A simple TOPMODEL-based runoff parameterization (SIMTOP) for use in global climate models

Parameterization of cloud droplet formation in global climate models

An aerosol activation parameterization has been developed, based on a generalized representation of aerosol size and composition within the framework of an ascending adiabatic parcel; this allows for parameterizing the activation of chemically complex aerosol with arbitrary size distribution and mixing state. The new parameterization introduces the concept of “population splitting”, in which th...

Effects of Frozen Soil on Snowmelt Runoff and Soil Water Storage at a Continental Scale

The presence of ice in soil dramatically alters soil hydrologic and thermal properties. Despite this important role, many recent studies show that explicitly including the hydrologic effects of soil ice in land surface models degrades the simulation of runoff in cold regions. This paper addresses this dilemma by employing the Community Land Model version 2.0 (CLM2.0) developed at the National C...

Continued Development of a Cloud Droplet Formation Parameterization for Global Climate Models

A new albedo parameterization for use in climate models over the Antarctic ice sheet

[1] A parameterization for broadband snow surface albedo, based on snow grain size evolution, cloud optical thickness, and solar zenith angle, is implemented into a regional climate model for Antarctica and validated against field observations of albedo for the period 1995–2004. Over the Antarctic continent, modeled snow grain size exhibits expected behavior. The agreement between modeled and o...

A Parameterization of Shear-Driven Turbulence for Ocean Climate Models

This paper presents a new parameterization for shear-driven, stratified, turbulent mixing that is pertinent to climate models, in particular the shear-driven mixing in overflows and the Equatorial Undercurrent. This parameterization satisfies a critical requirement for climate applications by being simple enough to be implemented implicitly and thereby allowing the parameterization to be used w...