On the parameterization of precipitation in warm clouds

The Sundqvist parameterization for warm rain production by autoconversion processes as the function of cloud liquid water mixing ratio m is tested by defining a realistic ‘driving’ profile m(z) for a maritime low, warm stratocumulus cloud, and comparing with various recent observations. The results show that the parameterization is acceptable, especially after tuning its rain collection constant C1. It is somewhat sensitive to the vertical resolution of the host model, though. Extending the calculations by considering typical cloud and raindrop size spectra, extra variables such as drizzle amounts and droplet effective radii (forced by the bulk Sundqvist rain rates) could be estimated by numerical integration. Also, these seem to agree fairly well with the available observations.