Gregarious convection and radiative feedbacks in idealized worlds.

What role does convection play in cloud feedbacks? What role does convective aggregation play in climate? A flurry of recent studies explores 'self-aggregation' of moist convection in diverse simulations using explicit convection and interactive radiation. The implications involve upper level dry areas acting as infrared windows-the climate system's 'radiator fins.' A positive feedback maintains these: dry columns undergo radiative cooling which drives descent and further drying. If the resulting clumpiness of vapor and cloud fields depends systematically on global temperature, then convective organization could be a climate system feedback. How reconcilable and how relevant are these interesting but idealized studies? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]