This Lecture series aims to learn about cloud physics and cloud modeling. The course, taught by Dr. Wojciech Grabowski, consists of 12 lectures and is an excellent opportunity to learn more about cloud physics.
Date and time: Every Thursday 13:30-15:30 from September 11th to November 27th, 2025
Location (hybrid): Zoom and University of Hyogo, Kobe Campus for Information Science, Computational Science Center Building, room 313
HP: https://s-shima-lab.sakura.ne.jp/en/events/grabowski-lecture-2025
Registration: Only the project members can attend.
Lecture content:
| Date | Time | Title | Details | |
| 1st | Sep 11, Thu | 13:30~15:30 | Introduction to clouds, cloud processes, and clouds in climate | Clouds as part of the Earth atmosphere. Cloud types and how they form. What are cloud processes. Natural and laboratory clouds. Why clouds are important for climate. Fundamentals of cloud modeling |
| 2nd | Sep 18, Thu | 13:30~15:30 | Warm clouds. Processes and modeling, Part 1 | Nonprecipitating warm clouds. Condensation. Bulk approach to condensation. Formation of cloud droplets in the Earth atmosphere. |
| 3rd | Sep 25, Thu | 13:30~15:30 | Warm clouds. Processes and modeling, Part 2 | Growth of cloud droplets by diffusion and by collision coalescence. Bin microphysics. Lagrangian particle-based warm microphysics (SDM). SDM vs bin for nonprecipitating and precipitating warm clouds. Piggybacking. |
| 4th | Oct 2, Thu | 13:30~15:30 | Ice clouds. Processes and modeling | Basic ice processes. Bulk and bin microphysics. Particle-based ice microphysics. Examples of applications. |
| 5th | Oct 9, Thu | 13:30~15:30 | Cloud models, Part 1. Parcel and kinematic models | Adiabatic parcel model. Analysis of an atmospheric sounding. CAPE and CIN. 2D kinematic (prescribed flow) model. Practical exercises. |
| 6th | Oct 16, Thu | 13:30~15:30 | Cloud models, Part 2. Dynamic models with introduction to babyEULAG | Elements of a dynamic model for atmospheric small-scale dynamics. Incompressible, anelastic, and compressible models. BabyEULAG as an example. Practical exercises. |
| 7th | Oct 23, Thu | 13:30~15:30 | Entrainment and turbulence, Part 1 | Cumulus and stratocumulus entrainment. Observational and computational studies. High resolution (turbulence-resolving) modeling. Homogeneous and inhomogeneous mixing. Buoyancy reversal in cloud dynamics. |
| 8th | Oct 30, Thu | 13:30~15:30 | Entrainment and turbulence, Part 2 | Turbulence. Impact of turbulence on formation of cloud droplets. Impact on diffusional (“eddy hopping”) and collisional growth of cloud droplets and ice crystals. |
| 9th | Nov 6, Thu | 13:30~15:30 | Organized convection | Theoretical considerations. Impact of microphysical processes on shallow and deep convection. Convection invigoration conundrum. |
| 10th | Nov 13, Thu | 13:30~15:30 | Microphysical impacts on cloud dynamics | What is organized convection? Organizations of shallow convective clouds in the tropics (observations, modeling). Organization of deep convection, RKW theory. Organized convection and cloud microphysics. Organized convection in a changing climate. |
| 11th | Nov 20, Thu | 13:30~15:30 | Coupling between surface and cloud processes | Impact of surface flux Bowen ratio on boundary layer and cloud development. Shallow and deep convection impacts. Cloud feedbacks on surface processes. |
| 12th | Nov 27 Thu | 13:30~15:30 | Clouds and climate: Towards cloud-resolving climate modeling |
Clouds in changing climate. Historical misconceptions (convection invigoration in a warmer climate, the iris hypothesis). Hypothesized changes in deep convection due to projected changes in CIN and CAPE. Changes in shallow clouds (the shallow convection feedback problem). Severe weather changes (CC scaling, extreme events, etc.). Superparameterization and convection-permitting global modeling. |
Contact: Shin-ichiro Shima (島伸一郎), e-mail: s_shima@gsis.u-hyogo.ac.jp