiness of vapor and cloud fields depends systematically on global temperature, then convective organization could be a climate system feedback. How reconcilable and how relevant are these interesting but idealized studies?
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 29, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1011064
Entities
People
- Brian Mapes
Organizations
- University of Miami