A Large Eddy Simulation Model with Explicit Microphysics: Validation against Aircraft Observations of a Stratocumulus-Topped Boundary Layer

Abstract

Abstract A new dynamical framework for the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies large eddy simulation model (CIMMS LES) with an explicit microphysics scheme is developed. It is shown that simulation results are very sensitive to the drop spectrum remapping technique used in condensation calculations; however, the results are almost insensitive to doubling of the spectrum resolution used in the CIMMS LES model. It is also shown that the drop coagulation procedure conserves the liquid water content as long as the predominant radius of the drop size spectrum, defined as the cube root of the ratio of the drop radar reflectivity to the liquid water content, is below a threshold value of 250 μm. Finally, it is demonstrated that for typical maritime conditions this threshold radius is exceeded only in 0.1% of all cloudy points. Realism of the model is evaluated by a direct comparison of its predictions with the aircraft observations of a stratocumulus-topped boundary layer. The first simula...