Roles of Cloud Microphysics on Cloud Responses to Sea Surface Temperatures in Radiative‐Convective Equilibrium Experiments Using a High‐Resolution Global Nonhydrostatic Model

The high‐cloud amount responses to sea surface temperature (SST) changes were investigated based on simulations with radiative‐convective equilibrium configuration using a high‐resolution nonhydrostatic icosahedral atmospheric model. The radiative‐convective equilibrium was calculated using a nonrotating sphere with Earth radius and a 14‐km horizontal mesh with uniform SSTs of 300 and 304 K. Two types of cloud microphysics schemes (single‐ and double‐moment bulk schemes) and two types of vertical layer configurations (38 and 78 layers) were tested. The radiatively driven circulation weakens with increasing SST in all simulation pairs due to the increase in the static stability, as suggested in previous studies. In contrast, the high‐cloud amount increases in three simulation pairs and decreases in one pair. These indicate that the weakening of radiatively driven circulation with increasing SST does not always accompany the high‐cloud amount decrease. We determined that the tropopause layer was wet (dry) in simulations that showed positive (negative) high‐cloud cover responses. The radiatively driven upward moisture transport just below the wet tropopause layer increases with increasing SST in the simulation pairs with positive high‐cloud amount responses, and this causes the supply of ice condensate to the lower layer through the sedimentation process, while this feedback was not observed in the simulation pair with the negative response. These indicate that the high‐cloud cover response depends on the occurrence of the feedback and there is a feedback threshold among the variety of simulations. And furthermore, these speculate that whether the feedback mechanism is effective or not has the large impact on high‐cloud responses in the real atmosphere. Key Points The high‐cloud amount responses on SST changes depend on both the vertical resolution and microphysics scheme Radiation‐cloud feedbacks near the tropopause can increase clouds in warmer climates despite weakening of radiatively forced circulation The high‐cloud responses in the real atmosphere depend on whether the feedback mechanisms are effective or not