Abstract
The Radiative-Convective Equilibrium (RCE) of two models exhibiting
convective aggregation has been compared. The goal of the work,
following the suggestion from the Radiative-Convective Equilibrium Model
Intercomparison Project (RCEMIP), is to identify key parameters
controlling self-aggregation in RCE for both models and discuss the
processes controlled by these parameters in order to find the
simulations similarities and to test their differences. The two models
studied, the SAM (System for Atmospheric Modeling) and the ARPS
(Advanced Regional Prediction System), have different physical and
numerical formulations. This allowed us to compare the sensitivity to
processes related to self-aggregation. When self-aggregation occurs, the
two models present similar statistics for what concerns precipitation,
warming, and drying of the atmosphere and anvil cloud area reduction
(leading to an “Iris effect’), within the spread of the RCEMIP values.
On the other hand, they differ both in the degree of organization and
the organization feedback: SAM is strongly organized (is on the highest
quartile of the RCEMIP for the Iorg Index) and the convective
organization is achieved by cloud-radiative feedback; ARPS is weakly
organized (on the multi-model average of the RCEMIP for the Iorg Index)
and the moisture-convection feedback is leading to the convective
organization. The prevalence of one mechanism over the other has been
found in the interaction between the microphysics and the sub-cloud
layer properties. This comparison suggests that, in order to have a
robust measure of climate sensitivity, climate models should include
both types of convective organization mechanisms as shown by the two
models.