Articles | Volume 22, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-4737-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-4737-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
12 Apr 2022
Research article |
| 12 Apr 2022
| 12 Apr 2022
Assessing the potential for simplification in global climate model cloud microphysics
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
Sylvaine Ferrachat
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
David Neubauer
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
Martin Staab
Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut), Hanover, Germany
Ulrike Lohmann
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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Cited
15 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Source identification of sub-10 nm particles through air dispersion modeling S. Bachman et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181520
- Treatment of Key Aerosol and Cloud Processes in Earth System Models – Recommendations from the FORCeS Project I. Riipinen et al. https://doi.org/10.16993/tellusb.1883
- Addressing Complexity in Global Aerosol Climate Model Cloud Microphysics U. Proske et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022MS003571
- Assessing predicted cirrus ice properties between two deterministic ice formation parameterizations C. Tully et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-2957-2023
- Impact of Planetary Parameters on Water Clouds Microphysics H. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad3242
- Remaining aerosol forcing uncertainty after observational constraint and the processes that cause it L. Regayre et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-2293-2026
- Opinion: The importance and future development of perturbed parameter ensembles in climate and atmospheric science K. Carslaw et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-4651-2026
- Influence of solution efficiency and valence of instruction on additive and subtractive solution strategies in humans, GPT-4, and GPT-4o L. Uhler et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-026-00403-0
- A Lagrangian Perspective of Microphysical Impact on Ice Cloud Evolution and Radiative Heating S. Sullivan et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022MS003226
- Developing a climatological simplification of aerosols to enter the cloud microphysics of a global climate model U. Proske et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5907-2024
- How the representation of microphysical processes affects tropical condensate in the global storm-resolving model ICON A. Naumann et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6429-2025
- Type-based assessment of aerosol direct radiative effects: A proof-of-concept using GEOS-Chem and CATCH B. Sutherland & N. Meskhidze https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.108036
- Opinion: Tropical cirrus – from micro-scale processes to climate-scale impacts B. Gasparini et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15413-2023
- Exploring the excess of cloud condensation nuclei and rain suppression using a minimal three-dimensional Boussinesq model with bulk cloud microphysics O. Guerrero Medina & G. Hernández-Dueñas https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0198153
- Impacts of the ice-particle size distribution shape parameter on climate simulations with the Community Atmosphere Model Version 6 (CAM6) W. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-7751-2022
15 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Source identification of sub-10 nm particles through air dispersion modeling S. Bachman et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181520
- Treatment of Key Aerosol and Cloud Processes in Earth System Models – Recommendations from the FORCeS Project I. Riipinen et al. https://doi.org/10.16993/tellusb.1883
- Addressing Complexity in Global Aerosol Climate Model Cloud Microphysics U. Proske et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022MS003571
- Assessing predicted cirrus ice properties between two deterministic ice formation parameterizations C. Tully et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-2957-2023
- Impact of Planetary Parameters on Water Clouds Microphysics H. Yang et al. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad3242
- Remaining aerosol forcing uncertainty after observational constraint and the processes that cause it L. Regayre et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-2293-2026
- Opinion: The importance and future development of perturbed parameter ensembles in climate and atmospheric science K. Carslaw et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-4651-2026
- Influence of solution efficiency and valence of instruction on additive and subtractive solution strategies in humans, GPT-4, and GPT-4o L. Uhler et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-026-00403-0
- A Lagrangian Perspective of Microphysical Impact on Ice Cloud Evolution and Radiative Heating S. Sullivan et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022MS003226
- Developing a climatological simplification of aerosols to enter the cloud microphysics of a global climate model U. Proske et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5907-2024
- How the representation of microphysical processes affects tropical condensate in the global storm-resolving model ICON A. Naumann et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6429-2025
- Type-based assessment of aerosol direct radiative effects: A proof-of-concept using GEOS-Chem and CATCH B. Sutherland & N. Meskhidze https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.108036
- Opinion: Tropical cirrus – from micro-scale processes to climate-scale impacts B. Gasparini et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15413-2023
- Exploring the excess of cloud condensation nuclei and rain suppression using a minimal three-dimensional Boussinesq model with bulk cloud microphysics O. Guerrero Medina & G. Hernández-Dueñas https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0198153
- Impacts of the ice-particle size distribution shape parameter on climate simulations with the Community Atmosphere Model Version 6 (CAM6) W. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-7751-2022
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 15 Jun 2026
Short summary
Cloud microphysical processes shape cloud properties and are therefore important to represent in climate models. Their parameterization has grown more complex, making the model results more difficult to interpret. Using sensitivity analysis we test how the global aerosol–climate model ECHAM-HAM reacts to changes to these parameterizations. The model is sensitive to the parameterization of ice crystal autoconversion but not to, e.g., self-collection, suggesting that it may be simplified.
Cloud microphysical processes shape cloud properties and are therefore important to represent in...
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