New methods to simulate Southern Ocean clouds

Climate model evaluation using satellite simulators: A like for like methodology

Modelling clouds and their influence is a significant challenge. Most cloud processes happen at scales far smaller than can be simulated by a climate model such as the NZ Earth System Model (NZESM).

This project expanded on two existing Deep South Challenge projects, focussing on the evaluation and improvement of the NZESM with specific reference to clouds in the Southern Ocean.

This project coupled a satellite simulator (which replicates what a satellite would “see” of a given cloud distribution) to the NZESM and applied advanced data analysis to the results, to assess satellite measurements of different kinds of clouds. The information produced sought to help us understand how the NZESM may be misrepresenting clouds, and to improve the representation of clouds in the model.

This project in the media:

• New Zealand’s Next Top Model, New Zealand Geographic
• Breaking the ice, NIWA