Record Details
Ocean–Cloud–Atmosphere–Land Interactions in the Southeastern Pacific: The VOCALS Program
ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | Ocean–Cloud–Atmosphere–Land Interactions in the Southeastern Pacific: The VOCALS Program |
| Names |
Mechoso, C. R.
(creator) Wood, R. (creator) Weller, R. (creator) de Szoeke, Simon P. (creator) et al. (creator) |
| Date Issued | 2014-03 (iso8601) |
| Note | To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the American Meteorological Society and can be found at: http://journals.ametsoc.org/loi/bams. |
| Abstract | The present paper describes the Variability of the American Monsoon Systems (VAMOS) Ocean–Cloud–Atmosphere–Land Study (VOCALS), an international research program focused on the improved understanding and modeling of the southeastern Pacific (SEP) climate system on diurnal to interannual time scales. In the framework of the SEP climate, VOCALS has two fundamental objectives: 1) improved simulations by coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation models (CGCMs), with an emphasis on reducing systematic errors in the region; and 2) improved estimates of the indirect effects of aerosols on low clouds and climate, with an emphasis on the more precise quantification of those effects. VOCALS major scientific activities are outlined, and selected achievements are highlighted. Activities described include monitoring in the region, a large international field campaign (the VOCALS Regional Experiment), and two model assessments. The program has already produced significant advances in the understanding of major issues in the SEP: the coastal circulation and the diurnal cycle, the ocean heat budget, factors controlling precipitation and formation of pockets of open cells in stratocumulus decks, aerosol impacts on clouds, and estimation of the first aerosol indirect effect. The paper concludes with a brief presentation on VOCALS contributions to community capacity building before a summary of scientific findings and remaining questions. |
| Genre | Article |
| Identifier | Mechoso, C. R., Wood, R., Weller, R., Bretherton, C. S., Clarke, A. D., Coe, H., ... & Zuidema, P. (2014). Ocean-cloud-atmosphere-land interactions in the Southeastern Pacific: The VOCALS Program. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 95(3), 357-375. doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00246.1 |
