An extraordinary rainstorm that occurred in Beijing on 21 July 2012 was simulated using the Weather Research and Forecasting model. The results showed that:(1) The two precipitation phases were based on a combination of cold cloud processes and warm cloud processes. The accumulated conversion amount and conversion rate of microphysical processes in the warm-area phase were all much larger than those in the cold front phase.(2) 72.6% of rainwater was from the warm-area phase. Rainwater mainly came from the melting of graupel and the melting of snow, while the accretion of cloud water by rain ranked second.(3) The net heating rate with height appeared as an overall warming with two strong heating centers in the lower and middle layers of the troposphere and a minimum heating center around the melting layer. The net heating effect in the warm-area phase was stronger than that in the cold front phase.(4) Warm cloud processes contributed most to latent heat release, and the thermal effect of cold cloud processes on the storm in the cold front phase was enhanced compared to that in the warm-area phase.(5) The melting of graupel and snow contributed most to latent heat absorption, and the effect of the evaporation of rainwater was significantly reduced in the cold front phase.
Numerical simulations with the Advanced Regional Prediction System(ARPS) model were performed to investigate the impact of microphysical drop size distribution(DSD) on tornadogenesis in a subtropical supercell thunderstorm over Anhui Province, eastern China. Sensitivity experiments with different intercept parameters of rain, hail and snow DSDs in a Lin-type microphysics scheme were conducted. Results showed that rain and hail DSDs have a significant impact on the simulated storm both microphysically and dynamically. DSDs characterized by larger(smaller) intercepts have a smaller(larger) particle size and a lower(higher) mass-weighted mean fall velocity, and produce relatively stronger(weaker) and wider(narrower)cold pools through enhanced(reduced) rain evaporation and hail melting processes, which are then less favorable(favorable)for tornadogenesis. However, tornadogenesis will also be suppressed by the weakened mid-level mesocyclone when the cold pool is too weak. When compared to a U.S. Great Plain case, the two microphysical processes are more sensitive to DSD variations in the present case with a higher melting level and deeper warm layer. This suggests that DSD-related cloud microphysics has a stronger influence on tornadogenesis in supercells over the subtropics than the U.S. Great Plains.
A severe storm that occurred over Beijing in northern China on 23 June 2011 was simulated with two different ice crystal parameterization schemes(the DeMott scheme and Meyers scheme) by using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System. Compared with the DeMott scheme, the simulation results with the Meyers scheme have the following characteristics:(1) Updrafts are stronger and more numerous;(2) The cloud is better organized and contains a greater peak of ice-phase hydrometeor mixing ratios;(3) Cloud water and hail mixing ratios increase while graupel mixing ratios decrease;(4) The surface precipitation is initially greater. However, at the end of the simulation, less precipitation is produced. In short, the differences between the two schemes are not obvious, but the De Mott scheme has a relatively more reasonable result.
Potential vorticity(PV)has been widely applied as a tracer because of its property of conservation in frictionless,dry adiabatic flow.However,PV itself is more effective in describing the slow-manifold flow at large scale.Therefore,we wish to find a materially conserved invariant other than PV to diagnose severe weather such as growing and mature tropical cyclones,whose velocity and dynamic pressure vary rapidly and locally.Starting from the absolute motion equation after elimination of the pressure gradient term by introducing moist entropy and moist enthalpy,the baroclinic Ertel-Rossby invariant(ERI)in moist flow is derived by the Weber transformation.Furthermore,the material conservation property of moist ERI is proven.Besides the traditional moist potential vorticity(MPV)term,the invariant includes the moisture factor that is excluded in dry ERI and the term related to gradients of pressure,kinetic energy and potential energy that reflects the"fast-manifold"property.Therefore,it is more complete to describe the fast motions off the slow manifold for severe weather than is the MPV term.The moist ERI is then applied to diagnose a triple-typhoon system,and is compared with MPV and dry ERI.Contrastive analysis shows that moist ERI is a better tool to diagnose the movements and intensity variations of several coexisting typhoons.The moist ERI can signify the movement and development of a multi-typhoon system.It has wide application prospects for a real moist atmosphere.
Two cloud-scale experiments with two different ice-phase schemes were carried out for a precipitation event that occurred in eastern China in 2005.The results were analyzed to examine the influences of the change of ice-particle mass and radius on hydrometeors,internal energy,and kinetic energy,as well as the primary factors responsible.It was found that the ice content increases notably and the snow content decreases due to the change.This is the consequence of the modulation of cloud microphysical processes.In particular,the Bergeron process and the accretion of snow and cloud ice are markedly influenced.The differences of internal energy and kinetic energy between the two experiments are caused by adjustments to pressure-flux divergence,the coupling of temperature and divergence,and gravitational work,and the reason is that these three factors result in differences of local changes of internal and kinetic energy.
With the definition of generalized potential temperature, a new generalized frontogenesis function, which is expressed as the Lagrangian change rate of the magnitude of the horizontal generalized potential temperature gradient, is derived. Such a frontogenesis function is more appropriate for a real moist atmosphere because it can reflect frontogenesis processes, in which the atmosphere in a frontal zone is typically characterized by neither completely dry nor uniform saturation. Furthermore, by derivation, the expression of generalized frontogenesis function includes both temperature and humidity gradients, which is different from and superior to the traditional frontogenesis function in moist processes, which also uses equivalent potential temperature. Diagnostic studies of real cases are performed and show that the generalized frontogenesis function in nonuniformly saturated moist atmosphere indeed provides a useful tool for frontogenesis, compared to using the traditional frontogenesis function. The new frontogenesis function can be used in situations involving either a strong temperature or moisture gradient and is closely correlated with precipitation.
A squall line on 14 June 2009 in the provinces of Jiangsu and Anhui was well simulated using the Advanced Regional Prediction System(ARPS) model. Based on high resolution spatial and temporal data, a detailed analysis of the structural features and propagation mechanisms of the squall line was conducted. The dynamic and thermodynamic structural characteristics and their causes were analyzed in detail. Unbalanced flows were found to play a key role in initiating gravity waves during the squall line's development. The spread and development of the gravity waves were sustained by convection in the wave-CISK process. The squall line's propagation and development mainly relied on the combined effect of gravity waves at the midlevel and cold outflow along the gust front. New cells were continuously forced by the cold pool outflow and were enhanced and lifted by the intense upward motion. At a particular phase, the new cells merged with the updraft of the gravity waves, leading to an intense updraft that strengthened the squall line.
