Longwave Radiative Feedback Due To Stratiform and Anvil Clouds.

Studies have implicated the importance of longwave (LW) cloud‐radiative forcing (CRF) in facilitating or accelerating the upscale development of tropical moist convection. While different cloud types are known to have distinct CRF, their individual roles in driving upscale development through radiative feedback is largely unexplored. Here we examine the hypothesis that CRF from stratiform regions has the greatest positive effect on upscale development of tropical convection. We do so through numerical model experiments using convection‐permitting ensemble WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) simulations of tropical cyclone formation. Using a new column‐by‐column cloud classification scheme, we identify the contributions of five cloud types (shallow, congestus, and deep convective; and stratiform and anvil clouds). We examine their relative impacts on longwave radiation moist static energy (MSE) variance feedback and test the removal of this forcing in additional mechanism‐denial simulations. Our results indicate the importance stratiform and anvil regions in accelerating convective upscale development. Plain Language Summary: Infrared or longwave radiation and its interaction with clouds is important in the formation of tropical storms. Given the different shapes and distributions of distinct cloud types, we hypothesize that they interact with longwave radiation differently, and therefore exert different impacts on the organization of tropical convection. This issue has largely been unexplored. To address this gap, we tested our hypothesis by analyzing numerical model simulations of the formation of two tropical cyclones. Further, we developed a new cloud classification scheme based on cloud properties that identifies five distinct cloud types. Using this classification, we examined the impact of radiative interactions with different cloud types on the development of tropical storms by turning off this feedback in specific cloud types. Our results indicate that light‐raining regions, such as stratiform and anvil clouds, contribute dominantly to longwave cloud‐radiative trapping and the moistening of convective regions. This is due to both these cloud types' strong greenhouse trapping effect and their extensive areal coverage, which spreads this effect over large regions of a developing storm. Key Points: A new column‐by‐column cloud microphysical classification scheme is developed for application with numerical modelsRadiative feedback due to stratiform and anvil clouds is a leading driver of tropical convective upscale developmentThe local radiative forcing by deep convective regions is similar in magnitude to stratiform but its impact is limited by its smaller area [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]