Sensitivity of a physically-based cloud package in the NCAR/CCM2

Based on our earlier investigation on the performance of the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate Model Version 2 (CCM2), we have incorporated into this model a physically-based cloud package. This package allows for the prognostic computation of cloud liquid water which is advected using the semi-Lagrangrian transport scheme of CCM2 the formation of anvil clouds from deep convective systems, and the coupling of physically based cloud optical properties to the CCM2`s shortwave and longwave radiation treatment. In this paper, the effect of the cloud package is assessed by comparing the January results of the simulation to model output from a control run over the same period using the original version of CCM2. The model results are also compared to data from the global reanalysis for the same period conducted by the National Center for Experimental Prediction (NCEP) and NCAR. In this paper, we place particular emphasis on the cloud package`s effect on the climate patterns in the Pacific North American Region. The sensitivity of the model performance to the threshold relative humidity for cloud formation in the scheme is also assessed