DOE OSTI · 3375558
Interconnection of Aerosol‐Cloud Interactions and Cloud Feedback Through Warm Rain Process
Abstract
Recent research has revealed a correlation within the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) simulations: models exhibiting more pronounced warming due to positive cloud feedback simultaneously show enhanced cooling from aerosol‐cloud interactions (ACI). However, the interplay between ACI and cloud feedback is not well understood in these models. Our study addresses this gap by modifying the autoconversion rate in two Earth system models (ESMs), elucidating how ACI could connect with cloud feedback through the warm rain process. We find that higher autoconversion rates, which are associated with stronger ACI, suppress the increase in cloud liquid water path (LWP) and cloud optical depth with warming by enhancing the precipitation efficiency over the extratropical regions, leading to a larger positive cloud feedback. This study offers new insights into the compensatory mechanism between ACI and cloud feedback through the warm rain process and highlights the importance of constraining the autoconversion parameterization in models.
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Feng, Chuan [Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000162685066), Liu, Xiaohong [Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000239945955), Zhao, Xi [Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)], Lu, Zheng [Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000165910687), Lin, Lin [Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)], Zelinka, Mark D. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000265705445), Qin, Yi [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000190458688), Shan, Yunpeng [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0009000524133371), Zheng, Youtong [Univ. of Houston, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000259617617), Wu, Xingru [Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0009000067573434), Saravanan, Ramalingam [Department of Atmospheric Sciences Texas A&M University College Station TX USA]. 2026-02-28. Interconnection of Aerosol‐Cloud Interactions and Cloud Feedback Through Warm Rain Process. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025jd044854
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