Sensitivity of cirrus and contrail radiative effect on cloud microphysical and environmental parameters

Wolf, Kevin; Bellouin, Nicolas; Boucher, Olivier

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14003-2023

Articles | Volume 23, issue 21

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14003-2023

© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14003-2023

© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 23, issue 21

Research article

|

09 Nov 2023

Research article |

| 09 Nov 2023

Sensitivity of cirrus and contrail radiative effect on cloud microphysical and environmental parameters

Kevin Wolf, Nicolas Bellouin, and Olivier Boucher

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14003-2023-supplement

Data sets

Simulated top-of-atmosphere (120 km) downward and upward solar and thermal-infrared irradiances and ice cloud optical thickness; calculated solar, TIR and net cloud radiative effect. Simulated with ice crystal properties for aggregates, droxtals, and plates based on Yang (2013) Kevin Wolf, Nicolas Bellouin, and Olivier Boucher https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8159286

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Short summary

Cirrus and contrails considerably impact Earth's energy budget. Such ice clouds can have a positive (warming) or negative (cooling) net radiative effect (RE), which depends on cloud and ambient properties. The effect of eight parameters on the cloud RE is estimated. In total, 283 500 radiative transfer simulations have been performed, spanning the typical parameter ranges associated with cirrus and contrails. Specific cases are selected and discussed. The data set is publicly available.