Articles | Volume 17, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4599-2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4599-2017
Research article
 | 
07 Apr 2017
Research article |  | 07 Apr 2017

The role of the gamma function shape parameter in determining differences between condensation rates in bin and bulk microphysics schemes

Adele L. Igel and Susan C. van den Heever

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Cited articles

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Igel, A. L. and van den Heever, S. C.: The Importance of the Shape of Cloud Droplet Size Distributions in Shallow Cumulus Clouds. Part I: Bin Microphysics Simulations, J. Atmos. Sci. 74, 249–258, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-15-0382.1, 2017a.
Igel, A. L. and van den Heever, S. C.: The Importance of the Shape of Cloud Droplet Size Distributions in Shallow Cumulus Clouds. Part II: Bulk Microphysics Simulations,. J. Atmos. Sci. 74, 259–273, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-15-0383.1, 2017b.
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We ran simulations of cumulus clouds with bin and bulk microphysics schemes and compared the predicted condensation rates. Differences are predominantly due to the use of a fixed shape parameter in bulk models. The shape parameter is poorly constrained by observations and requires further study.
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