A study of cloud microphysics and precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau by radar observations and cloud‐resolving model simulations

Gao, Wenhua; Sui, C.-H.; Fan, Jiwen; Hu, Zhiqun; Zhong, Lingzhi

doi:10.1002/2015jd024196

Cited by 41 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…The ice hydrometeor profile is the key microphysical processes in the formation of precipitation. As the ice crystals grows, they become heavier than snow particles before they start falling, which leads to growth of graupel by accretion of supercooled water and then melt just above the surface to form rainfall (e.g., Gao et al 2016). Although KF underestimates this process, it performs slightly better than BMJ and GF.…”

Section: B Vertical Distribution Of Cloud Microphysical Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating Cumulus Parameterization Schemes for the Simulation of Arabian Peninsula Winter Rainfall

Attada

Dasari

Kunchala

et al. 2020

Journal of Hydrometeorology

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This study investigates the sensitivity of winter seasonal rainfall over the Arabian Peninsula (AP) to different convective physical parameterization schemes using a high-resolution WRF Model. Three different parameterization schemes, Kain–Fritch (KF), Betts–Miller–Janjić (BMJ), and Grell–Freitas (GF), are used in winter simulations from 2001 to 2016. Results from seasonal simulations suggest that simulated AP winter rainfall with KF is in best agreement with observed rainfall in terms of spatial distribution and intensity. Higher spatial correlation coefficients and fewer biases with observations are also obtained with KF. In addition, the regional moisture transport, cloud distribution, and cloud microphysical responses are better simulated by KF. The AP low-level circulation, characterized by the Arabian anticyclone, is well captured by KF and BMJ, but its position is displaced in GF. KF is furthermore successful at simulating the moisture distribution in the lower atmosphere and atmospheric water plumes in the middle troposphere. The higher skill of rainfall simulation with the KF (and to some extent BMJ) is attributed to a better representation of the Arabian anticyclone and subtropical westerly jet, which guides the upper tropospheric synoptic transients and moisture. In addition, the vertical profile of diabatic heating from KF is in better agreement with the observations. Discrepancies in representing the diabatic heating profile by BMJ and GF show discrepancies in instability and in turn precipitation biases. Our results indicate that the selection of subgrid convective parameterization in a high-resolution atmospheric model over the AP is an important factor for accurate regional rainfall simulations.

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Section: B Vertical Distribution Of Cloud Microphysical Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating Cumulus Parameterization Schemes for the Simulation of Arabian Peninsula Winter Rainfall

Attada

Dasari

Kunchala

et al. 2020

Journal of Hydrometeorology

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“…1a). Following Gao et al (2016), the large mother domain (Domain 1), which covers most Asia continental areas, parts of the northern Indian Ocean and the northwestern Pacific Ocean, is designed to capture the interactions between the external large-scale environment and the regional weather systems over the TP in the nested domain (Fig. 1a).…”

Section: Model Description and Experimental Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical study on the climatic effect of the lake clusters over Tibetan Plateau in summer

Huang

Yang

et al. 2019

Clim Dyn

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The weather research and forecasting model including a one-dimensional thermal diffusion lake model is adopted to investigate the summer climatic effect of the lake clusters over Tibetan Plateau (TP) during 2008-2014 based on two experiments with and without the lakes. Overall, the model can reasonably reproduce the daily variations of lake surface temperature and the spatial patterns of 2 m air temperature (T 2m) and precipitation over TP during summer. Sensitivity results show that the effects of TP lakes on the over-lake T 2m and precipitation exhibit distinctive seasonal and diurnal features and strong space dependence. Generally, the TP lakes tend to cool the local T 2m and enhance the precipitation over the lake and surrounding areas. With the summer advances, the cooling effect of TP lakes weakens while the lake-induced enhancement of precipitation becomes more evident. During daytime, the TP lakes decrease the T 2m and suppress the short-duration (≤ 6 h) rainfall in afternoon. However, the TP lakes increase the T 2m and strengthen the convective rainfall over the lake and surrounding areas by simultaneously enhancing both short and long-duration (> 6 h) precipitation during nighttime. The lakes over the southeastern central TP (CTP) lead to slight warming and pronounced precipitation increases, while the other lakes in CTP mainly cause significant cooling and suppressed precipitation. Such opposite effects are mainly because the lakes over the western and northeastern CTP hardly produce nighttime warming and the associated circulation changes favorable for the convective precipitation as found over the southeastern CTP, suggesting that the climate effects of TP lakes may be modulated by the lake intrinsic features, local terrain distributions, and background atmospheric circulations.

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“…The occurring altitude of maximum depositional growth of ice crystals is only about 7-9 km (the second peak is at a higher level of 12 km, corresponding to the maximum mixing ratio of ice crystals). The reason is the presence of strong evaporation of cloud droplets at 7-9 km, which accelerates the deposition growth of ice crystals through the Bergeron process that has been elaborated by Gao et al (2016). The dominant source term of snow is the accretion of cloud droplets by snow particle (growth by riming) due to the plentiful supercooled cloud water.…”

Section: 1002/2017jd027812mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since the experiment provided unique in situ cloud physical measurements, this study is going to investigate the characteristics of cloud microphysics processes, especially the ice-phase processes in convective precipitation and attempt to understand how the rainfall over the TP is influenced by microphysics and water vapor. This is an extension of the works by Gao et al (2016). The Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences (CAMS) two-moment bulk microphysics with very high resolution (600-m grid spacing) is employed for the first time to explore the development of a summer convective event over the central TP.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Microphysical Properties of Convective Precipitation Over the Tibetan Plateau by a Subkilometer Resolution Cloud‐Resolving Simulation

Liu

2018

JGR Atmospheres

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The microphysical properties of convective precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau are unique because of the extremely high topography and special atmospheric conditions. In this study, the ground‐based cloud radar and disdrometer observations as well as high‐resolution Weather Research and Forecasting simulations with the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences microphysics and four other microphysical schemes are used to investigate the microphysics and precipitation mechanisms of a convection event on 24 July 2014. The Weather Research and Forecasting‐Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences simulation reasonably reproduces the spatial distribution of 24‐hr accumulated rainfall, yet the temporal evolution of rain rate has a delay of 1–3 hr. The model reflectivity shares the common features with the cloud radar observations. The simulated raindrop size distributions demonstrate more of small‐ and large‐size raindrops produced with the increase of rain rate, suggesting that changeable shape parameter should be used in size distribution. Results show that abundant supercooled water exists through condensation of water vapor above the freezing layer. The prevailing ice crystal microphysical processes are depositional growth and autoconversion of ice crystal to snow. The dominant source term of snow/graupel is riming of supercooled water. Sedimentation of graupel can play a vital role in the formation of precipitation, but melting of snow is rather small and quite different from that in other regions. Furthermore, water vapor budgets suggest that surface moisture flux be the principal source of water vapor and self‐circulation of moisture happen at the beginning of convection, while total moisture flux convergence determine condensation and precipitation during the convective process over the Tibetan Plateau.

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A study of cloud microphysics and precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau by radar observations and cloud‐resolving model simulations

Cited by 41 publications

References 54 publications

Evaluating Cumulus Parameterization Schemes for the Simulation of Arabian Peninsula Winter Rainfall

Evaluating Cumulus Parameterization Schemes for the Simulation of Arabian Peninsula Winter Rainfall

Numerical study on the climatic effect of the lake clusters over Tibetan Plateau in summer

The Microphysical Properties of Convective Precipitation Over the Tibetan Plateau by a Subkilometer Resolution Cloud‐Resolving Simulation

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