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Is the net cloud radiative effect over the troposal warm pools constrained to...

Wall, C. J., D. Hartmann, and J. R. Norris (2019), Is the net cloud radiative effect over the troposal warm pools constrained to be near zero?, Geophys. Res. Lett..
Abstract: 

Global radiative-convective equilibrium simulations are used to investigate
the hypothesis that the mutual interactions among cloud albedo, sea surface
temperature gradients, and atmospheric circulation constrain the radiative
properties of tropical convective clouds and maintain the near-cancellation between
shortwave and longwave cloud radiative effects over the tropical warm pools. We
perform a control experiment, in which convective clouds interact naturally with the
ocean and atmosphere by forming over the warmest water and shading it, and a
mechanism-denial experiment, in which this interaction is removed by randomizing
cloud shading of the ocean. Removing the cloud shading interaction enhances sea
surface temperature gradients, lateral atmospheric heat transport, and convective
aggregation and results in a much more negative net cloud radiative effect. These
findings support the hypothesis that feedbacks between sea surface temperature
and convection are critical to obtaining the near-cancellation of cloud radiative
effects that is observed over the tropical warm pools

Research Program: 
Climate Variability and Change Program