Cumulus convection is a major player in thermodynamic changes to the atmosphere. We study the physics of moist convection, from stratocumulus and cumulus humilis to towering cumulonimbus clouds. Increasing our physical understanding of moist convective processes can lead to improvements in cumulus parameterization for climate modeling, as well as in numerical weather prediction.

Our group has made progress in this field through analysis of a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of deep convection known as the GigaLES. In particular, former group member Peter Bogenshutz used the GigaLES as a benchmark to evaluate and test a new turbulence parameterization known as the Sub-grid-scale Higher Order Closure (SHOC).