A Model Intercomparison Study of Mixed-Phase Clouds in a Laboratory Chamber

TL;DR

This study compares ten different models simulating mixed-phase cloud behavior in a laboratory chamber, highlighting their ability to reproduce observed properties and the impact of model differences on results.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive intercomparison of diverse modeling frameworks for mixed-phase clouds in a controlled environment, revealing strengths and limitations of each approach.

Findings

All models matched observed droplet size and concentration during liquid phase.

Increased ice injection caused liquid depletion and larger particle sizes.

Quantitative differences due to model treatment of turbulence and microphysics.

Abstract

Mixed-phase clouds, composed of supercooled liquid droplets and ice crystals, play a critical role in weather and climate systems. Their complex microphysical interactions and coupling with turbulence at microscales govern the cloud properties at macroscales, yet remain challenging to observe and quantify under atmospheric conditions. This model intercomparison study utilizes ten model configurations to simulate mixed-phase cloud evolution in the Michigan Technological University's Pi Chamber. The models span a range of frameworks, including box models, direct numerical simulation, and large-eddy simulation models, and incorporate both bin and Lagrangian microphysics. Each model was tuned to reproduce the observed liquid-phase steady state prior to ice injection. Ice particles were then introduced into the domain at various rates to examine cloud glaciation behavior. By the intercomparison design, all models successfully reproduced the observed mean droplet radius and number concentration during the liquid-phase stage. Increasing ice particle injection rates led to consistent qualitative trends across models: depletion of liquid water, reduced total water content, and a shift in particle size distributions toward larger radii. However, quantitative differences arose due to variations in model treatment in dynamics and microphysics, including subgrid-scale turbulence parameterizations, wall forcing, and particle removal parameterizations. Most models that simulate the full chamber retained liquid droplets near the lower boundary, where supersaturation forcing is strongest and droplets are replenished before mixing into the core region. These surviving liquids droplets were absent in simulations assuming a well-mixed domain, excluding the near-wall region, or using coarse grid spacing.