Two Different Pathways toward Self-aggregation under
Radiative-convective Equilibrium between SCALE and VVM
Abstract
Two cloud-resolving models (SCALE and VVM) take different pathways
toward convective self-aggregation under a radiative-convective
equilibrium condition, although the model setups are the same. The
physical processes driving the development of self-aggregation in SCALE
and VVM, respectively, correspond to the mechanisms for self-aggregation
in cold and warm climate states discussed in a previous study. Analyses
in the moisture space show that radiative cooling in the dry area mainly
drives the aggregation in SCALE, while subsidence induced by the
convection in the moist region dominates in VVM. The transition of the
convective circulation from convective scale to mesoscale is found on
the isentropic diagram in VVM, but this transition is unclear in SCALE.
The convective clouds with larger sizes are rare in SCALE. The frequent
occurrence of larger convective clouds efficiently drives
self-aggregation from the moist area in VVM. These results provide a new
insight to understand convective self-aggregation among models.