NASA Cloud Modeling and Analysis Initiative (CMAI):
Workshop Notes (20-21 April 2006)

“New” era for cloud studies: (1) the long history of cloud field studies has been substantially added to by several recent ones that employ key advances in technology and cover a much broader and comprehensive scope than just measuring the properties of clouds (e.g., CRYSTAL-FACE, EPIC, MPACE, TWP-ICE), (2) extensive global satellite observations of cloud properties with increasing information are now available, (3) in particular, the advent of global vertical profiling of precipitation, clouds and aerosols is a qualitative change, and (4) powerful numerical modeling capability now makes possible both higher resolution GCMs and highly detailed, very high resolution models. However, analyses of observations that diagnose cloud processes have not yet exploited anywhere near the full potential of these datasets, particularly the global satellite observations, so we don't know if something critical is missing. The relative novelty of very high resolution models and GCMs with very detailed cloud physics also means that detailed analyses of these have not been completed either.

Because there are too few people working on improved understanding of clouds and representation of them in weather and climate models and because the scope of the problem is so large – from analysis of multi-scale, multi-variate observations to development of model representations to testing and improvement of model representations – most investigations focus on only a small part of this research chain and/or on only a small part of the total range of cloud phenomena. The complexity of observations, both retrieval and analysis, and of modeling tends to prevent in-depth expertise in both areas by the same investigator. Significant time-overhead (say about 30%) is associated with locating, accessing and evaluating datasets and/or detailed output from GCMs and other types of models. Moreover, few people work to develop new, insightful analysis approaches that diagnose the workings of real clouds from observations or of clouds in models.

The conclusion reached in the discussions at the first NASA Cloud Modeling and Analysis Initiative workshop (held 20-21 April 2006 at NASA GISS) was that NASA can help overcome, or significantly mitigate, these obstacles to progress by facilitating team work by the CMAI investigators in three ways: (1) providing support personnel who aid in accessing available datasets and detailed model outputs (like the GCSS DIME approach but with support to help non-experts understand the capabilities and limitations of the observations and the models), (2) providing a means to disseminate advanced, common analysis tools to be applied both to observations and models, and (3) providing support personnel to run experiments and test new parameterizations in the NASA-supported models.

To form closer working relationships among the CMAI investigators and to formulate more precise research goals, it was decided to collect: (1) work plans from each investigator that have been revised to highlight data or model output access that is desired and analysis tools that would be key to progress, (2) descriptions of the cloud-precipitation parameterizations currently in the main NASA-supported models (ModelE, GEOS-5, WRF and Tao’s CRM) – similar information will be obtained from other models currently being used by the investigators, (3) descriptions of some of the leading global datasets that are available, and (4) a list of key scientific questions that focus on what seem to be the key problems with current-day weather and climate model representations of clouds and precipitation. Together with key linkages to the main modeling and observational web sites, this material will be collected on the DIME web site in a new CMAI set of pages. Also, CMAI investigator (PIs and Co-Is) contact information and a calendar of relevant meetings will be posted. Presentations at CMAI workshops will also be posted in a password-protected section.

Added notes by Xiquan Dong

To form closer working relationships among the CMAI investigators and to formulate more precise research goals, it was decided to collect: (1) work plans from each investigator that have been revised to highlight data or model output access that is desired and analysis tools that would be key to progress,

There are two objectives in our proposed research:
1) Cloud fraction:
After providing and comparing the long-term CF variations and their vertical distributions, we will further classify clouds into following 10 categories.
2) Cloud microphysics: Single-layered low-level stratus and cirrus clouds, as well as deep convective clouds at the ARM SGP site.

There are 3 datasets and 3 steps in this study:
1) Analyze 8-yr (1997-2004) ARM SGP surface data only to provide cloud truth
2) Compare 5-yr surface-satellite (2000-2004) and 3-yr surface-SCM data (1999-2001), respectively.
3) Finally, compare 2-yr surface-satellite-SCM data (2000-2001).

(2) descriptions of the cloud-precipitation parameterizations currently in the main NASA-supported models (ModelE, GEOS-5, WRF and Taos CRM) similar information will be obtained from other models currently being used by the investigators,

I have no contribution to it in my proposal, but I did send an email to Don Anderson and proposed to combine the radar cloud data with Weather data to validate the MODELs cloud-precipitation parameterizations. Now, I have not got response from Don yet.

(3) descriptions of some of the leading global datasets that are available,

DOE ARM surface data, NASA MODIS data, and GISS SCM simulations at the ARM SGP site.

and (4) a list of key scientific questions that focus on what seem to be the key problems with current-day weather and climate model representations of clouds and precipitation.

To better present the clouds and their vertical distributions in the GISS SCM. Eventually, the model can provide better simulations for predicting future climate change.

Together with key linkages to the main modeling and observational web sites, this material will be collected on the DIME web site in a new CMAI set of pages. Also, CMAI investigator (PIs and Co-Is) contact information and a calendar of relevant meetings will be posted. Presentations at CMAI workshops will also be posted in a password-protected section.