An equilibrium cloud-resolving modeling study of diurnal variation of tropical rainfall

The diurnal variation of tropical rainfall is examined through the analysis of an equilibrium cloud-resolving model experiment. Model domain mean rain rate is defined as a product of rain intensity and fractional rainfall coverage. The diurnal variation of the mean rain rate is associated with that of fractional rainfall coverage because the diurnal variation of rain intensity is significantly weakened through the decrease in rainfall in early morning hours. The decrease in rainfall corresponds to the reduction in secondary circulations through the barotropic conversion from the perturbation kinetic energy to the mean kinetic energy under the imposed negative vertical gradient of westerly winds. The fractional rainfall coverage shows the diurnal signal with the maximum in the early morning hours primarily due to nocturnal infrared radiative cooling.     

Effects of vertical wind shear, radiation and ice microphysics on precipitation efficiency during a torrential rainfall event in China

The effects of vertical wind shear, radiation and ice microphysics on precipitation efficiency （PE） were investigated through analysis of modeling data of a torrential rainfall event over Jinan, China during July 2007. Vertical wind shear affected PE by changing the kinetic energy conversion between the mean and perturbation circulations. Clou~radiation interaction impacted upon PE, but the relationship related to cloud radiative effects on PE was not statistically significant. The reduction in deposition processes as- sociated with the removal of ice microphysics suppressed efficiency. The relationships related to effects of vertical wind shear, radiation and ice clouds on PEs defined in cloud and surface rainfall budgets were more statistically significant than that defined in the rain microphysical budget.     

Effects of vertical wind shear on convective development during a landfall of severe tropical storm Bilis (2006)

Effects of vertical wind shear on convective development during the landfall of tropical storm Bilis (2006) are investigated with a pair of sensitivity experiments using a two-dimensional cloud-resolving model. The validated simulation data from Wang et al. [Wang, D., Li, X., Tao, W.-K., Liu, Y., Zhou, H., 2009: Torrential rainfall processes associated with a landfall of severe tropical storm Bilis (2006): A two-dimensional cloud-resolving modeling study. Atmos. Res., 91, 94–104.] are used as the control experiment. The difference between the control and sensitivity experiments is that vertically varying zonal winds in the control experiment are replaced by their mass-weighted means in the sensitivity experiment. The imposed vertical velocity with ascending motion in the upper troposphere and descending motion in the lower troposphere is responsible for dominant stratiform rainfall on 15 July. The vertical wind shear does not have important impacts on development of stratiform rainfall. One day later, imposed upward motion extends to the lower troposphere. The inclusion of negative vertical wind shear produces well-organized convection and strong convective rainfall because it causes kinetic energy transfer from large-scale forcing to perturbation circulations.     

Diagnostic Study of Global Energy Cycle of the GRAPES Global Model in the Mixed Space-Time Domain

Some important diagnostic characteristics for a model’s physical background are reflected in the model’s energy transport, conversion, and cycle. Diagnosing the atmospheric energy cycle is a suitable way towards understanding and improving numerical models. In this study, formulations of the “Mixed Space-Time Domain”energy cycle are calculated and the roles of stationary and transient waves within the atmospheric energy cycle of the Global-Regional Assimilation and Prediction System （GRAPES） model are diagnosed and compared with the NCEP analysis data for July 2011. Contributions of the zonal-mean components of the energy cycle are investigated to explain the performance of numerical models. The results show that the GRAPES model has the capability to reproduce the main features of the global energy cycle as compared with the NCEP analysis. Zonal available potential energy （AZ） is converted into stationary eddy available potential energy （ASE） and transient eddy available potential energy （ATE）, and ASE and ATE have similar values. The nonlinear conversion between the two eddy energy terms is directed from the stationary to the transient. AZ becomes larger with increased forecast lead time, reflecting an enhancement of the meridional temperature gradient, which strengthens the zonal baroclinic processes and makes the conversion from AZ to eddy potential energy larger, especially for CAT （conversion from AZ to ATE）. The zonal kinetic energy （KZ） has a similar value to the sum of the stationary and transient eddy kinetic energy. Barotropic conversions are directed from eddy to zonal kinetic energy. The zonal conversion from AZ to KZ in GRAPES is around 1.5 times larger than in the NCEP analysis. The contributions of zonal energy cycle components show that transient eddy kinetic energy （KTE） is associated with the Southern Hemisphere subtropical jet and the conversion from KZ to KTE reduces in the upper tropopause near 30？S. The nonlinear barotropic conversion between stationary     

The transfer of physical quantities in QDPO and its relation to the interaction between the NH and SH Circulations

Based on the 1979 FGGE Level III b data, calculation is made of the transfer of sensible and latent heat and momentum due to a quasi-40-day periodic oscillation (QDPO) on a cross-equatorial meridional ver-tical cross-section, and analysis is done of the characteristics of the transfer at all phases of QDPO, with the following results obtained:1) During the monsoon’s QDPO activation and break phases, a strong transfer of sensible heat to the SH is felt in the upper troposphere over the Asian monsoon region; the conversion of perturbation effective potential into its kinetic energy attains its maximum at 500-300 hPa (15oN), serving as the source of kinetic energy for the quasi-40-day periodic perturbation; an intense transfer of potential energy is found above 200 hPa from the monsoon area to the SH to maintain the QDPO at the tropical latitudes;2) During the QDPO activation-break (and reverse) transitional phase the conversion of perturbation effective potential into kinetic energy reaches its maximum in the middle and lower troposphere over the SH middle latitudes and an appreciable lower transfer of potential energy occurs towards the SH tropical latitudes and the NH.3) The upper-tropospheric powerful transfer of westerly momentum caused by QDPO is discovered from the SH tropical latitudes to the NH, and the resulting momentum divergence and convergence are unfavorable for the maintenance of the seasonal mean fields of the NH tropical easterly and SH subtropical westerly winds.Finally possible synoptical processes responsible for QDPO are discussed together with its relation to the interaction between the circulations of both the hemispheres. It is found that QDPO is both the result of and medium for the interaction.     

鄱阳湖地区复杂地表条件下一次强降水过程的近地面边界层特征

使用鄱阳湖北部70 m气象塔湍流和梯度观测数据,分析了2011年6月6日夜间一次暴雨过程中近地面边界层特征.结果表明,此次过程是在高空低槽和西南急流的天气背景下,受鄱阳湖复杂地表影响产生的局地性强降水.强降水发生前受东南暖平流影响,近地面边界层中水汽累积,不稳定性增加;强降水过程中,近地层感热、潜热通量迅速增加,同时,近地面层湍流动量通量下传和水平输送增加,鄱阳湖的水汽输送加强降水强度.另外,强降水过程中,近地面湍流动能迅速增大并达到最大值,而平均动能的增大发生在强降水结束后,表明地表作用明显,近地面边界层的湍流场为暴雨提供动力条件.尺度分析表明,强降水前,中尺度动量通量占主要地位,降水过程中湍流动量通量显著加强.     

南半球500hPa月平均场谱物理量的气候特征

本文利用南半球500hPa多年（1972年5月至1987年12月）逐月高度场资料，在地转近似条件下，计算了500hPa高度场的各谱物理量，包括月平均环流场、纬向动能谱、经向动能谱、扰动角动量输送以及扰动动能向平均动能转换率。分析了它们的气候特征，发现谱物理量前3波的分布基本上决定了其总体分布，优势域的位置和强度随季节的变化较显著。     

GOALS模式中大气能量循环的诊断分析与不同版本计算结果的比较研究

利用大气能量循环框图,对比分析中国科学院大气物理研究所大气科学与地球流体力学数值模拟国家重点实验室(LASG/IAP)全球海-陆-气耦合系统模式(GOALS)两个版本(GOALS-2和GOALS-4),以及观测的全球平均大气能量循环的主要特征,并从能量循环贮蓄和转换项的纬向平均贡献去解释全球积分值改善和转坏的原因,以及诊断分析参数化方案变化后产生的影响.结果表明:模式的两个版本基本上能正确地模拟出全球能量循环的主要特征.旧版本GOALS-2能较好模拟全球积分值,常常是不同符号局地误差的相互抵消结果.新版本GOALS-4中某种局地过程的改善在一些情况下导致了全球积分值的转坏.引入辐射日变化参数化方案可能对能量循环各参数的局地贡献有着明显的影响.如纬向平均有效位能向瞬变涡动有效位能的斜压转换率、瞬变涡动有效位能向瞬变涡动动能的斜压转换率以及定常涡动动能的局地贡献有明显改善.南极地区不合实际的上升运动,是模拟的纬向平均有效位能与纬向平均动能之间的转换项全球积分值为负数的主要原因.     

A cloud-resolving modeling study of short-term surface rainfall processes

The short-term tropical surface rainfall processes in rainfall regions (raining stratiform and convective regions) and rainfall-free regions (non-raining stratiform and clear-sky regions) are investigated based on the hourly data from a two-dimensional cloud-resolving model simulation. The model is integrated over a 21-day period with imposed zonally uniform vertical velocity, zonal wind, horizontal temperature and vapor advection, and sea surface temperature from the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE). The analysis of the model domain-mean surface rainfall budget reveals that surface rainfall is mainly associated with water vapor convergence and local atmospheric drying. The mean surface rainfall lags the mean water vapor convergence by 3?h. The convective?Cstratiform rainfall separation analysis shows that convective rainfall is associated with water vapor convergence, whereas stratiform rainfall is related to the local atmospheric drying and hydrometeor loss/convergence. The transport of water vapor from rainfall-free regions to rainfall regions creates the main water vapor source for rainfall while it balances local atmospheric drying in rainfall-free regions. Surface evaporation plays a minor role in short-term surface rainfall processes.     

THE EFFECTS OF TOPOGRAPHY ON THE SUMMER ATMOS-PHERIC ENERGETICS OF THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE IN A LOW-RESOLUTION GLOBAL SPECTRAL MODEL

An analysis is made of the effects of topography on the summer atmospheric energetics of the Northern Hemisphere in a low-resolution global spectral model. The numerical model is a global, spectral, primitive equation model with five equally spaced sigma levels in the vertical and triangular truncation at wavenumber 10 in the horizontal. The model includes comparatively full physical processes.Each term of the energy budget equations is calculated in four specific latitudinal belts (81.11°S-11.53°S; 11.53°S-11.53°N; 11.53°N-46.24°N; 46.24°N-81.11°N) from a five-year simulation with mountains and a one-year simulation without mountains, respectively. Differences between them are compared and statistically tested. The results show that synoptical scale waves transport available potential energy and kinetic energy to long waves and increase conversion from available potential energy of the zonal flow to eddy’s and from the eddy kinetic energy to the zonal kinetic energy in region 3 (11.53°N-46.24°N) due to mountains; topography intensifies the atmospheric baroclinity in region 3, consequently the baroclinic conversion of atmosphere energy is increased. The seasonal characteristics associated with the summer atmospheric energy source in region 3 are caused by seasonal variation of the solar radiation and the land-ocean contrasts and independent of topographic effects. The mechanism of topographic effects on the increase of long wave kinetic energy is also discussed.     

The effects of topography on the summer atmospheric energetics of the Northern Hemisphere in a low-resolution global spectral model

An analysis is made of the effects of topography on the summer atmospheric energetics of the Northern Hemisphere in a low-resolution global spectral model. The numerical mode! is a global, spectral, primitive equation model with five equally spaced sigma levels in the vertical and triangular truncation at wavenumber 10 in the horizontal. The model includes comparatively full physical processes. Each term of the energy budget equations is calculated in four specific latitudinal belts (81.11°S–11.53°S; 11.53°S–11.53°N; 11.53°N–46.24°N; 46.24°N–81.11°N) from a five-year simulation with mountains and a one-year simulation without mountains, respectively. Differences between them are compared and statistically tested. The results show that synoptical scale waves transport available potential energy and kinetic energy to long waves and increase conversion from available potential energy of the zonal flow to eddy's and from the eddy kinetic energy to the zonal kinetic energy in region 3 (11.53°N-46.24°N) due to mountains; topography intensifies the atmospheric baroclinity in region 3, consequently the baroclinic conversion of atmosphere energy is increased. The seasonal characteristics associated with the summer atmospheric energy source in region 3 are caused by seasonal variation of the solar radiation and the land-ocean contrasts and independent of topographic effects. The mechanism of topographic effects on the increase of long wave kinetic energy is also discussed.     

纬圈平均大气运动特征的振动

本文考虑高度非线性的大气中期运动是一种准涡旋运动,引用了准涡旋观点和方法来处理二维无辐散和三维运动方程,即在开始时保留涡旋项,而在对方程进行纬圈平均后,去掉一些涡旋项,得到了某些大气运动特征如西风指数、纬向动量和涡度的经向输送的纬圈平均值等的变化或摆动的振动方程,并求出谐波解。振动周期决定于经向动能二倍的纬圈平均值的平方根(v~2)~(1/2)。基本周期约二十天左右。 所得结果可能对极端复杂的大气运动总有出现中期振动的趋势和精致设计的圆盘模拟实验出现摆动的事实,提供某种程度的动力学解释,同时也可能对中期预报的实践提供一些依据。 本文的主要科学目的,是想指出对极端复杂的大气中期过程还是可能用线性理论来研究其某些特征的。     

A Modeling Study of Surface Rainfall Processes Associated with a Torrential Rainfall Event over Hubei, China, during July 2007

The surface rainfall processes associated with the torrential rainfall event over Hubei,China,during July 2007 were investigated using a two-dimensional cloud-resolving model.The model integrated the large-scale vertical velocity and zonal wind data from National Centers for Environmental Prediction(NCEP)/Global Data Assimilation System(GDAS) for 5 days.The time and model domain mean surface rain rate was used to identify the onset,mature,and decay periods of rainfall.During the onset period,the descending motion data imposed in the lower troposphere led to a large contribution of stratiform rainfall to the model domain mean surface rainfall.The local atmospheric drying and transport of rain from convective regions mainly contributes to the stratiform rainfall.During the mature periods,the ascending motion data integrated into the model was so strong that water vapor convergence was the dominant process for both convective and stratiform rainfall.Both convective and stratiform rainfalls made important contributions to the model domain mean surface rainfall.During the decay period,descending motion data input into the model prevailed,making stratiform rainfall dominant.Stratiform rainfall was mainly caused by the water vapor convergence over raining stratiform regions.     

An Analysis of Thermally-Related Surface Rainfall Budgets Associated with Convective and Stratiform Rainfall

Both water vapor and heat processes play key roles in producing surface rainfall.While the water vapor effects of sea surface temperature and cloud radiative and microphysical processes on surface rainfall have been investigated in previous studies,the thermal effects on rainfall are analyzed in this study using a series of two-dimensional equilibrium cloud-resolving model experiments forced by zonally-uniform,constant,large-scale zonal wind and zero large-scale vertical velocity.The analysis of thermally-related surface rainfall budget reveals that the model domain mean surface rain rate is primarily associated with the mean infrared cooling rate.Convective rainfall and transport of hydrometeor concentration from convective regions to raining stratiform regions corresponds to the heat divergence over convective regions,whereas stratiform rainfall corresponds to the transport of hydrometeor concentration from convective regions and heat divergence over raining stratiform regions.The heat divergence over convective regions is mainly balanced by the heat convergence over rainfall-free regions,which is,in turn,offset by the radiative cooling over rainfall-free regions.The sensitivity experiments of rainfall to the effects of sea surface temperature and cloud radiative and microphysical processes show that the sea surface temperature and cloud processes affect convective rainfall through the changes in infrared cooling rate over rainfall-free regions and transport rate of heat from convective regions to rainfall-free regions.     

INTERACTION BETWEEN TROPICAL CYCLONE AND MEIYU FRONT

Generally speaking,the convection activities are inactive over western Pacific warm pool andtropical cyclone(TC)activity seldom occurs over the offshore of East Asia during the period ofMeiyu rainfall.However,if a TC is active in this area,the Meiyu rainfall will often weaken or endup.Based on a statistical study with the data from 1980 to 1995,it is found that about 91% of 23TC activities affected the intensity of Meiyu rainfall,and 50% of the end-up of Meiyu events wererelated to the active TCs and the change of subtropical high.The present paper simulates the effectof TC on Meiyu circulation by using MM4 model,and the results agree with the observations.From the point of view of vapor and energy transport,the landing of TC cuts not only thetransport of the water vapor to Changjiang-Huaihe River basin from the Bay of Bengal but also theconversion of the mean flow energy to the Meiyu circulation because of the TC forcing to the zonalcirculation.These two effects make the convection and perturbation existing in Meiyu region lackthe supply of the vapor and energy for their maintenance and lead to the end of Meiyu rainfall.     

INTERACTION BETWEEN TROPICAL CYCLONE AND MEIYU FRONT*

Generally speaking,the convection activities are inactive over western Pacific warm pool and tropical cyclone (TC) activity seldom occurs over the offshore of East Asia during the period of Meiyu rainfall.However,if a TC is active in this area,the Meiyu rainfall will often weaken or end up.Based on a statistical study with the data from 1980 to 1995,it is found that about 91% of 23 TC activities affected the intensity of Meiyu rainfall,and 50% of the end-up of Meiyu events were related to the active TCs and the change of subtropical high.The present paper simulates the effect of TC on Meiyu circulation by using MM4 model,and the results agree with the observations.From the point of view of vapor and energy transport,the landing of TC cuts not only the transport of the water vapor to Changjiang-Huaihe River basin from the Bay of Bengal but also the conversion of the mean flow energy to the Meiyu circulation because of the TC forcing to the zonal circulation.These two effects make the convection and perturbation existing in Meiyu region lack the supply of the vapor and energy for their maintenance and lead to the end of Meiyu rainfall.     

The regional forcing of Northern hemisphere drought during recent warm tropical west Pacific Ocean La Niña events

Northern Hemisphere circulations differ considerably between individual El Niño-Southern Oscillation events due to internal atmospheric variability and variation in the zonal location of sea surface temperature forcing over the tropical Pacific Ocean. This study examines the similarities between recent Northern Hemisphere droughts associated with La Niña events and anomalously warm tropical west Pacific sea surface temperatures during 1988–1989, 1998–2000, 2007–2008 and 2010–2011 in terms of the hemispheric-scale circulations and the regional forcing of precipitation over North America and Asia during the cold season of November through April. The continental precipitation reductions associated with recent central Pacific La Niña events were most severe over North America, eastern Africa, the Middle East and southwest Asia. High pressure dominated the entire Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes and weakened and displaced storm tracks northward over North America into central Canada. Regionally over North America and Asia, the position of anomalous circulations within the zonal band of mid-latitude high pressure varied between each La Niña event. Over the northwestern and southeastern United States and southern Asia, the interactions of anomalous circulations resulted in consistent regional temperature advection, which was subsequently balanced by similar precipitation-modifying vertical motions. Over the central and northeastern United States, the spatial variation of anomalous circulations resulted in modest inter-seasonal temperature advection variations, which were balanced by varying vertical motion and precipitation patterns. Over the Middle East and eastern Africa, the divergence of moisture and the advection of dry air due to anomalous circulations enhanced each of the droughts.     

Main Energy Paths and Energy Cascade Processes of the Two Types of Persistent Heavy Rainfall Events over the Yangtze River–Huaihe River Basin

Two types of persistent heavy rainfall events(PHREs) over the Yangtze River–Huaihe River Basin were determined in a recent statistical study: type A, whose precipitation is mainly located to the south of the Yangtze River; and type B, whose precipitation is mainly located to the north of the river. The present study investigated these two PHRE types using a newly derived set of energy equations to show the scale interaction and main energy paths contributing to the persistence of the precipitation. The main results were as follows. The available potential energy(APE) and kinetic energy(KE) associated with both PHRE types generally increased upward in the troposphere, with the energy of the type-A PHREs stronger than that of the type-B PHREs(except for in the middle troposphere). There were two main common and universal energy paths of the two PHRE types:(1) the baroclinic energy conversion from APE to KE was the dominant energy source for the evolution of large-scale background circulations; and(2) the downscaled energy cascade processes of KE and APE were vital for sustaining the eddy flow, which directly caused the PHREs. The significant differences between the two PHRE types mainly appeared in the lower troposphere, where the baroclinic energy conversion associated with the eddy flow in type-A PHREs was from KE to APE, which reduced the intensity of the precipitation-related eddy flow; whereas, the conversion in type-B PHREs was from APE to KE, which enhanced the eddy flow.     

Gustiness and coherent structure under weak wind period in atmospheric boundary layer

Statistical analysis of turbulent and gusty characteristics in the atmospheric boundary layer under weak wind period has been carried out.The data used in the analysis were from the multilevel ultrasonic anemometer-thermometers at 47 m,120 m,and 280 m levels on Beijing 325 m meteorological tower.The time series of 3D atmospheric velocity were analyzed by using conventional Fourier spectral analysis and decompose into three parts:basic mean flow(period 10 min),gusty disturbances(1 min period 10 min)and turbulence fluctuations(period 1 min).The results show that under weak mean wind condition:1)the gusty disturbances are the most strong fluctuations,contribute about 60% kinetic energy of eddy kinetic energy and 80% downward flux of momentum,although both the eddy kinetic energy and momentum transport are small in comparison with those in strong mean wind condition;2)the gusty wind disturbances are anisotropic;3)the gusty wind disturbances have obviously coherent structure,and their horizontal and vertical component are negatively correlated and make downward transport of momentum more effectively;4)the friction velocities related to turbulence and gusty wind are approximately constant with height in the surface layer.     

Application of the Energy-Casimir Method to the Study of Mesoscale Disturbance Stability

Taking into account the effect of moisture, we derive a three-dimensional pseudoenergy wave-activity relation for moist atmosphere from the primitive zonal momentum and total energy equations in Cartesian coordinates by using the energy-Casimir method. In the derivation, a Casimir function is introduced, which is a single-wlue function of virtual potential temperature. Since the pseudoenergy wave-activity relation is constructed in the ageostrophic and nonhydrostatic dynamical framework, it may be applicable to diagnosing the stability of mesoscale disturbance systems in a steady-stratified atmosphere. The theoretical analysis shows that the wave-activity relation takes a nonconservative form in which the pseudoenergy wave-activity density is composed of perturbation kinetic energy, available potential energy, and buoyant energy. The local change of pseudoenergy wave-activity density depends on the combined effects of zonal basic flow shear, Coriolis force work and wave-activity source or sink as well as wave-activity flux divergence. The diagnosis shows that horizontal distribution and temporal trend of pseudoenergy wave-activity density are similar to those of the observed 6-h accumulated surface rainfall. This suggests that the pseudoenergy wave-activity density is capable of representing the dynamical and thermodynamic features of mesoscale precipitable systems in the mid-lower troposphere, so it is closely related to the observed surface rainfall. The calculation of the terms in the wave-activity relation reveals that the wave-activity flux divergence shares a similar temporal trend with the local change of pseudoenergy wave-activity density and the observed surface rainfall. Although the terms of zonal basic flow shear and Coriolis force contribute to the local change of pseudoenergy wave-activity density, the contribution from the wave-activity flux divergence is much more significant.