Do We Observe Aerosol Impacts on DSDs in Strongly Forced Tropical Thunderstorms?

May, Peter T.; Bringi, V. N.; Thurai, Merhala

doi:10.1175/2011jas3617.1

Cited by 52 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…This is likely associated with local atmospheric aerosols and/or moisture. Recently, May et al (2011) used polarimetric radar measurements to examine the effects of aerosols on DSDs of thunderstorms in Darwin. Their results showed that high aerosol concentrations could lead to a lower NW and higher Dm compared with low aerosol concentration conditions.…”

Section: Summary and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Statistical Characteristics of Raindrop Size Distribution in the Meiyu Season Observed in Eastern China

Chen

Yang

2013

Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan

153

191

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Characteristics of raindrop size distribution (DSD) during the Meiyu season are studied using ground-based disdrometer measurements carried out in eastern China (Nanjing) from 2009 to 2011. The observational spectra are divided into convective and stratiform types. The results show that the histograms of the logarithm of the generalized intercept parameter (log10NW) and mass-weighted mean diameter of raindrops (Dm) are negatively and positively skewed, respectively, for both convective and stratiform rain. The absolute value of the skewness coefficient is higher for convective rain than for stratiform rain, in particular for the log10NW distribution. The mean log10NW and Dm values are 3.80 and 1.71 mm for convective rain and 3.45 and 1.30 mm for stratiform rain, respectively. The shape (μ)̶slope (Λ) relationship of the gamma distribution and the radar reflectivity (Z)̶rain rate (R) relationship are also derived for convective rain. The Z̶R relationship is found to be Z = 368R 1.21 . The interpretation of the statistical parameters obtained in this study and possible mechanisms that yield difference and similarity in comparison with those in previous studies are discussed.

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Section: Summary and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Statistical Characteristics of Raindrop Size Distribution in the Meiyu Season Observed in Eastern China

Chen

Yang

2013

Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan

153

191

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“…Other more recent modeling and observational studies have shown that enhanced aerosol concentrations lead to fewer, larger raindrops in warm-phase (Altaratz et al 2008;Berg et al 2008;Saleeby et al 2010) and convective clouds (Storer et al 2010;May et al 2011;Lim et al 2011;Khain et al 2011;Storer and van den Heever 2013;Loftus and Cotton 2014). These studies attribute the larger raindrops to greater rain accretion rates due to higher cloud water contents in polluted clouds compared with clean clouds, as well as to the shedding and melting of larger hailstones.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Cold Pool and Precipitation Responses to Aerosol Loading: Modulation by Dry Layers

Grant

Heever

2015

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

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The relative sensitivity of midlatitude deep convective precipitation to aerosols and midlevel dry layers has been investigated in this study using high-resolution cloud-resolving model simulations. Nine simulations, including combinations of three moisture profiles and three aerosol number concentration profiles, were performed. Because of the veering wind profile of the initial sounding, the convection splits into a left-moving storm that is multicellular in nature and a right-moving storm, a supercell, which are analyzed separately.The results demonstrate that while changes to the moisture profile always induce larger changes in precipitation than do variations in aerosol concentrations, multicells are sensitive to aerosol perturbations whereas supercells are less so. The multicellular precipitation sensitivity arises through aerosol impacts on the cold pool forcing. It is shown that the altitude of the dry layer influences whether cold pools are stronger or weaker and hence whether precipitation increases or decreases with increasing aerosol concentrations. When the dry-layer altitude is located near cloud base, cloud droplet evaporation rates and hence latent cooling rates are greater with higher aerosol loading, which results in stronger low-level downdrafts and cold pools. However, when the dry-layer altitude is located higher above cloud base, the low-level downdrafts and cold pools are weaker with higher aerosol loading because of reduced raindrop evaporation rates. The changes to the cold pool strength initiate positive feedbacks that further modify the cold pool strength and subsequent precipitation totals. Aerosol impacts on deep convection are therefore found to be modulated by the altitude of the dry layer and to vary inversely with the storm organization.

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“…Only in the case of CE, where no flow direction is dominant, did R, D m , and N exhibit high values, which might indicate a high availability of both CCN and water content. May et al [89] reported a large number of small drops for high aerosol regimes, but an inverse relation between rain concentration and aerosol concentration in convective clouds. According to Cecchini et al [90], an increase in CCN leads to higher rain drop concentrations in stratiform rain, and larger rain droplets in convective rain.…”

Section: Rain Microstructurementioning

confidence: 99%

Rain Microstructure Parameters Vary with Large-Scale Weather Conditions in Lausanne, Switzerland

et al. 2018

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Rain properties vary spatially and temporally for several reasons. In particular, rain types (convective and stratiform) affect the rain drop size distribution (DSD). It has also been established that local weather conditions are influenced by large-scale circulations. However, the effect of these circulations on rain microstructures has not been sufficiently addressed. Based on DSD measurements from 16 disdrometers located in Lausanne, Switzerland, we present evidence that rain DSD differs among general weather patterns (GWLs). GWLs were successfully linked to significant variations in the rain microstructure characterized by the most important rain properties: rain intensity (R), mass weighted rain drop diameter (D m ), and rain drop concentration (N), as well as Z = AR b parameters. Our results highlight the potential to improve radar-based estimations of rain intensity, which is crucial for several hydrological and environmental applications.

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Do We Observe Aerosol Impacts on DSDs in Strongly Forced Tropical Thunderstorms?

Cited by 52 publications

References 34 publications

Statistical Characteristics of Raindrop Size Distribution in the Meiyu Season Observed in Eastern China

Statistical Characteristics of Raindrop Size Distribution in the Meiyu Season Observed in Eastern China

Cold Pool and Precipitation Responses to Aerosol Loading: Modulation by Dry Layers

Rain Microstructure Parameters Vary with Large-Scale Weather Conditions in Lausanne, Switzerland

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