Publication Abstracts

McCoy et al. 2022

McCoy, D.T., P. Field, M.E. Frazer, M.D. Zelinka, G.S Elsaesser, J. Mülmenstädt, I. Tan, T.A. Myers, and Z.J. Lebo, 2022: Extratropical shortwave cloud feedbacks in the context of the global circulation and hydrological cycle. Geophys. Res. Lett., 49, no. 8, e2021GL097154, doi:10.1029/2021GL097154.

Shortwave (SW) cloud feedback (SWFB ) is the primary driver of uncertainty in the effective climate sensitivity (ECS) predicted by global climate models (GCMs). ECS for several GCMs in the Sixth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) exceed 5K, above the fifth assessment report (AR5) 'likely' maximum (4.5K) due to extratropical SWFB's that are more positive than those simulated in previous generation CMIP5 GCMs. Here we show that across 57 GCMs Southern Ocean SWFB can be predicted from the sensitivity of column-integrated liquid water mass (LWP) to moisture convergence and to surface temperature. The response of LWP to moisture convergence and the response of albedo to LWP anti-correlate across GCMs. This is because GCMs that simulate a larger response of LWP to moisture convergence tend to have higher mean-state LWPs, which reduces the impact of additional LWP on albedo. Observational constraints suggest a modestly negative Southern Ocean SWFB — inconsistent with extreme ECS.

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BibTeX Citation

@article{mc03200x,
  author={McCoy, D. T. and Field, P. and Frazer, M. E. and Zelinka, M. D. and Elsaesser, G. S and Mülmenstädt, J. and Tan, I. and Myers, T. A. and Lebo, Z. J.},
  title={Extratropical shortwave cloud feedbacks in the context of the global circulation and hydrological cycle},
  year={2022},
  journal={Geophysical Research Letters},
  volume={49},
  number={8},
  pages={e2021GL097154},
  doi={10.1029/2021GL097154},
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - JOUR
ID  - mc03200x
AU  - McCoy, D. T.
AU  - Field, P.
AU  - Frazer, M. E.
AU  - Zelinka, M. D.
AU  - Elsaesser, G. S
AU  - Mülmenstädt, J.
AU  - Tan, I.
AU  - Myers, T. A.
AU  - Lebo, Z. J.
PY  - 2022
TI  - Extratropical shortwave cloud feedbacks in the context of the global circulation and hydrological cycle
JA  - Geophys. Res. Lett.
JO  - Geophysical Research Letters
VL  - 49
IS  - 8
SP  - e2021GL097154
DO  - 10.1029/2021GL097154
ER  -

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