Cloud albedo changes in response to anthropogenic sulfate and non-sulfate aerosol forcings in CMIP5 models

Frey, Lena; Bender, Frida A.-M.; Svensson, Gunilla

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9145-2017

Articles | Volume 17, issue 14

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9145-2017

© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-9145-2017

© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 17, issue 14

Research article

|

31 Jul 2017

Research article |

| 31 Jul 2017

Cloud albedo changes in response to anthropogenic sulfate and non-sulfate aerosol forcings in CMIP5 models

Lena Frey, Frida A.-M. Bender, and Gunilla Svensson

Data sets

CSIRO-Mk3.6.0 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and the Queensland Climate Change Centre of Excellence (CSIRO-QCCCE) https://esgf-data.dkrz.de/search/cmip5-dkrz/

HadGEM2-A Met Office Hadley Centre (MOHC) https://esgf-data.dkrz.de/search/cmip5-dkrz/

MRI-CGCM3 Meteorological Research Institute (MRI) https://esgf-data.dkrz.de/search/cmip5-dkrz/

NorESM1-M Norwegian Climate Centre (NCC) https://esgf-data.dkrz.de/search/cmip5-dkrz/

IPSL-CM5A-LR Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace (IPSL) https://esgf-data.dkrz.de/search/cmip5-dkrz/

MIROC5 Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, National Institute for Environmental Studies, and Japan Agency for Marine Earth Science and Technology https://esgf-data.dkrz.de/search/cmip5-dkrz/

Short summary

In this study, the cloud albedo effect in climate models is investigated, separating the influence of anthropogenic sulfate and non-sulfate aerosols. Cloud albedo changes induced by added anthropogenic aerosols are found to be determined by changes in the cloud water content rather than model sensitivity to monthly aerosol variations. The results also indicate that the background aerosol is the main driver for a cloud brightening effect on the month-to-month scale.