Cloud Resolving Modeling of the ARM Summer 1997 IOP: Model Formulation, Results, Uncertainties, and Sensitivities

Abstract A new three-dimensional cloud resolving model (CRM) has been developed to study the statistical properties of cumulus convection. The model was applied to simulate a 28-day evolution of clouds over the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) Southern Great Plains site during the summer 1997 Intensive Observation Period. The model was forced by the large-scale advective tendencies and surface fluxes derived from the observations. The sensitivity of the results to the domain dimensionality and size, horizontal grid resolution, and parameterization of microphysics has been tested. In addition, the sensitivity to perturbed initial conditions has also been tested using a 20-member ensemble of runs.…