《autoconversion parameterization》.pdf

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 32, L11811, doi:10.1029/2005GL022636, 2005 Size truncation effect, threshold behavior, and a new type of autoconversion parameterization Yangang Liu, Peter H. Daum, and Robert L. McGraw Atmospheric Sciences Division, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York, USA Received 4 February 2005; revised 2 April 2005; accepted 10 May 2005; published 15 June 2005. [1] A function defined as the size truncation function is 1993; Liu and Daum , 2004]. See Liu and Daum [2004] introduced to quantify the effect of truncating the cloud also for discussions and comparisons of different rate droplet size distribution on the autoconversion rate. It is functions. shown that the size truncation function can be used as a [4] The threshold function T, however, has received little threshold function to represent the threshold behavior attention. The only two available expressions are ad hoc in associated with the autoconversion process, providing a nature [Kessler, 1969; Sundqvist, 1978; Del Genio et al., physical basis for the threshold function. Comparisons of 1996] (see Section 2 for more discussions). Some simulation- the new threshold function with those ad hoc threshold based parameterizations obtained by fitting simulations of functions associated with existing Kessler-type and detailed microphysical models implicitly assume T = 1 Sundqvist-type parameterizations reveals the degree of [Beheng, 1994; Khairoutdinov and Kogan , 2000], which approximations of the two empirical parameterizations. can be considered as a special case. Lack of physics behind Application of the new threshold function leads to a new these ad hoc thr