Radiative-Convective Equilibrium (RCE) is an important modeling paradigm for the tropical atmosphere. In this paradigm, cloud clustering can occur spontaneously, affecting the energy budget of the atmosphere. Here, two models, run in RCE, exhibiting this convective aggregation have been compared with each other and with the results of the Radiative-Convective Equilibrium Model Intercomparison Project (RCEMIP). The two models studied, the SAM (System for Atmospheric Modeling) and the ARPS (Advanced Regional Prediction System), are different in the physical and numerical formulation, allowing us to compare the sensitivity to processes related to the phenomenon of convective organization. In General, the two models present similarities in what concerns precipitation, warming, and drying of the atmosphere and anvil cloud area reduction. All these factors are also within the spread of the RCEMIP values. However, the two models differ both in the convective organization feedback and in the degree of organization. SAM is strongly organized and ARPS is weakly organized. SAM achieves convective organization through clouds-radiative feedback and ARPS achieves it through moisture-convection feedback. These differences can be traced back to the interaction between the microphysics and the sub-cloud layer properties. We suggest that when studying climate sensitivity, climate models should include both types of convective organization mechanisms.

In this Data Repository only the ARPS output is reported (every 24 h). The output of SAM is in a companion repository in Zenodo