Articles | Volume 22, issue 15
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10221-2022
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10221-2022
Research article
 | 
10 Aug 2022
Research article |  | 10 Aug 2022

Sensitivity analysis of an aerosol-aware microphysics scheme in Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) during case studies of fog in Namibia

Michael John Weston, Stuart John Piketh, Frédéric Burnet, Stephen Broccardo, Cyrielle Denjean, Thierry Bourrianne, and Paola Formenti

Related authors

Convection-Aerosol Interactions in the United Arab Emirates: A Sensitivity Study
Ricardo Fonseca, Diana Francis, Michael Weston, Narendra Nelli, Sufian Farah, Youssef Wehbe, Taha AlHosari, Oriol Teixido, and Ruqaya Mohamed
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2021-597,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2021-597, 2021
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Seasonal and diurnal performance of daily forecasts with WRF V3.8.1 over the United Arab Emirates
Oliver Branch, Thomas Schwitalla, Marouane Temimi, Ricardo Fonseca, Narendra Nelli, Michael Weston, Josipa Milovac, and Volker Wulfmeyer
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 1615–1637, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-1615-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-1615-2021, 2021
Short summary
Analysis of an extreme weather event in a hyper-arid region using WRF-Hydro coupling, station, and satellite data
Youssef Wehbe, Marouane Temimi, Michael Weston, Naira Chaouch, Oliver Branch, Thomas Schwitalla, Volker Wulfmeyer, Xiwu Zhan, Jicheng Liu, and Abdulla Al Mandous
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 1129–1149, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-19-1129-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-19-1129-2019, 2019
Short summary

Related subject area

Subject: Clouds and Precipitation | Research Activity: Atmospheric Modelling and Data Analysis | Altitude Range: Troposphere | Science Focus: Physics (physical properties and processes)
Sensitivities of simulated mixed-phase Arctic multilayer clouds to primary and secondary ice processes
Gabriella Wallentin, Annika Oertel, Luisa Ickes, Peggy Achtert, Matthias Tesche, and Corinna Hoose
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6607–6631, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6607-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6607-2025, 2025
Short summary
Assessing glaciogenic seeding impacts in Australia's Snowy Mountains: an ensemble modeling approach
Sisi Chen, Lulin Xue, Sarah A. Tessendorf, Thomas Chubb, Andrew Peace, Suzanne Kenyon, Johanna Speirs, Jamie Wolff, and Bill Petzke
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6703–6724, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6703-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6703-2025, 2025
Short summary
How the representation of microphysical processes affects tropical condensate in the global storm-resolving model ICON
Ann Kristin Naumann, Monika Esch, and Bjorn Stevens
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6429–6444, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6429-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6429-2025, 2025
Short summary
Magnitude and timescale of liquid water path adjustments to cloud droplet number concentration perturbations for nocturnal non-precipitating marine stratocumulus
Yao-Sheng Chen, Prasanth Prabhakaran, Fabian Hoffmann, Jan Kazil, Takanobu Yamaguchi, and Graham Feingold
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6141–6159, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6141-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6141-2025, 2025
Short summary
Cold pools mediate mesoscale adjustments of trade-cumulus fields to changes in cloud droplet number concentration
Pouriya Alinaghi, Fredrik Jansson, Daniel A. Blázquez, and Franziska Glassmeier
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6121–6139, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6121-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6121-2025, 2025
Short summary

Cited articles

Ajjaji, R., Al-Katheri, A. A., and Al-Katheri, A. A.: Evaluation of United Arab Emirates WRF two-way nested model on a set of thick coastal fog situations, 8th WRF Users' Workshop. Boulder, Colorado, USA, June 2008, 2008. 
Andersen, H. and Cermak, J.: First fully diurnal fog and low cloud satellite detection reveals life cycle in the Namib, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 5461–5470, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5461-2018, 2018. 
Andersen, H., Cermak, J., Solodovnik, I., Lelli, L., and Vogt, R.: Spatiotemporal dynamics of fog and low clouds in the Namib unveiled with ground- and space-based observations, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 4383–4392, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-4383-2019, 2019. 
Andersen, H., Cermak, J., Fuchs, J., Knippertz, P., Gaetani, M., Quinting, J., Sippel, S., and Vogt, R.: Synoptic-scale controls of fog and low-cloud variability in the Namib Desert, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 3415–3438, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3415-2020, 2020. 
Bergot, T. and Lestringant, R.: On the predictability of radiation fog formation in a mesoscale model: A case study in heterogeneous terrain, Atmosphere, 10, 1–19, https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10040165, 2019. 
Download
Short summary
An aerosol-aware microphysics scheme is evaluated for fog cases in Namibia. AEROCLO-sA campaign observations are used to access and parameterise the model. The model cloud condensation nuclei activation is lower than the observations. The scheme is designed for clouds with updrafts, while fog typically forms in stable conditions. A pseudo updraft speed assigned to the lowest model levels helps achieve more realistic cloud droplet number concentration and size distribution in the model.
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint