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https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3104
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3104
08 Jul 2025
 | 08 Jul 2025

Strong control of the stratocumulus-to-cumulus transition time by aerosol: analysis of the joint roles of several cloud-controlling factors using Gaussian process emulation

Rachel W. N. Sansom, Jill S. Johnson, Leighton A. Regayre, Lindsay A. Lee, and Ken S. Carslaw

Abstract. Stratocumulus-to-cumulus transitions are driven by numerous interacting cloud-controlling factors. Understanding these interactions is important for improving the accuracy of cloud responses to changes in climate and other environmental factors in global climate models. Many studies have found lower-tropospheric stability dictates the transition time, while aerosol-focused studies found that aerosol concentration plays a key role via the drizzle-depletion mechanism. We consider the role of aerosol together with several other cloud-controlling factors representing the wider environmental conditions. A 34-member perturbed parameter ensemble of large-eddy simulations with 2-moment cloud microphysics is used to train Gaussian process emulators (statistical representations) of the relationships between the factors and two properties of the transition: transition temporal length and average rain water path. Using these emulators, parameter space can be densely sampled to visualise the joint and individual effects of the factors on the transition properties. We find that in the low-aerosol regime (< 200 cm-3) the transition time is most strongly affected by the aerosol concentration. Fast transitions, under 40 hours, occur in this regime with high mean rain water path, which is consistent with a drizzle-depletion effect. In the high-aerosol regime, the inversion strength becomes more important than the aerosol concentration through the inversion's effect on entrainment and the deepening-warming decoupling mechanism.

Competing interests: At least one of the (co-)authors is a member of the editorial board of Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

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Rachel W. N. Sansom, Jill S. Johnson, Leighton A. Regayre, Lindsay A. Lee, and Ken S. Carslaw

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Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • CC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-3104', Rahul Ranjan, 16 Jul 2025
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-3104', Anonymous Referee #1, 27 Jul 2025
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-3104', Anonymous Referee #2, 20 Aug 2025
Rachel W. N. Sansom, Jill S. Johnson, Leighton A. Regayre, Lindsay A. Lee, and Ken S. Carslaw
Rachel W. N. Sansom, Jill S. Johnson, Leighton A. Regayre, Lindsay A. Lee, and Ken S. Carslaw

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Short summary
The cloud transition from stratocumulus to cumulus features a distinct decrease in cloud cover. We used a high-resolution model to simulate many instances of the transition with different environmental conditions. In low aerosol conditions, the transition occurred faster due to drizzle depleting the cloud of moisture and aerosol, whereas in high aerosol conditions, other factors were more important. Understanding different regimes is important for accurately simulating clouds in global models.
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