Liang et al. (2025) Assessment of Aerosol Optical Depth, Cloud Fraction, and Liquid Water Path in CMIP6 Models Using Satellite Observations

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Identification

• Journal: Remote Sensing
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-07-14
• Authors: Jiakun Liang, Jennifer D. Small Griswold
• DOI: 10.3390/rs17142439

Research Groups

Not specified in the provided text.

Short Summary

This study evaluates the ability of CMIP6 models to simulate aerosol optical depth (AOD), cloud fraction (CF), and liquid water path (LWP) against satellite observations. The results indicate that while spatial patterns are generally captured, models tend to underestimate CF and LWP, with performance being higher in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere.

Objective

• To evaluate the performance of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) models in simulating AOD, CF, and LWP by comparing them with MODIS and AMSR-E satellite observations.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Global (with specific analysis of Northern and Southern Hemispheres and latitudinal profiles).
• Temporal Scale: 30 years of model simulations.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: CMIP6 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6).
• Data sources: MODIS and AMSR-E satellite observations.
• Evaluation Method: Quantitative scoring system to assess the replication of spatial characteristics of multi-year mean aerosol and cloud properties.

Main Results

• Most CMIP6 models underestimate CF and LWP, with LWP specifically underestimated by 24.3% in the Northern Hemisphere.
• Model simulations align more closely with observations in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere.
• While models generally capture overall latitudinal distribution patterns, they struggle to accurately reproduce the observed magnitudes.
• Performance is higher for AOD and CF simulations compared to LWP, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere.

Contributions

• Provides a quantitative benchmark for CMIP6 models regarding aerosol-cloud interactions, identifying specific weaknesses in simulating liquid water path and regional disparities between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Funding

Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Liang2025Assessment,
  author = {Liang, Jiakun and Griswold, Jennifer D. Small},
  title = {Assessment of Aerosol Optical Depth, Cloud Fraction, and Liquid Water Path in CMIP6 Models Using Satellite Observations},
  journal = {Remote Sensing},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.3390/rs17142439},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17142439}
}