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https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.177135577.71771059/v1
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.177135577.71771059/v1
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
11 Mar 2026
| 11 Mar 2026
Status: this preprint is open for discussion and under review for Geoscientific Model Development (GMD).
CESM2/CARMA Cloud and CARMA Aerosol Model Descriptions
Abstract. The Community Aerosol and Radiation Model for Atmospheres (CARMA) is a sectional microphysical model widely used to understand the formation of aerosols and clouds. This paper is an updated description of the CARMA model algorithms since Toon et al 1988, with examples from the newly developed CARMA Cloud model. This paper describes the general algorithms and solvers for nucleation, condensation/evaporation, coagulation, and sedimentation shared among all CARMA aerosols and clouds models; specific microphysical processes needed for water droplet and ice; how the CARMA Cloud is set up and how it interacts with other processes inside the Community Earth System Model.
How to cite. This is an external preprint publicly discussed on EGUsphere. Please find the correct citation on the original preprint server’s site at: https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.177135577.71771059/v1
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University of Colorado Boulder, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science (CIRES) at NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, USA
Cheng-Cheng Liu
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, the University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, USA
Charles Bardeen
Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, USA
Lu Wang
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, the University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, USA
Simone Tilmes
Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, USA
Ilaria Quaglia
Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, USA
Christopher M. Maloney
University of Colorado Boulder, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science (CIRES) at NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, USA
Francis Vitt
Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, USA
Owen Brian Toon
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, the University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, USA
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, USA
Short summary
The Community Aerosol and Radiation Model for Atmospheres (CARMA) is a sectional microphysical model widely used to study the formation of aerosols and clouds. This paper presents an update to the CARMA model algorithms since Toon et al. 1988, with a focus on the newly developed CARMA Cloud model.
The Community Aerosol and Radiation Model for Atmospheres (CARMA) is a sectional microphysical...