Project description
A better understanding of high cloud feedback for improved climate estimations
High clouds play an important role in modulating Earth's radiative balance, which influences atmospheric circulation. The temperature and height response of high clouds is well understood, but changes in their extent, optical depth and ice properties remain uncertain. The EU-funded ELISIR project will investigate its hypothesis that a direct link exists between upper tropospheric stability and the number of nucleated ice crystals, which may lead to changes in cloud optical properties and lifetime, with a significant impact on climate. To get answers, researchers will use climate model simulations and high-resolution limited-domain simulations in a tropical domain. In addition, the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 archive will be analysed to test differences in simulated cloud radiative effects between models.
Objective
High clouds play an important role in modulating Earth’s radiative balance by (i) reflecting shortwave radiation and (ii) preventing longwave radiation from escaping to space. These interactions with radiation also influence atmospheric circulation at all scales, from global to local. The temperature and height response of high clouds is well understood, but changes in their extent, optical depth and ice properties including ice water content, ice crystal number, and ice crystal size remain uncertain. Ice properties are important because they determine cloud radiative effects and lifetime. However, many climate models cannot interactively simulate ice crystal number and size because they use simple 1-moment microphysical schemes with ice crystal mass as the only prognostic cloud ice variable. The proposed project ELISIR will study the role of ice crystal size and number for high cloud feedbacks and dynamical responses and compare results from 1-moment with more advanced 2-moment cloud microphysical schemes, in which also ice crystal number is a prognostic variable. We hypothesize that a direct link exists between the upper tropospheric stability and the number of nucleated ice crystals, which may lead to changes in cloud optical properties and lifetime, with a significant impact on climate. The research aims will be achieved with the help of global climate model simulations and high resolution limited-domain simulations in a tropical domain, whereby each simulation will be performed once with a 1-moment and once with a 2-moment microphysical scheme. Furthermore, the CMIP6 archive will be analysed to test whether there are systematic differences in simulated cloud radiative effects between models using 1-moment and models using 2-moment microphysical schemes. This will help to better understand the drivers of high cloud feedbacks and therefore to narrow estimates of Earth’s climate sensitivity and uncertainties in the high cloud impact on the atmospheric circulation.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences atmospheric sciences meteorology atmospheric circulation
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1010 WIEN
Austria
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.