Transition Zone Radiative Effects in Shortwave Radiation Parameterizations: Case of Weather Research and Forecasting Model. Issue 23 (4th December 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jahani, Babak; Calbó, Josep; González, Josep‐Abel
• Is Part Of: Journal of geophysical research. Volume 124:Issue 23(2019)
• Page Start: 13091
• Page End: 13104
• Publication Date: 2019-12-04
• Subjects: aerosol -- cloud -- solar radiation -- WRF; Atmospheric physics -- Periodicals; Geophysics -- Periodicals; 551.5
• DOI: 10.1029/2019JD031064
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2169-897X

Abstract

Abstract: A number of studies have stated that the shift from a cloud‐free to cloudy atmosphere (and vice versa) contains an additional phase, named "Transition (or twilight) Zone". However, the information available about radiative effects of this phase is very limited. Consequently, in most meteorological and climate studies, the area corresponding to the transition zone is considered as an area containing aerosol or optically thin clouds. This study investigates the differences in shortwave radiative effects driven from different treatments of the transition zone. To this aim, three of the shortwave radiation parameterizations (NewGoddard, Rapid Radiative Transfer Model for Global circulation models, and Fu‐Liou‐Gu) included in the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF‐ARW) were isolated and adapted for one‐dimensional vertical simulations. These parameterizations were then utilized to perform simulations under ideal "cloud" and "aerosol" modes, for different values of (i) cloud optical depths resulting from different sizes of ice crystals or liquid droplets and mixing ratios; and (ii) different aerosol optical depths combined with various aerosol types. The resulting shortwave broadband total, direct, and diffuse irradiances at the Earth surface were analyzed. The uncertainties originated from different assumptions of a situation regarding to the transition zone are quite substantial for all the parameterizations. For all the parameterizations, direct and total irradiances are the least and most sensitive irradiances to different treatments of the transition zone, respectively. Differences in the radiative effects of transition zone dominantly result from the difference between the radiative effects of clouds and aerosols (different types), not from cloud type or droplet/crystal size. Key Points: Differences in shortwave radiative effects driven from different treatments of the transition zone have been investigated Three radiative parameterizations included in WRF‐ARW, adapted for one‐dimensional simulations, were used for this purpose Different treatments of the transition zone can lead to substantial differences in estimation of shortwave radiative effects at surface