Progress and Challenges in Modeling Dynamics–Microphysics Interactions: From the Pi Chamber to Monsoon Convection

ABSTRACT

The CAIPEEX (Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment) monsoon convective clouds case was designed to explore the impacts of environmental and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) conditions on monsoon convection. Pi chamber warm cloud case The scientific objectives are 1) to demonstrate the model capability of representing the detailed microphysical processes happening in the cloud chamber and how different models behave in different aerosol injection rates, 2) to reveal the model uncertainties and limitations in the existing modeling tools, and 3) to provide guidance and recommendations for future work to improve cloud chamber simulations and model–laboratory comparisons. The comparison was performed among a diverse set of model categories, including four types of LES models (Dziekan et al. 2019;Shima et al. 2009, 2020;Niedermeier et al. 2020;Khairoutdinov and Randall 2003) performed by the University of Warsaw, University of Hyogo, Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, and Brookhaven National Laboratory;two types of direct numerical simulation (DNS) models (Chen et al. 2021;Richter et al. 2021) by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University of Notre Dame;and the Linear Eddy Model (LEM;Su et al. 1998) by the University of Utah. Interestingly, however, the amount of updraft tilting was sensitive not only to the vertical wind shear used in the model, but also to the method of cloud initiation, i.e., forcing using warm bubbles or surface heat fluxes.