Putting the clouds back in aerosol-cloud interactions

ACI are sensitive to both cloud microphysical processes (the "C" in ACI) and aerosol emissions and processes (the "A" in ACI). This work highlights the importance of cloud microphysical processes, using idealized and global tests of a cloud microphysics scheme used for global climate prediction.

Uncertainties in key cloud microphysical processes examined with sensitivity tests cause uncertainties of nearly -30 to +60 % in ACI, similar to or stronger than uncertainties identified due to natural aerosol emissions (-30 to +30 %). The different dimensions and sensitivities of ACI to microphysical processes identified in previous work are analyzed in detail, showing that precipitation processes are critical for understanding ACI and that uncertain cloud lifetime effects are nearly one-third of simulated ACI.