loading page

The Role of Mesoscale Cloud Morphology in the Shortwave Cloud Feedback
  • +2
  • Isabel Louise McCoy,
  • Daniel Thompson McCoy,
  • Robert Wood,
  • Paquita Zuidema,
  • Frida A.-M. Bender
Isabel Louise McCoy
University of Miami, University of Miami

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile
Daniel Thompson McCoy
University of Wyoming, University of Wyoming
Author Profile
Robert Wood
University of Washington, University of Washington
Author Profile
Paquita Zuidema
University of Miami, University of Miami
Author Profile
Frida A.-M. Bender
Stockholm University, Stockholm University
Author Profile

Abstract

A supervised neural network algorithm is used to categorize near-global satellite retrievals into three mesoscale cellular convective (MCC) cloud morphology patterns. At constant cloud amount, morphology patterns differ in brightness associated with the amount of optically-thin cloud features. Environmentally-driven transitions from closed MCC to other morphology patterns, typically accompanied by more optically-thin cloud features, are used as a framework to quantify the morphology contribution to the optical depth component of the shortwave cloud feedback. A marine heat wave is used as an out-of-sample test of closed MCC occurrence predictions. Morphology shifts in optical depth between 65°S - 65°N under projected environmental changes (i.e., from an abrupt quadrupling of CO2) assuming constant cloud cover contributes between 0.04-0.07 W/m2/K (aggregate of 0.06) to the global mean cloud feedback.