Modeling the coupled and decoupled states of polar boundary-layer mixed-phase clouds

Abstract

Representing mixed-phase clouds (MPCs) is a long-standing challenge for climate models, with major consequences regarding the simulation of radiative fluxes at high-latitudes and uncertainties in future cryosphere melting estimates. Low-level boundary-layer MPCs that prevail at high-latitudes can be either coupled or decoupled to the surface, which modulates their dynamical and microphysical properties. This study leverages a recent physically-based parameterization of phase partitioning considering an explicit coupling between microphysics and subgrid-scale dynamics and involving direct interactions between the cloud and turbulent diffusion schemes. This parameterization makes it possible to capture the structure of the decoupled state of polar boundary-layer MPCs-with a supercooled liquid dominated cloud-top sitting on top of precipitating ice crystals-in single column simulations with the LMDZ Atmospheric General Circulation Model. The positive feedback loop involving cloud-top radiative cooling induced by supercooled liquid droplets, subsequent buoyancy production of turbulence as well as the supercooled liquid water production associated with turbulence, is captured by the model. However, the liquid and cloud ice water path remain underestimated and most of the turbulence is confined near cloud top which is probably due to a missing parameterization for convective downdrafts in the model. The study further shows that accounting for the detrainment of shallow convective plume's air when diagnosing the in-cloud supersaturation makes it possible to capture the overall vertical structure of surface-coupled clouds, with realistic liquid and ice water contents. Nonetheless, a parameteric sensitivity analysis emphasizes the importance of properly calibrating the parameter controling the supercooled liquid water production term by subgrid turbulence.