Single-column model simulations of Arctic cloudiness and surface radiative fluxes during the surface heat budget of Arctic (SHEBA) experiment

Cécile Hannay
Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:33:16 PDT

We evaluate the ability of a typical cloud parameterization from a global model (CCM3 from NCAR) to simulate the Arctic cloudiness and longwave radiative fluxes during wintertime. Simulations are conducted with a Single-Column model (SCM) forced with observations and reanalysis data from the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) experiment. Typically, the SCM overestimates the Arctic cloud fraction and the downwelling longwave flux. Moreover, the SCM does not capture accurately the temperature and moisture profiles, and the surface flux fields. Relaxing temperature and moisture profiles to observed values dramatically improves the simulations. This suggests that the cloud parameterization of CCM3 is suitable for Arctic clouds, as long as the temperature and moisture fields are captured correctly. Sensitivities studies show that the cloud fraction is not very sensitive to cloud type, ice effective radius, ice liquid ratio amount and uncertainty of the advective forcing.