Parameterization of the Aerosol Indirect Climatic Effect: Observational and Modeling Approach

Columbia University, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

A joint project (Parameterization of the Aerosol Climatic Effect, PACE) between experimentalists and modelers who have expertise in aerosol chemistry, cloud microphysics, radiative transfer and climate modeling has recently been initiated to address the issue of aerosol interaction with clouds, referred to the aerosol indirect effect. The PI proposes to compare ACE-2 field campaign data with cloud properties and radiative fluxes simulated by the NASA GISS SCM along with that simulated by other models. The objectives are to rigorously assess the models and develop and test more realistic schemes for representing aerosol-cloud-radiation interactions in climate models. The work is important because it will contribute to narrowing the large range of uncertainty in model simulations of the indirect effects of anthropogenic aerosols, thereby facilitating more reliable predictions of global and regional climatic change.