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The coupling of cloud base height and surface fluxes: a transferability intercomparison

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Abstract

This paper presents an evaluation of the simulated coupling between cloud base height (CBH) and surface fluxes over selected Coordinated Enhanced Observing Period (CEOP) reference stations by five regional climate models as part of a transferability intercomparison experiment. The model results are compared with station data obtained during the first phase of the CEOP measuring campaigns. The models gave a credible simulation of both diurnal and seasonal cycles of cloud base height and surface variables over the stations. However, the models exhibited some difficulty in reproducing the diurnal and seasonal temperatures over the tropical stations. The study used principal component analysis to show that three factors account for most of the variability in the observed and simulated data and to investigate the coupling between cloud base height and surface fluxes in the data. In the observations, CBH is well coupled with the surface fluxes over Cabauw, Bondville, Lamont, and Berms, but coupled only with temperature over Lindenberg and Tongyu. All models but GEMLAM simulate substantial coupling between CBH and surface fluxes at all stations; GEMLAM does not couple CBH with surface fluxes, but with surface temperature and specific humidity.

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Acknowledgments

The project was sponsored by the South African National Research Foundation, Deustscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD) and U.S. Department of Energy grant DEFG0201ER63250.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Climate System Analysis Group, Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    Emiola O. Gbobaniyi, Babatunde J. Abiodun, Mark A. Tadross & Bruce C. Hewitson

  2. Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA

    William J. Gutowski

Authors
  1. Emiola O. Gbobaniyi
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  2. Babatunde J. Abiodun
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  3. Mark A. Tadross
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  4. Bruce C. Hewitson
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  5. William J. Gutowski
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Correspondence to Emiola O. Gbobaniyi.

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Gbobaniyi, E.O., Abiodun, B.J., Tadross, M.A. et al. The coupling of cloud base height and surface fluxes: a transferability intercomparison. Theor Appl Climatol 106, 189–210 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-011-0421-0

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