Precipitation responses to radiative processes of water- and ice-clouds: an equilibrium cloud-resolving modeling study

AbstractCloud radiative processes are important in regulating weather and climate. Precipitation responses to radiative processes of water- and ice-clouds are investigated by analyzing mean equilibrium simulation data from a series of two-dimensional cloud-resolving model sensitivity experiments in this study. The model is imposed by zero vertical velocity. The exclusion of water radiative processes in the presence of ice radiative processes, as well as the removal of ice radiative processes, enhances tropospheric longwave radiative cooling and lowers air temperature and the saturation mixing ratio. The reduction in the saturation mixing ratio leads to an increase in vapor condensation and an associated release of latent heat, which increases rainfall. The elimination of water radiative processes strengthens local atmospheric warming in the upper troposphere via a reduction in longwave radiative cooling. The enhanced warming increases the rain source via an increase in the melting of graupel, which increa...