Title: Data associated with "Controls on the Development and Circulation of Terminal versus Transient Congestus Clouds and Implications for Midlevel Aerosol Transport"

Description: These data represent the model namelists and source code used to generate idealized large-eddy simulations 
using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) version 6.3.02. These data are associated with the manuscript:

Leung, G. R., and S. C. van den Heever, 2022: Controls on the Development and Circulation of Terminal versus Transient Congestus Clouds and Implications for Midlevel Aerosol Transport. J. Atmos. Sci., 79, 3083–3101, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-21-0314.1.

Primary Contact: Gabrielle Leung (gabrielle.leung@colostate.edu)

Recommended data citation: Leung, G.R. and van den Heever, S.C. (2021): Data associated with "Controls on the Development and Circulation of Terminal versus Transient Congestus Clouds and Implications for Midlevel Aerosol Transport". Colorado State University. Libraries. http://dx.doi.org/10.25675/10217/234037.

Data license: CC BY-SA 

RAMS source code license: GNU General Public License (https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html)

Abstract:
Cumulus congestus is the middle mode of tropical convection, with cloud tops typically around or exceeding the 0ºC freezing level (~5km AGL). 
While some congestus are terminal, meaning they are capped by the freezing level inversion, others are transient and may develop into deep 
convection. Although this distinction impacts convective transport into the mid-troposphere and the congestus-to-deep convection transition, 
there is still much to be understood about the processes causing congestus to overshoot the freezing level. We simulate a field of tropical 
congestus using high-resolution idealized model simulations, identify and track the updrafts, and composite congestus properties. Terminal 
and transient congestus updrafts are characterized by a similar overturning circulation between the updraft and its subsiding shell. However, 
transient congestus have stronger updrafts, and the downward branch of their corresponding circulations are found to be constrained by the 
freezing level inversion. The balance between buoyancy and perturbation pressure gradient accelerations is shown to determine the shape of 
the vertical velocity profile, though horizontal advection also impacts the updraft magnitude, especially for mature transient congestus. 
Previous studies have focused on buoyancy as a control on congestus height, but we find perturbation pressure gradient accelerations are 
equally important in allowing congestus to overshoot the freezing level. Finally, we explore how congestus updrafts influence their near 
environment: terminal congestus regenerate more aerosol through evaporation along their edges, while transient congestus create stronger 
detrainment layers of aerosol and water vapor in the midlevels due to regenerated aerosol being trapped above the freezing level inversion.  

File Description:
RAMSIN.cg-prod.500sulf: Namelist 
rams_6.3.02.tar.gz: Source code for RAMS version 6.3.02

Detailed RAMS documentation and user guides are avaible at: https://vandenheever.atmos.colostate.edu/vdhpage/rams.php.