Understanding how Gulf Stream variation influences cloud morphology is critical for evaluating
cloud feedback in the western North Atlantic Ocean and beyond, where mesoscale air-sea interactions domi
nate. This study investigates the impact of altered mean sea surface temperature (SST) and SST gradients on
post-frontal cloud characteristics during cold-air outbreaks, using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)
model. Three sensitivity experiments are conducted: a control simulation (default SST), Plus4 (uniform SST
increase of 4 K), and Gradplus (SST gradient enhanced by 25 %, centered around mean SST). Results reveal
distinctly different responses in boundary layer dynamics and cloud macro-physics. In Plus4, a warmer and
moister boundary layer reduces total cloud cover but promotes larger cloud sizes and elongated cloud streets,
with diminished liquid water and enhanced ice-phase hydrometeors. Conversely, Gradplus amplifies impacts in
the upwind colder SST regions, yielding a drier, colder boundary layer, weaker energy transport, and higher liq
uid water path but reduced ice water content and cloud lines. Tracer analysis highlights that SST modifications
alter airmass sources near cloud tops due to the entrainment of ambient air, with Plus4 amplifying boundary layer
contributions to cloud-top regions. These findings underscore the spatially varying effects of SST gradients and
mean SST on cloud organization and microphysics, emphasizing the need to resolve ocean-atmosphere coupling
in global models to improve the prediction of marine cloud feedback under warming scenarios.
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