Research / Research Highlights

Interactions among shallow cumulus clouds reveal neighboring cloud effects

Submitter

Fast, Jerome D — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Area of Research

Cloud Processes

Journal Reference

Chen J, S Hagos, Z Feng, J Fast, and H Xiao. 2023. "The Role of Cloud–Cloud Interactions in the Life Cycle of Shallow Cumulus Clouds." 80(3), 10.1175/JAS-D-22-0004.1.

Science

Figure 1. Clouds affect the growth of their neighbors, with decaying clouds leading to larger new clouds nearby. (Image courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement [ARM] user facility|Flickr.)

Clouds are an important part of the weather and the climate system. This study explores the interactions among shallow cumulus clouds and how neighboring clouds influence the life cycle of convective clouds. Using modeling data from the HI-SCALE field campaign in Oklahoma, researchers simulated the behavior of clouds and tracked their life cycles. They found that clouds with a lifetime shorter than 45 minutes are bubble-like, while those with longer lifetimes have a plume-like structure. Furthermore, the team discovered that a growing cloud experiences higher vertical velocity when surrounded by decaying clouds than by growing clouds.

Impact

This research has significant implications for improving scientific understanding of cloud behavior and how it affects the environment around the clouds. By revealing interactions among shallow cumulus clouds, this study provides valuable insights for developing simple models that can accurately predict cloud statistics. Furthermore, this research could help refine representations of clouds in large-scale climate models to better simulate the feedback between clouds and their environment.

Summary

This study examines the interactions among shallow cumulus clouds and reveals how neighboring clouds affect the growth and dissipation of the tracked clouds. The researchers used a simulation model to track the life cycle of clouds. They found that a growing cloud experiences higher vertical velocity when surrounded by decaying clouds than by growing clouds. Overall, this research has important implications for improving scientific understanding of cloud behavior and how it affects the large-scale environment around convective clouds.