Kang et al. (2025) Estimating Tropical Upper‐Level Cloud Feedback Based on Radiative‐Convective Equilibrium Framework

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Geophysical Research Letters
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-11-14
• Authors: Hyoji Kang, Yong‐Sang Choi
• DOI: 10.1029/2025gl118688

Research Groups

Not available in the provided abstract.

Short Summary

This study investigates tropical upper-level cloud (TUC) feedback to sea surface temperature (SST) warming using a radiative–convective equilibrium (RCE) model. It finds that the TUC feedback parameter is more negative when constrained by observations compared to CMIP6 models, suggesting that climate models may underestimate this crucial negative feedback.

Objective

• To isolate and quantify the radiative impact of tropical upper-level cloud (TUC) changes in response to sea surface temperature (SST) warming.
• To compare the TUC feedback parameter derived from observationally constrained inputs versus CMIP6-derived TUC fractions.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Tropical region.
• Temporal Scale: Climate change context (conceptual, related to SST warming).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Radiative–convective equilibrium (RCE) model.
• Data sources: Observational inputs (for TUC fractions), CMIP6-derived TUC fractions.

Main Results

• The TUC feedback parameter estimated from RCE experiments with observationally constrained inputs ranges from -1.66 to -1.24 W m⁻² K⁻¹.
• The TUC feedback parameter estimated from RCE experiments with CMIP6-derived inputs spans a broader range from -1.34 to +1.78 W m⁻² K⁻¹.
• Observational inputs yield a stronger negative feedback, likely reflecting a larger reduction in TUCs with SST warming.
• CMIP6-based parameters indicate weaker radiative effects of SST-driven TUC reductions, suggesting a potential underestimation of this negative feedback in climate models.

Contributions

• Provides a novel isolation of the radiative impact of TUC changes using an RCE model framework.
• Quantifies the TUC feedback parameter using both observational and CMIP6 model constraints, offering a direct comparison.
• Highlights a significant discrepancy between observationally constrained and CMIP6-derived TUC feedback, suggesting a potential bias in current climate models regarding this critical feedback mechanism.

Funding

Not available in the provided abstract.

Citation

@article{Kang2025Estimating,
  author = {Kang, Hyoji and Choi, Yong‐Sang},
  title = {Estimating Tropical Upper‐Level Cloud Feedback Based on Radiative‐Convective Equilibrium Framework},
  journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1029/2025gl118688},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2025gl118688}
}