Radiative-convective Equilibrium Research Articles

How Does Organized Convection Impact Explicitly Resolved Cloud Feedbacks in the Radiative‐Convective Equilibrium Model Intercomparison Project?

AbstractIn simulations of radiative‐convective equilibrium (RCE), and with sufficiently large domains, organized convection enhances top of atmosphere outgoing longwave radiation due to the reduced cloud coverage and drying of the mean climate state. As a consequence, estimates of climate sensitivity and cloud feedbacks may be affected. Here, we use a multi‐model ensemble configured in RCE to study the dependence of explicitly calculated cloud feedbacks on the existence of organized convection, the degree to which convection within a domain organizes, and the change in organized convection with warming sea surface temperature. We find that, when RCE simulations with organized convection are compared to RCE simulations without organized convection, the propensity for convection to organize in RCE causes cloud feedbacks to have larger magnitudes due to the inclusion of low clouds, accompanied by a much larger inter‐model spread. While we find no dependence of the cloud feedback on changes in organization with warming, models that are, on average, more organized have less positive, or even negative, cloud feedbacks. This is primarily due to changes in cloud optical depth in the shortwave, specifically high clouds thickening with warming in strongly organized domains. The shortwave cloud optical depth feedback also plays an important role in causing the tropical anvil cloud area feedback to be positive which is directly opposed to the expected negative or near zero cloud feedback found in prior work.

On the sensitivity of aerosol–cloud interactions to changes in sea surface temperature in radiative–convective equilibrium

Abstract. Clouds play a vital role in regulating Earth's energy balance and are impacted by anthropogenic aerosol concentration (Na) and sea surface temperature (SST) alterations. Traditionally, these factors, aerosols and SST, are investigated independently. This study employs cloud-resolving, radiative–convective-equilibrium (RCE) simulations to explore aerosol–cloud interactions (ACIs) under varying SSTs. ACIs are found to be SST-dependent even under RCE conditions. Notably, changes in cloud radiative effects for both longwave radiation and shortwave radiation lead to a decrease in top-of-atmosphere (TOA) energy gain with increasing Na. The changes in TOA shortwave flux exhibit greater sensitivity to underlying SST conditions compared to longwave radiation. To comprehend these trends, we perform a linear decomposition, analyzing the responses of different cloud regimes and contributions from changes in the cloud's opacity and occurrence. This breakdown reveals that ice and shallow clouds predominantly contribute to the radiative effect, mostly due to changes in the cloud's opacity and due to the Twomey effect, which is proportional to the baseline cloud fraction. Moreover, with an increase in Na, we observe an increase in latent heat release at the upper troposphere associated with heightened production of snow and graupel. We show that this trend, consistently across all SSTs, affects the anvil cloud cover by affecting the static stability at the upper troposphere via a similar mechanism to the stability iris effect, resulting in an increase in outgoing longwave radiation. In conclusion, under the ongoing climate change, studying the sensitivity of clouds to aerosols and SST should be conducted concomitantly as mutual effects are expected.

RCEMIP-II: mock-Walker simulations as phase II of the radiative–convective equilibrium model intercomparison project

Abstract. The radiative–convective equilibrium (RCE) model intercomparison project (RCEMIP) leveraged the simplicity of RCE to focus attention on moist convective processes and their interactions with radiation and circulation across a wide range of model types including cloud-resolving models (CRMs), general circulation models (GCMs), single-column models, global cloud-resolving models, and large-eddy simulations. While several robust results emerged across the spectrum of models that participated in the first phase of RCEMIP (RCEMIP-I), two points that stand out are (1) the strikingly large diversity in simulated climate states and (2) the strong imprint of convective self-aggregation on the climate state. However, the lack of consensus in the structure of self-aggregation and its response to warming is a barrier to understanding. Gaining a deeper understanding of convective aggregation and tropical climate will require reducing the degrees of freedom with which convection can vary. Therefore, we propose phase II of RCEMIP (RCEMIP-II) that utilizes a prescribed sinusoidal sea surface temperature (SST) pattern to provide a constraint on the structure of convection and move one critical step up the model hierarchy. This so-called “mock-Walker” configuration generates features that resemble observed tropical circulations. The specification of the mock-Walker protocol for RCEMIP-II is described, along with example results from one CRM and one GCM. RCEMIP-II will consist of five required simulations: three simulations with the same three mean SSTs as in RCEMIP-I but with an SST gradient and two additional simulations at one of the mean SSTs with different values of the SST gradients. We also test the sensitivity to the imposed SST gradient and the domain size. Under weak SST gradients, unforced self-aggregation emerges across the entire domain, similar to what was found in RCEMIP. As the SST gradient increases, the convective region narrows and is more confined to the warmest SSTs. At warmer mean SSTs and stronger SST gradients, low-frequency variability in the convective aggregation emerges, suggesting that simulations of at least 200 d may be needed to achieve robust equilibrium statistics in this configuration. Simulations with different domain sizes generally have similar mean statistics and convective structures, depending on the value of the SST gradient. The prescribed SST boundary condition is the only difference in the set-up between RCEMIP-II and RCEMIP-I, which enables comparison between the two; however, we also welcome participation in RCEMIP-II from models that did not participate in RCEMIP-I.

Seasonal Emergence and Circulation Coupling of Moist Layers Over the Tropical Atlantic

AbstractMid‐tropospheric elevated moist layers (EMLs) near the melting level have been found in various regional observational studies in the tropics. Recently, a preponderance of EMLs in the presence of aggregated convection was found in cloud resolving simulations of radiative convective equilibrium (RCE), highlighting a significant circulation coupling. Here, we present global monthly EML occurrence rates based on reanalysis, yielding a broader view on where and when EMLs occur in the real world. Over the Atlantic, EML occurrence follows a seasonal cycle that maximizes in summer, aligning with maximized ITCZ intensity and organization. Resembling the results in RCE, the large‐scale circulation over the Atlantic shifts from a deep overturning in January to a bottom‐heavy circulation in July. While EMLs embedded in the July cross‐equatorial Hadley cell are found to be sourced from the ITCZ, EMLs north of the ITCZ emerge from the strongly sheared zonal flow over West Africa.

A Proposal of Geoengineering Method as Global Warming Countermeasure: Stratospheric O3 Increase to Reduce Earth’s Surface Temperature

A method of geoengineering/solar radiation management is proposed as global warming countermeasure. The idea is to decrease surface temperature by increasing stratospheric ozone. One-dimensional (vertical) radiative-convective equilibrium temperature calculations show that surface temperature can be lowered by increasing the amount of ozone in the stratosphere. It was the increase in altitude above about 25 km that reduced surface temperatures. The method of increasing the amount of ozone (O3 injection), the rate of decrease of surface temperature after the ozone increase, and the rate of decrease of ozone concentration by photochemical reaction and diffusion/transport after the ozone increase are discussed.

Factors determining tropical upper-level cloud radiative effect in the radiative-convective equilibrium framework

Investigation of the major factors determining tropical upper-level cloud radiative effect (TUCRE) is crucial for understanding cloud feedback mechanisms. We examined the TUCRE inferred from the outputs of historical runs and AMIP runs from CMIP6 models employing a radiative-convective equilibrium (RCE). In this study, we incorporated the RCE model configurations of atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics from the climate models, while simplifying the intricate systems. Using the RCE model, we adjusted the global mean surface temperature to achieve energy balance, considering variations in tropical cloud fraction, regional reflectivity, and emission temperature corresponding to each climate model. Subsequently, TUCRE was calculated as a unit of K/%, representing the change in global mean surface temperature (K) in response to an increment in the tropical upper-level clouds (%). Our RCE model simulation indicates that the major factors determining the TUCRE are the emission temperatures of tropical moist-cloudy and moist-clear regions, as well as the fraction of tropical upper-level clouds. The higher determination coefficients between TUCRE and both the emission temperature of tropical moist regions and the upper-level cloud fraction are attributable to their contribution to the trapping effect on the outgoing longwave radiations, which predominantly determines TUCRE. Consequently, the results of this study underscore the importance of accurately representing the upper-level cloud fraction and emission temperature in tropical moist regions to enhance the representation of TUCRE in climate models.

Sensitivity of Philippine historically damaging tropical cyclone events to surface and atmospheric temperature forcings

As the climate warms, sea surface temperature (SST) is projected to increase, along with atmospheric variables which may have an impact on tropical cyclone (TC) properties. Climate models have well-known errors in simulating current climate SSTs that will likely affect future TC projections. Therefore, a better understanding of the impact of SST changes will help us identify the largest uncertainty in projecting TC changes. This study employs three different and independent methodologies to investigate the impact of sea surface and atmospheric temperature changes and tropical cyclone (TC) characteristics, focusing on three historically damaging TCs in the Philippines: Typhoons Haiyan, Bopha, and Mangkhut. These methodologies include initially simulations with uniform SST anomalies between −4 to +4°C, then experiments using delta from CMIP6 CESM2 for SST and atmospheric temperature in the far future, and, finally, simulations imposing Radiative-Convective Equilibrium (RCE) conditions. The experiments reveal significant insights into TC dynamics under varying environmental conditions. Changes in SSTs resulted in changes in TC track, intensity, and rainfall. In the positive SST simulations, TCs tended to move northwards and resulted in substantial increases in maximum wind speeds reaching a difference of up to 10, 13, 23 ms−1 for Typhoons Haiyan, Bopha, and Mangkhut, respectively. Analysis of the accumulated rainfall also showed that increased SST results in increased rainfall. Inclusion of atmospheric warming offsets the intensification due to SST change. Moreover, warmer SSTs resulted in slower-moving TCs and increased TC size. Further analyses incorporating atmospheric temperature adjustments derived from CESM2 and RCE simulations offer better insights on TC response. Under near-RCE conditions, TCs exhibit reduced sensitivity to SST changes, with smaller intensity and size modifications simulated when stable relative humidity is imposed. The smaller changes in TC intensity and size observed in these experiments suggest that maintaining atmospheric stability through pre-storm atmospheric adjustments dampens the response of TCs to SST warming.

Numerical Diffusion and Turbulent Mixing in Convective Self‐Aggregation

AbstractConvective Self‐Aggregation (CSA) is a common feature of idealized numerical simulations of the tropical atmosphere in Radiative‐Convective Equilibrium (RCE). However, at coarse grid resolution where deep convection is not fully resolved, the occurrence of this phenomenon is extremely sensitive to subgrid‐scale processes. This study examines the role of mixing and entrainment, provided by the turbulence model and the implicit numerical diffusion. The study compares the results of two models, WRF and SAM, by varying turbulence models, initial conditions, and horizontal spatial resolution. At a coarse grid resolution of 3 km, the removal of turbulent mixing prevents CSA in models with low numerical diffusivity but is preserved in models with high numerical diffusivity. When the horizontal grid resolution is refined to 1 km, CSA can only be achieved by increasing explicit turbulent mixing, even with a small amount of shallow clouds. Therefore, the sensitivity of CSA to horizontal grid resolution is not primarily caused by the decrease in shallow clouds. The analysis of the total water path spectrum suggests that the amplitude of initial humidity perturbations introduced by convection in the free troposphere is the key factor. This amplitude is regulated by turbulent mixing and diffusion at small scales. Prior to the onset of CSA, increased mixing makes updrafts more sensitive to the dryness of the free troposphere, which strengthens the moisture‐convection feedback. This leads to an increased distance between convective cores and a stronger humidity perturbation in the free troposphere, which can destabilize the RCE state.

Large‐Scale Tropical Circulation Intensification by Aerosol Effects on Clouds

AbstractThis study addresses a critical gap in understanding anthropogenic influences on tropical climate dynamics by investigating the impact of aerosol‐cloud interactions on large‐scale circulation. Despite extensive research on greenhouse gas‐induced warming and its effects on tropical circulation, the impact of aerosols, particularly their interactions with clouds, on large‐scale circulation remains understudied. Utilizing large‐domain radiative convective equilibrium cloud‐resolving simulations, this research demonstrates that increasing aerosol concentration intensifies tropical overturning circulation, evaluated at the mid‐troposphere , strongly correlating with domain mean cloud and radiative properties. Employing a weak temperature gradient approximation, I attribute variations in to changes in clear‐sky radiative cooling rather than stability. These radiative cooling changes are linked to humidity changes driven by warm rain suppression by aerosols. This study's findings underscore the need to take into account microphysical changes, particularly aerosol concentrations, when studying anthropogenic effects on tropical circulation.

Spatial Dispersion and Statistical Description of Organized Cumulus Cloud Ensembles in Radiative Convective Equilibrium

AbstractDescriptions of cloud ensembles in radiative convective equilibrium (RCE) rely mostly on the assumption that clouds are randomly distributed in space, a hypothesis that obviously fails in presence of strong organization. In this work, idealized RCE simulations at horizontal grid spacings ranging from 2 km to 125 m are analyzed, displaying a transition between complete randomness at coarse resolution to a high degree of cold pool driven organization at high resolution. The objective is then twofold: (a) characterizing the spatial cloud patterns focusing on correlation scales and association with covariates; (b) providing a statistical description of organized cloud ensembles to generalize existing theories based on complete randomness. It is demonstrated that organized cloud ensembles may be treated as heterogeneous point processes where individual clouds do not interact substantially with their neighbors. In other words, clouds may be considered as randomly distributed if we restrict the space to regions of high cloud density. In addition, it is shown that in highly organized situations local cloud counts may be modeled using negative binomial distributions, while cloud mass fluxes follow lognormal distributions. The total mass flux within regions of varying sizes can then be predicted by compounding the two aforementioned distributions. The total mass flux variability at scales ≲5 km is dominated by the heavy‐tails of the mass flux distributions, whereas at scales ≳5 km, it is entirely controlled by the spatial cloud count variability (the spatial cloud pattern). These results have important implications for the parameterization of organized convection in quasi‐equilibrium.

The Impact of Rotation on Tropical Climate, the Hydrologic Cycle, and Climate Sensitivity

AbstractThis work explores the impact of rotation on tropical convection and climate. As our starting point, we use the RCEMIP experiments as control simulations and run additional simulations with rotation. Compared to radiative convective equilibrium (RCE) experiments, rotating RCE (RRCE) experiments have a more stable and humid atmosphere with higher precipitation rates. The intensity of the overturning circulation decreases, water vapor is cycled through the troposphere at a slower rate, the subsidence fraction decreases, and the climate sensitivity increases. Several of these changes can be attributed to an increased flux of latent and sensible heat that results from an increase of near‐surface wind speed with rotation shortly after model initialization. The increased climate sensitivity results from changes of both the longwave cloud radiative effect and the longwave clear‐sky radiative fluxes. This work demonstrates the sensitivity of atmospheric humidity and surface fluxes of moisture and temperature to rotation.

Linear Time-Invariant Models of a Large Cumulus Ensemble

Abstract Methods in system identification are used to obtain linear time-invariant state-space models that describe how horizontal averages of temperature and humidity of a large cumulus ensemble evolve with time under small forcing. The cumulus ensemble studied here is simulated with cloud-system-resolving models in radiative–convective equilibrium. The identified models extend steady-state linear response functions used in past studies and provide accurate descriptions of the transfer function, the noise model, and the behavior of cumulus convection when coupled with two-dimensional gravity waves. A novel procedure is developed to convert the state-space models into an interpretable form, which is used to elucidate and quantify memory in cumulus convection. The linear problem studied here serves as a useful reference point for more general efforts to obtain data-driven and interpretable parameterizations of cumulus convection.

Atmospheric properties of AF Lep b with forward modeling

Context. About a year ago, a super-Jovian planet was directly imaged around the nearby young solar-type star AF Lep. The 2.8 MJup planet orbiting at a semimajor axis of 8.2 au matches the predicted location based on the HIPPARCOS-Gaia astrometric acceleration. Aims. Our aim is to expand the atmospheric exploration of AF Lep b by modeling all available observations obtained with SPHERE at VLT (in the range 0.95–1.65, at 2.105, and at 2.253 µm), and NIRC2 at Keck (at 3.8 µm) with self-consistent atmospheric models. Methods. To understand the physical properties of this exoplanet, we used ForMoSA. This forward-modeling code compares observations with grids of pre-computed synthetic atmospheric spectra using Bayesian inference methods. We used Exo-REM, an atmospheric radiative-convective equilibrium model, including the effects of nonequilibrium processes and clouds. Results. From the atmospheric modeling we derived solutions at the low Teff of ~750 K. Our analysis also favors a metal-rich atmosphere (>0.4) and solar to super-solar carbon-to-oxygen ratio (~0.6). We tested the robustness of the estimated values for each parameter by cross-validating our models using the leave-one-out strategy, where all points are used iteratively as validation points. Our results indicate that the photometry point at 3.8 µm strongly drives the metal-rich and super-solar carbon-to-oxygen solutions. Conclusions. Our atmospheric forward-modeling analysis strongly supports the planetary nature of AF Lep b. Its spectral energy distribution is consistent with that of a young, cold, early-T super-Jovian planet. We recover physically consistent solutions for the surface gravity and radius, which allows us to reconcile atmospheric forward modeling with evolutionary models, in agreement with the previously published complementary analysis done by retrievals. Finally, we identified that future data at longer wavelengths are necessary before we can conclude about the metal-rich nature of AF Lep b.

The Sonora Substellar Atmosphere Models. IV. Elf Owl: Atmospheric Mixing and Chemical Disequilibrium with Varying Metallicity and C/O Ratios

Disequilibrium chemistry due to vertical mixing in the atmospheres of many brown dwarfs and giant exoplanets is well established. Atmosphere models for these objects typically parameterize mixing with the highly uncertain K zz diffusion parameter. The role of mixing in altering the abundances of C-N-O-bearing molecules has mostly been explored for atmospheres with a solar composition. However, atmospheric metallicity and the C/O ratio also impact atmospheric chemistry. Therefore, we present the Sonora Elf Owl grid of self-consistent cloud-free 1D radiative-convective equilibrium model atmospheres for JWST observations, which includes a variation in K zz across several orders of magnitude and also encompasses subsolar to supersolar metallicities and C/O ratios. We find that the impact of K zz on the T(P) profile and spectra is a strong function of both T eff and metallicity. For metal-poor objects, K zz has large impacts on the atmosphere at significantly higher T eff than in metal-rich atmospheres, where the impact of K zz is seen to occur at lower T eff. We identify significant spectral degeneracies between varying K zz and metallicity in multiple wavelength windows, in particular, at 3–5 μm. We use the Sonora Elf Owl atmospheric grid to fit the observed spectra of a sample of nine early to late T-type objects from T eff = 550–1150 K. We find evidence for very inefficient vertical mixing in these objects, with inferred K zz values lying in the range between ∼101 and 104 cm2 s−1. Using self-consistent models, we find that this slow vertical mixing is due to the observations, which probe mixing in the deep detached radiative zone in these atmospheres.

Dynamically coupled kinetic chemistry in brown dwarf atmospheres – II. Cloud and chemistry connections in directly imaged sub-Jupiter exoplanets

ABSTRACT With JWST slated to gain high-fidelity time-dependent data on brown dwarf atmospheres, it is highly anticipated to do the same for directly imaged, sub-Jupiter exoplanets. With this new capability, the need for a full three-dimensional (3D) understanding to explain spectral features and their time dependence is becoming a vital aspect for consideration. To examine the atmospheric properties of directly imaged sub-Jupiter exoplanets, we use the 3D Exo-FMS general circulation model to simulate a metal-enhanced generic young sub-Jupiter object. We couple Exo-FMS to a kinetic chemistry scheme, a tracer-based cloud formation scheme and a spectral radiative-transfer model to take into account the chemical and cloud feedback on the atmospheric thermochemical and dynamical properties. Our results show a highly complex feedback between clouds and chemistry on to the 3D temperature structure of the atmosphere, bringing about latitudinal differences and inducing time-dependent stormy features at photospheric pressures. This suggests a strong connection and feedback between the spatial cloud coverage and chemical composition of the atmosphere, with the temperature changes and dynamical motions induced by cloud opacity and triggered convection feedback driving chemical species behaviour. In addition, we also produce synthetic latitude-dependent and time-dependent spectra of our model to investigate atmospheric variability and periodicity in commonly used photometric bands. Overall, our efforts put the included physics in 3D simulations of exoplanets on par with contemporary 1D radiative-convective equilibrium modelling.

An Analytic Theory of Near-Surface Relative Humidity over Land

Abstract There is no simple explanation for the spatial structure of near-surface relative humidity over land. We present a diagnostic theory for zonally and temporally averaged near-surface relative humidity (RH) over land based on energy budgets of an atmospheric column in radiative–convective equilibrium. The theory analytically relates RH to the surface evaporative fraction (EF), has no calibrated parameters, and is quantitatively accurate when compared with RH from a reanalysis, and with cloud-permitting simulations over an idealized land surface. The theory is used to answer two basic questions. First, why is RH never especially low (e.g., 1%)? The theory shows that established lower bounds on EF over land and ocean are equivalent to lower bounds on RH that preclude particularly low values, at least for conditions typical of the modern Earth. Second, why is the latitudinal profile of RH over land shaped like the letter W, when both specific humidity and saturation specific humidity essentially decline monotonically from the equator to the poles? The theory predicts that the latitudinal profile of RH should look more like that of water stored in the soil (which also exhibits a W-shaped profile) than in the air (which does not).

Detecting Cold Pool Family Trees in Convection Resolving Simulations

AbstractRecent observations and modeling increasingly reveal the key role of cold pools in organizing the convective cloud field. Several methods for detecting cold pools in simulations exist, but are usually based on buoyancy fields and fall short of reliably identifying the active gust front. The current cold pool (CP) detection and tracking algorithm (CoolDeTA), aims to identify cold pools and follow them in time, thereby distinguishing their active gust fronts and the “offspring” rain cells generated nearby. To accomplish these tasks, CoolDeTA utilizes a combination of thermodynamic and dynamical variables and examines the spatial and temporal relationships between cold pools and rain events. We demonstrate that CoolDeTA can reconstruct CP family trees. Using CoolDeTA we can contrast radiative convective equilibrium (RCE) and diurnal cycle CP dynamics, as well as cases with vertical wind shear and without. We show that the results obtained are consistent with a conceptual model where CP triggering of children rain cells follows a simple birth rate, proportional to a CP's gust front length. The proportionality factor depends on the ambient atmospheric stability and is lower for RCE, in line with marginal stability as traditionally ascribed to the moist adiabat. In the diurnal case, where ambient stability is lower, the birth rate thus becomes substantially higher, in line with periodic insolation forcing—resulting in essentially run‐away mesoscale excitations generated by a single parent rain cell and its CP.

Dependence of the Radiative-Convective Equilibrium Structure of the Lower Atmosphere of Venus on the Thermodynamic Model

Dependence of the Radiative-Convective Equilibrium Structure of the Lower Atmosphere of Venus on the Thermodynamic Model

Tropical mountain ice core δ18O: A Goldilocks indicator for global temperature change.

Very high tropical alpine ice cores provide a distinct paleoclimate record for climate changes in the middle and upper troposphere. However, the climatic interpretation of a key proxy, the stable water oxygen isotopic ratio in ice cores (δ18Oice), remains an outstanding problem. Here, combining proxy records with climate models, modern satellite measurements, and radiative-convective equilibrium theory, we show that the tropical δ18Oice is an indicator of the temperature of the middle and upper troposphere, with a glacial cooling of -7.35° ± 1.1°C (66% CI). Moreover, it severs as a "Goldilocks-type" indicator of global mean surface temperature change, providing the first estimate of glacial stage cooling that is independent of marine proxies as -5.9° ± 1.2°C.Combined with all estimations available gives the maximum likelihood estimate of glacial cooling as -5.85° ± 0.51°C.

The Inhomogeneity Effect. I. Inhomogeneous Surface and Atmosphere Accelerate Planetary Cooling

We propose a general principle that under radiative-convective equilibrium, the spatial and temporal variations in a planet’s surface and atmosphere tend to increase its cooling. This principle is based on Jensen’s inequality and the curvature of the response functions of surface temperature and outgoing cooling flux to changes in incoming stellar flux and atmospheric opacity. We use an analytical model to demonstrate that this principle holds for various planet types: (1) on an airless planet, the mean surface temperature is lower than its equilibrium temperature; (2) on terrestrial planets with atmospheres, the inhomogeneity of incoming stellar flux and atmospheric opacity reduces the mean surface temperature; (3) on giant planets, inhomogeneously distributed stellar flux and atmospheric opacity increase the outgoing infrared flux, cooling the interior. Although the inhomogeneity of visible opacity might sometimes heat the atmosphere, the effect is generally much smaller than the inhomogeneous cooling effect of infrared opacity. Compared with the homogeneous case, the mean surface temperature on inhomogeneous terrestrial planets can decrease by more than 20%, and the internal heat flux on giant planets can increase by over an order of magnitude. Despite simplifications in our analytical framework, the effect of stellar flux inhomogeneity appears to be robust, while further research is needed to fully understand the effects of opacity inhomogeneity in more realistic situations. This principle impacts our understanding of planetary habitability and the evolution of giant planets using low-resolution and one-dimensional frameworks that may have previously overlooked the role of inhomogeneity.