Radiative convective equilibrium as a framework for studying the interaction between convection and its large-scale environment

What is it about?

We study the response of a tropical-like system to a uniform surface warming. The experimental setup is highly idealized to eliminate spurious complicating influences like interactions with the land surface. While the average climate of each experiment is similar we find that the climate sensitivity, as measured through the radiative imbalance at the top of the atmosphere, is sensitive to the domain size. This surprising sensitivity is due to subtle changes in the parameterized cloud fields.

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Why is it important?

This study shows the importance of small changes in the cloud fields of a general circulation model even for a very simple configuration. The implication is that it is essential, but will be difficult, to work out a consistent understanding of clouds at both high and course grid-spacings and that cloud feedbacks play a fundamental role in setting the climate sensitivity.