Investigating simulated clouds at varying resolution with remote sensing measurements during the EUREC4A field study

Shallow convective clouds remain at the heart of climate sensitivity uncertainty. While recent studies have shown that simulations on hectometer resolution lead to improved cloud representation, open questions remain in the representation of small-scale variability and especially microphysical processes. Therefore, we investigate modeled cloud and water vapor conditions in the ICOsahedral Nonhydrostatic Large-Eddy Model (ICON-LEM) at varying horizontal resolution. We compare the model on a statistical basis to ground-based remote sensing observations obtained during the EUREC4A field study at Barbados Cloud Observatory (BCO). More specifically, we evaluate cloudiness, liquid water and water vapor distribution at horizontal resolution ranging between 75m and 1.25km. Radiosonde profiles and retrieved microwave radiometer Integrated Water Vapor and Liquid Water Path are compared to the modeled conditions. By applying the instrument simulator PAMTRA to the model output, we analyze cloud properties in more depth based on simulated and observed cloud radar reflectivities.