Host model uncertainties in aerosol radiative forcing estimates: results from the AeroCom prescribed intercomparison study

Authors:

P Stier, NAJ Schutgens, H Bian, O Boucher, M Chin, S Ghan, N Huneeus, S Kinne, G Lin, G Myhre, JE Penner, C Randles, B Samset, M Schulz, H Yu, C Zhou

ICON-HAM-lite 1.0: simulating the Earth system with interactive aerosols at kilometer scales

Geoscientific Model Development European Geosciences Union

Authors:

Philipp Weiss, Ross Herbert, Philip Stier

Identifying climate model structural inconsistencies allows for tight constraint of aerosol radiative forcing

Authors:

Leighton A Regayre, Lucia Deaconu, Daniel P Grosvenor, David Sexton, Christopher C Symonds, Tom Langton, Duncan Watson-Paris, Jane P Mulcahy, Kirsty J Pringle, Mark G Richardson, Jill S Johnson, John Rostron, Hamish Gordon, Grenville Lister, Philip Stier, Ken S Carslaw

Identifying climate model structural inconsistencies allows for tight constraint of aerosol radiative forcing

Authors:

Leighton A Regayre, Lucia Deaconu, Daniel P Grosvenor, David MH Sexton, Christopher Symonds, Tom Langton, Duncan Watson-Paris, Jane P Mulcahy, Kirsty J Pringle, Mark Richardson, Jill S Johnson, John W Rostron, Hamish Gordon, Grenville Lister, Philip Stier, Ken S Carslaw

In-situ constraints on the vertical distribution of global aerosol

Copernicus GmbH

Authors:

Duncan Watson-Parris, Nick Schutgens, Carly Reddington, Kirsty J Pringle, Dantong Liu, James D Allan, Hugh Coe, Ken S Carslaw, Philip Stier

Abstract:

<jats:p>Abstract. Despite ongoing efforts, the vertical distribution of aerosols globally is poorly understood. This in turn leads to large uncertainties in the contributions of the direct and indirect aerosol forcing on climate. Using the Global Aerosol Synthesis and Science Project (GASSP) database – the largest synthesised collection of in-situ aircraft measurements currently available, with more than 1000 flights from 37 campaigns from around the world – we investigate the vertical structure of sub-micron aerosols across a wide range of regions and environments. The application of this unique dataset to assess the vertical distributions of number size distribution and Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) in the global aerosol-climate model ECHAM-HAM reveals that the model underestimates accumulation mode particles in the upper troposphere, especially in remote regions. The processes underlying this discrepancy are explored using different aerosol microphysical schemes and a process sensitivity analysis. These show that the biases are predominantly related to aerosol ageing and removal rather than emissions. </jats:p>