Numerical Diffusion and Turbulent Mixing in Convective Self‐Aggregation.

Convective Self‐Aggregation (CSA) is a common feature of idealized numerical simulations of the tropical atmosphere in Radiative‐Convective Equilibrium (RCE). However, at coarse grid resolution where deep convection is not fully resolved, the occurrence of this phenomenon is extremely sensitive to subgrid‐scale processes. This study examines the role of mixing and entrainment, provided by the turbulence model and the implicit numerical diffusion. The study compares the results of two models, WRF and SAM, by varying turbulence models, initial conditions, and horizontal spatial resolution. At a coarse grid resolution of 3 km, the removal of turbulent mixing prevents CSA in models with low numerical diffusivity but is preserved in models with high numerical diffusivity. When the horizontal grid resolution is refined to 1 km, CSA can only be achieved by increasing explicit turbulent mixing, even with a small amount of shallow clouds. Therefore, the sensitivity of CSA to horizontal grid resolution is not primarily caused by the decrease in shallow clouds. The analysis of the total water path spectrum suggests that the amplitude of initial humidity perturbations introduced by convection in the free troposphere is the key factor. This amplitude is regulated by turbulent mixing and diffusion at small scales. Prior to the onset of CSA, increased mixing makes updrafts more sensitive to the dryness of the free troposphere, which strengthens the moisture‐convection feedback. This leads to an increased distance between convective cores and a stronger humidity perturbation in the free troposphere, which can destabilize the RCE state. Plain Language Summary: Convection transports moisture from the surface to the troposphere and forms clouds. Clouds developing in dry environments can be diluted by turbulent mixing, while mixing in moist environments favors their deepening. Turbulent mixing thus favors convection over moist regions, making them moister, while the opposite is true for dry regions. This phenomenon is known as the moisture‐convection feedback. In atmospheric models with a horizontal grid resolution of about 1 km, the feedback is represented by the turbulence model and the numerical discretization errors. This study found that when simulating deep tropical convection, the use of coarse grid resolution strengthens the moisture‐convection feedback, initially creating larger clusters of clouds separated by larger areas free of convection. In these areas where convection is suppressed, the upper troposphere will dry out. The amplitude of this area and its associated dry perturbation of the upper troposphere are key factors in determining whether convection will continue to be suppressed or if it will be able to penetrate the free troposphere. The final clustering of clouds into a single moist patch, known as convective self‐aggregation, depends on these conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately represent sub‐grid scale mixing processes to capture the convective self‐aggregation phenomenon in high‐resolution atmospheric models. Key Points: The initial amplitude of humidity perturbations introduced by convection in the free troposphere is the key factor for the onset of convective self‐aggregation.Prior to the onset of self‐aggregation, this amplitude is regulated by turbulent mixing and numerical diffusion, rather than the amount of shallow clouds.Coarse resolutions impose larger mixing which increases the distance between convective cores and the associated humidity perturbation in the free troposphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]