PNNL

The Science                                

Clouds are an important part of the weather and the climate system. This study explores the interactions among shallow cumulus clouds and how neighboring clouds influence the life cycle of convective clouds. Using modeling data from the HI-SCALE field campaign in Oklahoma, researchers simulated the behavior of clouds and tracked their life cycles. They found that clouds with a lifetime shorter than 45 minutes are bubble-like, while those with longer lifetimes have a plume-like structure. Furthermore, the team discovered that a growing cloud experiences higher vertical velocity when surrounded by decaying clouds than by growing clouds.

The Impact

This research has significant implications for improving scientific understanding of cloud behavior and how it affects the environment around the clouds. By revealing interactions among shallow cumulus clouds, this study provides valuable insights for developing simple models that can accurately predict cloud statistics. Furthermore, this research could help refine representations of clouds in large-scale climate models to better simulate the feedback between clouds and their environment.

Summary

This study examines the interactions among shallow cumulus clouds and reveals how neighboring clouds affect the growth and dissipation of the tracked clouds. The researchers used a simulation model to track the life cycle of clouds. They found that a growing cloud experiences higher vertical velocity when surrounded by decaying clouds than by growing clouds. Overall, this research has important implications for improving scientific understanding of cloud behavior and how it affects the large-scale environment around convective clouds.

PNNL Contact

Jerome Fast, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, jerome.fast@pnnl.gov

Funding

This study is supported by the Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research program as part of the Atmospheric Systems Research program. Computing resources for the simulations were provided by the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), a DOE Office of Science user facility; PNNL computing facilities; and the Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory (EMSL) on its computational cluster Cascade.