Impact of grid spacing, convective parameterization and cloud microphysics in ICON simulations of a warm conveyor belt

Abstract km, including those of current coarse-resolution global climate models with parameterized convection, as well as those of future storm-resolving climate models with explicit convection. The simulations also test the sensitivity with respect to the representation of convection and cloud microphysics. As the grid spacing is decreased, the number of WCB trajectories increases systematically, WCB trajectories ascend faster and higher, and a new class of anticyclonic trajectories emerges that is absent at 80 km. We also diagnose the impact of grid spacing on the ascent velocity and vorticity of WCB air parcels and the diabatic heating that these parcels experience. Ascent velocity increases at all pressure levels by a factor of 3 between the 80 and 2.5 km simulations, and vorticity increases by a factor of 2 in the lower and middle troposphere. We find a corresponding increase in diabatic heating as the grid spacing is decreased, arising mainly from cloud-associated phase changes in water. The treatment of convection has a much stronger impact than the treatment of cloud microphysics. When convection is resolved for grid spacings of 10, 5 and 2.5 km, the above changes to the WCB are amplified but become largely independent of the grid spacing. We find no clear connection across the different grid spacings between the strength of diabatic heating within the WCB and the deepening of cyclone Vladiana measured by its central pressure. An analysis of the pressure tendency equation shows that this is because diabatic heating plays a minor role in the deepening of Vladiana, which is dominated by temperature advection.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Impact of grid spacing, convective parameterization and cloud microphysics in ICON simulations of a warm conveyor belt ; volume:3 ; number:4 ; year:2022 ; pages:1199-1214 ; extent:16 ; Weather and climate dynamics ; 3, Heft 4 (2022), 1199-1214 (gesamt 16)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Choudhary, Anubhav ; Voigt, Aiko

Further information

• DOI: 10.5194/wcd-3-1199-2022
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2022110304351231546410
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:38 AM CEST