Impact on modeled cloud characteristics due to simplified treatment of uniform cloud condensation nuclei during NEAQS 2004

Subgrid‐scale cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) heterogeneity is not represented in global climate models (GCM) and potentially contributes systematic errors to simulated cloud effects. High‐resolution WRF‐Chem model simulations were performed to investigate the impact of assuming a uniform CCN distribution on cloud properties and surface radiation over a region the size of a GCM grid column. Results indicate that a prescribed CCN distribution allowing for vertical and temporal fluctuations does substantially better in simulating cloud properties and radiative effects than does a prescribed uniform and constant CCN distribution. Spatially and temporally averaged net effects on downwelling shortwave radiation are between −3 and −11 W m−2 for the fluctuating and uniform distributions, respectively, versus a control simulation with fully interactive aerosols. Both prescribed CCN distributions produce optically thicker clouds more often than the control, with the mean cloud optical depth increasing by over 25% when using the uniform and constant CCN distribution.