Toward a minimal representation of aerosols in climate models: description and evaluation in the Community Atmosphere Model CAM5

Abstract. A modal aerosol module (MAM) has been developed for the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5), the atmospheric component of the Community Earth System Model version 1 (CESM1). MAM is capable of simulating the aerosol size distribution and both internal and external mixing between aerosol components, treating numerous complicated aerosol processes and aerosol physical, chemical and optical properties in a physically-based manner. Two MAM versions were developed: a more complete version with seven lognormal modes (MAM7), and a version with three lognormal modes (MAM3) for the purpose of long-term (decades to centuries) simulations. In this paper a description and evaluation of the aerosol module…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Award: DE-AC06-76RLO 1830
• UD
  U.S. Department of Energy

  Awards: DE-AC06-76RLO, DE-AC06-76RLO 1830, AC06-76RLO 1830, 76RLO 1830, contract DE-AC06-76RLO 1830, DE-FG02-, DE-FG02
• B
  Battelle

  Awards: DE-AC06-76RLO 1830, AC06-76RLO 1830, DE-AC06-76RLO
• OO
  Office of Science

  Award: DE-AC06-76RLO 1830
• BA
  Biological and Environmental Research

  Award: DE-AC06-76RLO 1830
• PN
  Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

  Awards: DE-AC06-76RLO 1830, DE-AC06-76RLO