Chemistry, Aerosols, and Climate: Tropospheric Unified Simulation (CACTUS) Objective: to improve understanding of interactions between atmospheric chemistry, aerosols, and climate
Approach: coupled chemistry-aerosol-climate GCM CACTUS model Atmospheric chemistry Emissions land use climate forcing GISS GCM Aerosol microphysics D climate chemistry
Combined radiative forcings from tropospheric ozone and sulfate, 1800-2000
CACTUS contributions to IPCC 2001 report
1800-2000 radiative forcing from tropospheric ozone is less well constrained than implied by IPCC Standard preindustrial simulation: DF = 0.44 W m-2 “Adjusted” preindustrial simulation (lightning and soil NOx decreased, biogenic hydrocarbons increased): DF = 0.80 W m-2
CACTUS contributions to IPCC 2001 report
Aerosol microphysics in CACTUS model North America 202 cm-3 6.3 mg/m3 Number Concentration South Pacific 74 cm-3 0.13 mg/m3 0.01 0.1 1 10 Dry Diameter (mm)
Next CACTUS phase: aerosol-chemistry-climate coupling for 2000-2100 Step 1b: GCM simulation long-lived GG Current O3, OH, aerosols Step 1a: CACTUS simulation D Emissions Current climate Diagnose D climate from aerosol-chemistry-climate interactions Diagnose D chemistry due to climate change Step 2: CACTUS simulation D Emissions D climate increments: 2025, 2050, 2075, 2100 Step 3: GCM simulation long-lived GG D O3, OH, aerosols iterate Step 4: fully coupled 2000-2100 simulation
SF6 simulation in 2xCO2 climate: comparison to present climate Stronger convective transport Weaker interhemispheric exchange
SF6 simulation in 2xCO2 climate: comparison to present climate (cont.) stronger stratospheric circulation and stratosphere-troposphere exchange