Effects of ice microphysics on a tropical coupled system

The effects of ice microphysics on tropical atmospheric and oceanic variability are investigated with a two-dimensional coupled ocean-cloud resolving atmosphere model forced by the large-scale vertical velocity and zonal wind derived from Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE). The experiment without ice microphysics is compared to a control experiment with ice microphysics. Compared to the control experiment, the experiment without ice microphysics generates a more humid and colder atmosphere by suppressing stratiform clouds and rainfall and associated latent heating; the experiment without ice microphysics produces a saltier mixed layer by a larger saline forcing associated with a weaker stratiform rainfall. Ocean mixed-layer temperature is insensitive to the atmospheric variability associated with ice microphysics.