FOR 5626:  Cloud Structure & Climate - Closing the 3D Gap

• Subject Area: Geosciences
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 513446258

The proposed research unit aims at a unique and comprehensive combination of 3D-modelling and observing clouds and their radiative effects that fully accounts for the 3D nature of cloud structure and radiative transfer. By doing so, the unit will for the first time provide a physically-based correction of biases in climate modelling and cloud remote sensing, that have been a result from oversimplifications of the complex geometrical nature of clouds in previous work. Towards this goal, characteristic 3D cloud structures for relevant cloud regimes from cloud resolving modelling and from synergistic satellite observations will serve as input to radiative transfer modelling of different complexity to quantify the consequences for cloud structure simplifications and to establish physically based cloud-radiation correlations. Long-term high-quality ground-based cloud and radiation observations provide the validation of these relations by means of radiative closure studies. Current and new generations of satellite sensors will provide the corresponding closure at the top of the atmosphere. A large field campaign will bring modelling, ground-based and satellite-based remote sensing and in-situ radiation measurements together in a synergetic closure study in order to validate our ability to observe, understand and model the cloud radiative effects and thus to reduce a major source of uncertainty in predicting the future climate. The second phase of the research unit will extend this approach to more globally distributed test-beds in the framework of large international observational networks, improve the regime-based cloud-radiation relations and apply those to climate modelling and the new generations of satellite sensors.

• DFG Programme: Research Units

Projects

• 3D field campaigns, HOPE + Lindenberg 2026 + new campaign with MTG (Applicants Macke, Andreas ;  Seckmeyer, Gunther ;  Wacker, Stefan )
• Cloud radiative effects from ground-based vertically resolved cloud & radiation observations and radiation closure (Applicants Knist, Christine ;  Seckmeyer, Gunther )
• Cloud structure and regime dependence of 3D radiative effects (Applicants Deneke, Hartwig ;  Mayer, Bernhard )
• Coordination Funds (Applicant Macke, Andreas )
• Modelling cloud micro- and macrophysical properties and their radiative effects (Applicants Schemann, Vera ;  Senf, Fabian )
• Satellite-based cloud remote sensing & 3D effects (Applicants Hünerbein, Anja ;  Stengel, Martin )

• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Andreas Macke