A MESO-α SCALE STUDY OF MEIYU FRONT HEAVY RAIN——PART I:OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES

Jn this paper, the data collected during the Mesoscale Weather Experiments in East China are utilized to study the meso-a scale rain-bands of meiyu front heavy rain, its structural features as well as the mechanism of its development. It has been revealed that the precipitation band during the meiyu season is in the shape of ribbon, which is parallel to the surface quasi-stationary front. Sometimes two meso-a scale rain-bands are present. The meso-a scale rain-band is associated with meso-a scale convergence line. As shown by the two dimentional disturbance circulation, calculated through band-pass filtering, the single rain-band is quite different from the double rain-bands. The former is, to some extent, akin to the frontogenetical circulation in the vicinity of the high- and low-level frontal zones; the latter features roller-like circulations at middle and low-levels with their axes parallel to the rain-bands while at higher levels they run in the opposite direction. This kind of disturbance may be     

A MESO-α-SCALE STUDY OF MEIYU FRONT HEAVY RAIN-PART II:THE DYNAMICAL ANALYSIS OF RAIN-BAND DISTURBANCE

The alternating change of the two meiyu front rain-bands caused by the alternating change between the moist potential vorticities is discussed. The main factors of the change of moist potential vorticity are the vertical and horizontal divergence of moist potential vorticity flux as well as the vertical transport caused by the cumulus mass flux. Also discussed is the possibility that the WAVE-CISK conditional symmetric instability in the baroclinic moist atmosphere leads to the forming of the double rain-bands and their roller-shaped circulation features. Theoretical analyses show that the latitudinal disturbance scale-selection by the primitive moisture model of the latent heat release in cumulus convection depends on the stratification instability parameter (Ri number) and viscous coefficient of eddy.     

AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF THE MESO-β SCALE MOVING SYSTEMS IN THE MEIYU FRONT

The new concept and analysis method for the rainfall peak are introduced in this paper,and an obser-vational study of a heavy rain case in the Meiyu front has been made with finer radiosonde and precipitationdata.It has found in this case that there are a lot of meso-β scale systems associated with the rainfall peaksin the Meiyu front.Meso-β scale systems can be divided into two kinds,i.e.,the moving and standing types.The moving type is characterized by the unstable gravity wave and has a path corresponding to the meso-α scalerain belts in the direction.The discussion about the meso-β systems is made by using the symmetric andtransversal wave instability theory.     

EVOLUTION FEATURES OF MULTI-SCALE WAVE-INTENSITY AND ITS COHERENCE DURING TORRENTIAL RAIN PROCESS*

In this paper the Morlet complex wavelet munction was applied to analyze the evolution features of multi-scale wave-intensity during a torrential rain process.Separating the suhsynoptic scale system on temperature of black body(TBB) fields during a torrential rain process over the Middle and Lower Reaches of Changjiang River in the last dekad of July 1998,the evolution of multi-scale wave-intensity can be expressed by wavelet modules,and its coherence was investigated with the cross spectrum between the multi-scale waves.The results show that the process of the accumulation and release on the energy of meso-β scale system was shown in the torrential rain process,and the meso-α scale system had an interference effect on the meso-β system in a shorter period.     

A New Mechanism of Convective Cell Regeneration and Development Within a Two-Dimensional Multicell Storm

In this study, based on simulations of a two-dimensional multicell storm under a ground-layer upshear （Uz〈0） by a mesoscale numerical model, a new mechanism of cell regeneration and development within the multicell storm at the ＂less than optimal shear＂ state.is proposed. In the presence of a ground-layer upshear, the circulation associated with the surface cold pool is not counteracted by that associated with the ambient wind sl~ear, and the density current extends out faster, making the multicell storm stay at the ＂less than optimal shear＂ state. As a result, a new cell is triggered by the strong vertical perturbation ahead of the mature convection, rather than by the split-up from the updraft at the leading edge of the surface cold pool as well as the gust front. The latter is the mechanism at the ＂optimal＂ state proposed by Lin et al. in 1998. In the new mechanism, the regenerated cell grows fast with the incident warm moist air from the upstream of the multicell storm, and tends to cut off the moist airflow into the mature convection at its western sector. Consequently, the mature convection would weaken, be replaced, and eventually decay. Actually, these two different mechanisms come into play in a way depending on the relationship between the circulation of the low-level shear and that of the cold pool. When the circulation of the cold pool is stronger than that of the wind shear, the multicell storm is at the ＂less than optimal shear＂ state, and the new convective cell is produced by the disturbance ahead of the mature cell. When the circulation of the cold pool is weaker, the cell regeneration is dominated by the mechanism at the ＂optimal＂ state, and the new cell is split from the gust front updraft. Therefore, these two mechanisms are not contradictive. With a moderate ground-layer upshear, they can alternately operate within a multicell storm.     

Numerical Simulation on Development Mechanism of Meso-βScale Flow Field During a Heavy Rain Process in Henan Area

Numerical simulation of a heavy rainfall case in Henan area during 16-17 July 2004 is performed using the LASG (State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modelling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics) mesoscale model AREM (Advanced Regional Eta Model) developed by Yu (1989) and Yu et al. (1994). The results are shown: the air in the middle part of troposphere within the horizontal range of meso-βscale convective system is heated by condensation latent heat. The isobaric surface in the middle and upper part of troposphere is rising, and thus meso-βscale high is formed; the isobaric surface in the lower part of troposphere is depressed, and thus meso-βscale low is formed. The interaction between the high and low layer flow promotes the strong development of the vertical motion. While the rising motion is developing strongly, obvious compensation sinking motion appears around it. In the south of rising motion region, the divergence current in the upper part of troposphere backflows towards south, which leads to the vertical circulation appearing in the upper part of troposphere. The sinking branch of the circulation integrates in the compensation sinking air current in the south of rising motion region and takes the horizontal momentum of upper air to the lower part of troposphere and forms a new meso-βscale jet. In the north of the rising motion region, a mesoscale vertical circulation develops in the low layer of troposphere. The divergence current of the sinking branch of the circulation, which flows southward, converges with warm and humid air current in the low layer of troposphere which flows from southwest, and forms a meso-βscale convergence line. Then it strengthens the convergence over the low level of heavy rain area. In the east of the rising motion region, a mesoscale vertical circulation also develops in low layer of troposphere. The divergence current of the sinking branch of the circulation, which flows westward, causes originally more consistent southwest air current in this region to the east deflection, and thus forms the cyclone curve in the southwest air current. The convergence is further strengthened in the meso-βscale convergence line. The strong development of ageostrophic vorticity in the lower part of troposphere is the important factor of the formation of the meso-βscale cyclone. At last the three-dimensional structure chart of development of heavy rain meso-βscale stream filed is given.     

Numerical Simulation on Development Mechanism of Meso- Scale Flow Field During a Heavy Rain Process in Henan Area

Numerical simulation of a heavy rainfall case in Henan area during 16-17 July 2004 is performed using the LASG (State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modelling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics) mesoscale model AREM (Advanced Regional Eta Model) developed by Yu (1989) and Yu et al. (1994). The results are shown: the air in the middle part of troposphere within the horizontal range of meso-βscale convective system is heated by condensation latent heat. The isobaric surface in the middle and upper part of troposphere is rising, and thus meso-βscale high is formed; the isobaric surface in the lower part of troposphere is depressed, and thus meso-βscale low is formed. The interaction between the high and low layer flow promotes the strong development of the vertical motion. While the rising motion is developing strongly, obvious compensation sinking motion appears around it. In the south of rising motion region, the divergence current in the upper part of troposphere back lows towards south, which leads to the vertical circulation appearing in the upper part of troposphere. The sinking branch of the circulation integrates in the compensation sinking air current in the south of rising motion region and takes the horizontal momentum of upper air to the lower part of troposphere and forms a new meso-βscale jet. In the north of the rising motion region, a mesoscale vertical circulation develops in the low layer of troposphere. The divergence current of the sinking branch of the circulation, which flows southward, converges with warm and humid air current in the low layer of troposphere which flows from southwest, and forms a meso-βscale convergence line. Then it strengthens the convergence over the low level of heavy rain area. In the east of the rising motion region, a mesoscale vertical circulation also develops in low layer of troposphere. The divergence current of the sinking branch of the circulation, which flows westward, causes originally more consistent southwest air current in this region to the east deflection, and thus forms the cyclone curve in the southwest air current. The convergence is further strengthened in the meso-βscale convergence line.The strong development of ageostrophic vorticity in the lower part of troposphere is the important factor of the formation of the meso-βscale cyclone. At last the three-dimensional structure chart of development of heavy rain meso-βscale stream filed is given.     

A study on the physical processes of the formation of the ENSO cycle

The physical processes involved in the formation of the ENSO cycle,as well as the possible roles of the Hadley circulation （HC）,Walker circulation （WC）,and the propagating waves of the Southern Oscillation/Northern Oscillation （SO/NO） in its formation,were studied using composite and regression methods.The analysis showed that the convection and heat release triggered by ENSO in the central-eastern equatorial Pacific are the primary drivers for the 3-5 year cycle of the HC,WC and the meridional/zonal circulation.The HC plays a key role in the influence of ENSO on the circulation outside the tropics through angular momentum transportation.Meanwhile,the feedback effects of the anomalous circulation in the mid-high latitudes on ENSO are accomplished by the propagating waves of SO/NO associated with the evolutions of HC and WC.These propagating waves are the main agents of the connections among the meridional/zonal circulation outside the tropics,the Asian/Australian monsoon,the anomalous easterly/westerly winds over the tropical Pacific,and ENSO events.It was found that the 3-5 year cycle of the meridional/zonal circulation forced by ENSO is quite different from the several-week variation of the circulation index triggered by the inner dynamic processes of the atmosphere.The former occurs at the global scale with a definite flow pattern,while the latter occurs only in a wide area without a definite flow pattern.Finally,a physical model for the formation of the ENSO cycle composed of two fundamental processes at the basin and global scale,respectively,is proposed.     

Adjoint Sensitivity Experiments of a Meso-β-scale Vortex in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River

A relatively independent and small-scale heavy rainfall event occurred to the south of a slow eastwardmoving meso-α-scale vortex. The analysis shows that a meso-β-scale system is heavily responsible for the intense precipitation. An attempt to simulate it met with some failures. In view of its small scale, short lifetime and relatively sparse observations at the initial time, an adjoint model was used to examine the sensitivity of the meso-β-scale vortex simulation with respect to initial conditions. The adjoint sensitivity indicates how small perturbations of initial model variables anywhere in the model domain can influence the central vorticity of the vortex. The largest sensitivity for both the wind and temperature perturbation is located below 700 hPa, especially at the low level. The largest sensitivity for the water vapor perturbation is located below 500 hPa, especially at the middle and low levels. The horizontal adjoint sensitivity for all variables is mainly located toward the upper reaches of the Yangtze River with respect to the simulated meso-β-scale system in Hunan and Jiangxi provinces with strong locality. The sensitivity shows that warm cyclonic perturbations in the upper reaches can have a great effect on the development of the meso-β-scale vortex. Based on adjoint sensitivity, forward sensitivity experiments were conducted to identify factors influencing the development of the meso-β-scale vortex and to explore ways of improving the prediction. A realistic prediction was achieved by using adjoint sensitivity to modify the initial conditions and implanting a warm cyclone at the initial time in the upper reaches of the river with respect to the meso-β-scale vortex, as is commonly done in tropical cyclone prediction.     

THE EFFECT OF EQUATORIAL CENTRAL PACIFIC SSTAS ON THE INTERANNUAL VARIATION OF PRECIPITATION OVER SOUTHWEST CHINA DURING SPRING

The interannual variations of rainfall over southwest China (SWC) during spring and its relationship with sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in the Pacific are analyzed, based on monthly mean precipitation data from 26 stations in SWC between 1961 and 2010, NCEP/NCAR re-analysis data, and Hadley global SST data. Sensitivity tests are conducted to assess the response of precipitation in SWC to SSTAs over two key oceanic domains, using the global atmospheric circulation model ECHAM5. The interannual variation of rainfall over SWC in spring is very significant. There are strong negative (positive) correlation coefficients between the anomalous precipitation over SWC and SSTAs over the equatorial central Pacific (the mid-latitude Pacific) during spring. Numerical simulations show that local rainfall in the northwest of the equatorial central Pacific is suppressed, and a subtropical anticyclone circulation anomaly is produced, while a cyclonic circulation anomaly in the mid-latitude western Pacific occurs, when the equatorial Pacific SSTAs are in a cold phase in spring. Anomalous northerly winds appear in the northeastern part of SWC in the lower troposphere. Precipitation increases over the Maritime Continent of the western equatorial Pacific, while a cyclonic circulation anomaly appears in the northwest of the western equatorial Pacific. A trough over the Bay of Bengal enhances the southerly flow in the south of SWC. The trough also enhances the transport of moisture to SWC. The warm moisture intersects with anomalous cold air over the northeast of SWC, and so precipitation increases during spring. On the interannual time scale, the impacts of the mid-latitude Pacific SSTAs on rainfall in SWC during spring are not significant, because the mid-latitude Pacific SSTAs are affected by the equatorial central Pacific SSTAs; that is, the mid-latitude Pacific SSTAs are a feedback to the circulation anomaly caused by the equatorial central Pacific SSTAs.     

青藏高原上中尺度对流系统(MCS)的数值模拟

A mesoscale convective system (MCS) developing over the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau on 26 July 1995 issimulated using the fifth version of the Penn State-NCAR nonhydrostatic mesoscale model (MM5). Theresults obtained are inspiring and are as follows. (1) The model simulates well the largescale conditionsin which the MCS concerned is embedded, which are the well-known anticyclonic Qinghai-Xizang PlateauHigh in the upper layers and the strong thermal forcing in the lower layers. In particular, the modelcaptures the meso-α scale cyclonic vortex associated with the MCS, which can be analyzed in the 500 hPaobservational winds; and to some degree, the model reproduces even its meso-β scale substructure similarto satellite images, reflected in the model-simulated 400 hPa rainwater. On the other hand, there aresome distinct deficiencies in the simulation; for example, the simulated MCS occurs with a lag of 3 hoursand a westward deviation of 3-5° longitude. (2) The structure and evolution of the meso-α scale vortexassociated with the MCS are undescribable for upper-air sounding data. The vortex is confined to thelower troposphere under 450 hPa over the plateau and shrinks its extent with height, with a diameter of4° longitude at 500 hPa. It is within the updraft area, but with an upper-level anticyclone and downdraftover it. The vortex originates over the plateau, and does not form until the mature stage of the MCS. Itlasts for 3-6 hours. In its processes of both formation and decay, the change in geopotential height fieldis prior to that in the wind field. It follows that the vortex is closely associated with the thermal effectsover the plateau. (3) A series of sensitivity experiments are conducted to investigate the impact of varioussurface thermal forcings and other physical processes on the MCS over the plateau. The results indicatethat under the background conditions of the upper-level Qinghai-Xizang High, the MCS involved is mainlydominated by the low-level thermal forcing. The simulation described here is a good indication that itmay be possible to reproduce the MCS over the plateau under certain large-scale conditions and with theincorporation of proper thermal physics in the lower layers.     

Transient Characteristics of Residual Meridional Circulation during Stratospheric Sudden Warming

The residual meridional circulation derived from the transformed Eulerian-mean thermodynamic equation and continuity equation can be separated into two parts,the slowly varying diabatic circulation and the transient circulation,as demonstrated by others.We calculated and composite-analyzed the transient and diabatic circulation for 14 stratospheric sudden warming(SSW) events from 1979-2002 by using the daily ECMWF reanalysis data.Specifically,the transient residual meridional circulation was calculated both with and without inclusion of the eddy heat transport term in the transformed Eulerian-mean thermodynamic equation to investigate the importance of the eddy heat transport term.The results showed that calculations of transient residual meridional circulation present rapid variations during SSWs,with or without inclusion of the eddy heat transport term.Although the patterns of transient residual meridional circulation with the eddy heat transport term were similar to that without the eddy heat transport term during SSW,the magnitudes in the upper stratosphere and high-latitude regions differed.As for the diabatic circulation,its daily variations were small during SSW events,and its patterns were in agreement with its monthly average.     

A Case Study of the Initiation of Parallel Convective Lines Back-Building from the South Side of a Mei-yu Front over Complex Terrain

Parallel back-building convective lines are often observed extending to the southwest of some mesoscale convective systems(MCSs)embedded in the mei-yu front in China.The convective lines with echo training behavior can quickly develop into a stronger convective group of echoes,resulting in locally heavy rainfall within the mei-yu front rainband.The initiation mechanism of the back-building convective lines is still unclear and is studied based on high-resolution numerical simulation of a case that occurred during 27?28 June 2013.In the present case,the new convection along the convective lines was found to be forced by nonuniform interaction between the cold outflow associated with the mei-yu front MCSs and the warm southerly airflow on the south side of the mei-yu front,which both are modified by local terrain.The mei-yu front MCSs evolved from the western to the eastern side of a basin surrounded by several mesoscale mountains and induced cold outflow centered over the eastern part of the basin.The strong southwest airflow ahead of the mei-yu front passed the Nanling Mountains and impacted the cold outflow within the basin.The nonuniform interaction led to the first stage of parallel convective line formation,in which the low mountains along the boundary of the two airflows enhanced the heterogeneity of their interaction.Subsequently,the convective group quickly developed from the first stage convective lines resulted in apparent precipitation cooling that enhanced the cold outflow and made the cold outflow a sharp southward windshift.The enhanced cold outflow pushed the warm southerly airflow southward and impacted the mountains on the southeast side of the basin,where the roughly parallel mountain valleys or gaps play a controlling role in a second stage formation of parallel convective lines.     

Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation in the Asian–Pacific Monsoon Region Simulated in CAMS-CSM

The boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation(BSISO) is simulated by the Climate System Model(CSM) developed at the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences(CAMS), China Meteorological Administration. Firstly, the results indicate that this new model is able to reasonably simulate the annual cycle and seasonal mean of the precipitation, as well as the vertical shear of large-scale zonal wind in the tropics. The model also reproduces the eastward and northward propagating oscillation signals similar to those found in observations. The simulation of BSISO is generally in agreement with the observations in terms of variance center, periodicity, and propagation, with the exception that the magnitude of BSISO anomalous convections are underestimated during both its eastward propagation along the equator and its northward propagation over the Asian–Pacific summer monsoon region. Our preliminary evaluation of the simulated BSISO by CAMS-CSM suggests that this new model has the capability, to a certain extent, to capture the BSISO features, including its propagation zonally along the equator and meridionally over the Asian monsoon region.     

ANALYSIS OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SUSTAINED TORRENTIAL RAINS IN JUNES DURING 1958-2000

Day-to-day precipitation data of Junes during the 43 years of 1958-2000 from stations to the south of Yangtze River are used to divide regions and run statistical analysis of sustained torrential rainfall processes. A preliminary analysis is then made based on it and the results show that June is the month in which torrential rains in the southern half of China take place frequently and sustained torrential rains occur at the same time in South China and the area to the south of Yangtze River. In addition, the analysis gives the basic features of sustained torrential rains of June in China and their interannual variability patterns, with the suggestion that the amount of these events increases significantly after the 1990s. Lastly, the sustained torrential rains occurring in Junes of 1994, 1998 and 2005 in the southern half of China are taken as examples in the research on the basic patterns and formation mechanisms of the evolution of double rain-bands during the rain season in South China and the area to the south of Yangtze River. The analysis shows that the large scale environment field in which sustained torrential rains occur is related to the stable sustaining of the South Asia High and upper level jet streams.     

The multiscale factors favorable for a persistent heavy rain event over Hainan Island in October 2010

A case study is presented of the multiscale characteristics that produced the record-breaking persistent heavy rainfall event(PHRE) over Hainan Island,northern South China Sea(SCS),in autumn 2010.The study documents several key weather systems,from planetary scale to mesoscale,that contributed to the extreme rainfall during this event.The main findings of this study are as follows.First,the convectively active phase of the MJO was favorable for the establishment of a cyclonic circulation and the northward expansion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone(ITCZ).The active disturbances in the northward ITCZ helped direct abundant moisture from adjacent oceans towards Hainan Island continuously throughout the event,where it interacted with cold air from the midlatitudes and caused heavy rain.Second,the 8-daylong PHRE can be divided into three processes according to different synoptic systems:peripheral cloud clusters of a tropical depression-type disturbance over the central SCS in process 1;interactions between the abnormally far north ITCZ and the invading cold air in process 2;and the newly formed tropical depression near Hainan Island in process 3.In the relatively stable synoptic background of each process,meso-α and meso-β-scale cloud clusters repeatedly traveled along the same path to Hainan Island.Finally,based on these analyses,a conceptual model is proposed for this type of PHRE in autumn over the northern SCS,which demonstrates the influences of multiscale systems.     

NEW DEFINITION FOR NORTH HUAIHE RIVER RAINY SEASON AND ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION CHARACTERISTICS IN PRECIPITATION ANOMALY YEARS

In this article, a new definition for the North Huaihe River rainy season (NHRS) is presented using summer daily precipitation in East China and subtropical high ridge axis at 500 hPa. By calculating the annual precipitation amounts in the NHRS and Meiyu of the Yangtze-Huaihe Rivers basin (YHMY) from 1961 to 2009, the dates of precipitation beginning and ending as well as the duration of the two rainy seasons in the 49 years are analyzed. Atmospheric circulation characteristics in positive and negative precipitation anomaly years during the NHRS are also studied. Results are shown as follows. (1) The new definition for the NHRS is much easier to use. It involves only two meteorological factors, making its application more practical. It can also distinguish two rainy periods of the NHRS more objectively. (2) The average duration of the NHRS is similar to that of the YHMY, except that its average dates of beginning and ending are about one week later than those of the YHMY. The average precipitation of the NHRS is slightly less than that of the YHMY, and the yearly precipitation variation of the two rainy seasons are similar to each other with no obvious increasing or decreasing trend in the 49 years, but with distinguished decadal and inter-annual variations. (3) In positive precipitation anomaly years, the South Asian high moves more northward and more eastward, the western Pacific subtropical high is located more northward and westward, and the summer monsoon is stronger than normal, resulting in the convergence of the warm and moist southwesterly airflow from the west side of the subtropical high and the cold air from the north side of the northeast trough in North Huaihe River basin.     

A comprehensive classification of anomalous circulation patterns responsible for persistent precipitation extremes in South China

Based on observational precipitation at 63 stations in South China and NCEP NCAR reanalysis data during 1951 2010,a cluster analysis is performed to classify large-scale circulation patterns responsible for persistent precipitation extremes(PPEs) that are independent of the influence of tropical cyclones(TCs).Conceptual schematics depicting configurations among planetary-scale systems at different levels are established for each type.The PPEs free from TCs account for 38.6%of total events,and they tend to occur during April August and October,with the highest frequency observed in June.Corresponding circulation patterns during June August can be mainly categorized into two types,i.e.,summer-Ⅰ type and summer-Ⅱtype.In summer-Ⅰ type,the South Asian high takes the form of a zonal-belt type.The axis of upstream westerly jets is northwest-oriented.At the middle level,the westerly jets at midlatitudes extend zonally.Along the southern edge of the westerly jet,synoptic eddies steer cold air to penetrate southward;the Bay of Bengal(BOB) trough is located to the north;a shallow trough resides over coastal areas of western South China;and an intensified western Pacific subtropical high(WPSH) extends westward.The anomalous moisture is mainly contributed by horizontal advection via southwesterlies around 20°N and southeasterlies from the southern flange of the WPSH.Moisture convergence maximizes in coastal regions of eastern South China,which is the very place recording extreme precipitation.In summer-Ⅱ type,the South Asian high behaves as a western-center type.The BOB trough is much deeper,accompanied by a cyclone to its north;and a lower-level trough appears in northwestern parts of South China.Different to summer-Ⅰ type,moisture transport via southwesterlies is mostly responsible for the anomalous moisture in this type.The moisture convergence zones cover Guangdong,Guangxi,and Hainan,matching well with the areas of flooding.It is these set combinations among different systems at different levels that trigger PPEs in South China.     

A MODEL FOR QUANTITATIVELY ESTIMATING SHORT-RANGE PRECIPITATION BASED ON GMS DIGITALIZED CLOUD MAPS—PART I:ANALYSIS OF QUANTITATIVE CLOUD-PRECIPITATION RELATIONS AND MODEL DESIGN

Some typical samples are used to explore the quantitative correlation with their features between a convective cloud and its rainfall field,with which to develop two morphological functions for the correlation and by singling out their most suitable groups of parameters we propose a model for quantitatively estimating precipitation in the context of the in-advance recognition of meso-α convective system properties and its precipitating center.From the model fitting precision and forecasting accuracy we find that it is feasible to utilize geostationary meteorological satellite (GMS) digitalized imagery for estimating short-term rainfall in a quantitative manner.Also,evidence suggests that the model is supposed to be restricted in its applicability due to the fact that the employed samples are from rather typical rainfall events that are large-scale,slow-moving and have well-defined genesis and dissipative stages.     

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF AIR-SEA HEAT FLUX EXCHANGE DURING THE GENERATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL TYPHOONS OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

A South China Sea （SCS） local TC （SLT） is defined as a tropical cyclone （TC） that forms within the SCS region and can reach the grade of tropical storm （TS） or above. The statistical features of the SLTs from 1985 to 2007 are analyzed first. It is found that over the SCS about 68% of the TCs can develop into TSs. The SLT intensity is relatively weak and associated with its genesis latitude as well as its track. The SLT monthly number presents a seasonal variation with two peaks in May and July to September. Based on the daily heat flux data from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution_Objectively Analyzed air-sea Fluxes （WHOI_OAFlux） in the same period, the air-sea exchange during the process of generation and development of the SLT is studied. Results show that the heat fluxes released to the atmosphere increase significantly day by day before cyclogenesis. The ocean to the south to the TC center provides the main energy. Along with the development of SLT, the regions with large heat fluxes spread clockwise to the north of TC, which reflects the energy dispersion property of vortex Rossby waves in the periphery of the TC. Once the SLT forms the heat fluxes are not intensified as much. During the whole process, the net heat, latent heat and sensible heat flux display a similar evolution, while the latent heat flux makes a main contribution to the net heat flux. The maximum air-sea heat exchange always occurs at the left side of the TC moving direction, which may reflect the influence of the SCS summer monsoon on TC structure.