催化对降水区域外效应的中尺度数值模拟

The Fifth-Generation NCAR/Penn State Mesoscale Model (MM5) has been used to investigate the extra-area effects of silver iodide (AgI) seeding on stratiform clouds performed at the supercooled layer.A bulk two-moment microphysical scheme and the new software package for silver iodide are incorporated in MM5.Extra conservation equations are applied to trace the seeding agent,which is transported along the flow field and interacts with the supercooled cloud fields.In this study,the model was run using three nested grids,with 3.3 km × 3.3 km horizontal resolution in the finest grid.The model results showed that seeding with AgI at the 5 to 15℃ levels had microphysical effects on the simulated clouds and that the simulation produced a longer-lasting seeding effect because of the transport of the seeding agent by upper-level winds.Most of the AgI particles acted as deposition nuclei,and the deposition nucleation process contributed mostly to additional cloud ice formation in this study.The results showed that more precipitation results from seeded than unseeded case,and the precipitation was redistributed downwind of the target.Augmented precipitation (varying from 5% to 25% downwind) was confined in space to within 250 km of the seeding target and in time to the 3-h period after initial seeding.     

Cloud Seedability Study with a Dual-Model System

In this research,a novel dual-model system,one-dimensional stratiform cold cloud model(1DSC) coupled to Weather Research and Forecast(WRF) model(WRF-1DSC for short),was employed to investigate the effects of cloud seeding by silver iodide(AgI) on rain enhancement.Driven by changing environmental conditions extracted from the WRF model,WRF-1DSC could be used to assess the cloud seeding effects quantitatively.The employment of WRF-1DSC,in place of a one-dimensional two-moment cloud seeding model applied to a three-dimensional mesoscale cloud-resolving model,was found to result in massive reduction of computational resources.Numerical experiments with WRF-1DSC were conducted for a real stratiform precipitation event observed on 4-5 July 2004,in Northeast China.A good agreement between the observed and modeled cloud system ensured the ability of WRF-1DSC to simulate the observed precipitation process efficiently.Sensitivity tests were performed with different seeding times,locations,and amounts.Experimental results showed that the optimum seeding effect(defined as the percentage of rain enhancement or rain enhancement rate) could be achieved through proper seeding at locations of maximum cloud water content when the updraft was strong.The optimum seeding effect was found to increase by 5.61% when the cloud was seeded at 5.5 km above ground level around 2300 UTC 4 July 2004,with the maximum AgI mixing ratio(X s) equaling 15 ng kg 1.On the other hand,for an overseeded cloud,a significant reduction occurred in the accumulated precipitation(-12.42%) as X s reached 100 ng kg 1.This study demonstrates the potential of WRF1DSC in determining the optimal AgI seeding strategy in practical operations of precipitation enhancement.     

AN ANALYSIS OF THE WINTER EXTREME PRECIPITATION EVENTS ON THE BACKGROUND OF CLIMATE WARMING IN SOUTHERN CHINA

Based on daily precipitation and monthly temperature data in southern China, the winter extreme precipitation changes in southern China have been investigated by using the Mann-Kendall test and the return values of Generalized Pareto Distribution. The results show that a winter climate catastrophe in southern China occurred around 1991, and the intensity of winter extreme precipitation was strengthened after climate warming. The anomalous circulation characteristics before and after the climate warming was further analyzed by using the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis data. It is found that the tropical winter monsoon over East Asia is negatively correlated with the precipitation in southeastern China. After climate warming the meridionality of the circulations in middle and high latitudes increases, which is favorable for the southward movement of the cold air from the north. In addition, the increase of the temperature over southern China may lead to the decrease of the differential heating between the continent and the ocean. Consequently, the tropical winter monsoon over East Asia is weakened, which is favorable for the transport of the warm and humid air to southeastern China and the formation of the anomalous convergence of the moisture flux, resulting in large precipitation over southeastern China. As a result, the interaction between the anomalous circulations in the middle and high latitudes and lower latitudes after the climate warming plays a major role in the increase of the winter precipitation intensity over southeastern China.     

PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE INFLUENCE OF FY-4 LIGHTNING DATA ASSIMILATION ON PRECIPITATION PREDICTIONS

Data from the lightning mapping imager on board the Fengyun-4 meteorological satellite (FY-4) were used to study the assimilation of lightning data and its influence on precipitation predictions. We first conducted a quality control check on the events observed by the first Fengyun-4 satellite (FY-4A) lightning mapping imager, after which the noise points were removed from the lightning distribution. The subsequent distribution was more consistent with the spatial distribution and range of ground-based observations and precipitation. We selected the radar reflectivity, which was closely related to the lightning frequency, as the parameter to assimilate the lightning data and utilized a large sample of lightning frequency and radar reflectivity data from the eastern United States provided by Vaisala. Based on statistical analysis, we found the empirical relationship between the lightning frequency and radar reflectivity and established a look-up table between them. We converted the lightning event data into radar reflectivity data and found that the converted reflectivity and composite reflectivity of ground-based radar observations showed high consistency. We further assimilated the lightning data into the model, adjusted the model cloud analysis process and adjusted the model hydrometeor field by using the lightning data. A rainstorm weather process that occurred on August 8, 2017, in south China was used for the numerical forecast experiment, and three experiments were designed for comparison and analysis: a control experiment, an experiment without the assimilation of FY-4 lightning data (NoLig), and an experiment with the assimilation of FY-4 lightning data (Lig). The results show that after assimilating the FY-4A lightning data, the accuracies of the intensity, central location and range of the precipitation predicted by the Lig experiment were obviously superior to those predicted by the control and NoLig experiments, and the effect was especially obvious in the short-term (1–2 hour) forecast. The studies in this paper highlight the application value and potential of FY-4 lightning data in precipitation predictions.     

Radar data assimilation of the GRAPES model and experimental results in a typhoon case

Constructing β-mesoscale weather systems in initial fields remains a challenging problem in a mesoscale numerical weather prediction (NWP) model. Without vertical velocity matching the β-mesoscale weather system, convection activities would be suppressed by downdraft and cooling caused by precipitating hydrometeors. In this study, a method, basing on the three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) assimilation technique, was developed to obtain reasonable structures of β-mesoscale weather systems by assimilating radar data in a next-generation NWP system named GRAPES (the Global and Regional Assimilation and Prediction System) of China. Single-point testing indicated that assimilating radial wind significantly improved the horizontal wind but had little effect on the vertical velocity, while assimilating the retrieved vertical velocity (taking Richardson's equation as the observational operator) can greatly improve the vertical motion. Experiments on a typhoon show that assimilation of the radial wind data can greatly improve the prediction of the typhoon track, and can ameliorate precipitation to some extent. Assimilating the retrieved vertical velocity and rainwater mixing ratio, and adjusting water vapor and cloud water mixing ratio in the initial fields simultaneously, can significantly improve the tropical cyclone rainfall forecast but has little effect on typhoon path. Joint assimilating these three kinds of radar data gets the best results. Taking into account the scale of different weather systems and representation of observational data, data quality control, error setting of background field and observation data are still requiring further in-depth study.     

Microphysical Effects of Cloud Seeding in Supercooled Stratiform Clouds Observed from NOAA Satellite

Based on the satellite retrieval methodology, the spectral characteristics and cloud microphysical properties were analyzed that included brightness temperatures of Channels 4 and 5, and their brightness temperature difference (BTD), the particle effective radius of seeded cloud track caused by an operational cloud seeding and the microphysical effects of cloud seeding were revealed by the comparisons of their differences inside and outside the seeded track. The cloud track was actually a cloud channel reaching 1.5-km deep and 14-km wide lasting for more than 80 min. The effective radius of ambient clouds was 10-15μm, while that within the cloud track ranged from 15 to 26μm. The ambient clouds were composed of supercooled droplets, and the composition of the cloud within the seeding track was ice. With respect to the rather stable reflectance of two ambient sides around the track, the visible spectral reflectance in the cloud track varied at least 10%, and reached a maximum of 35%, the reflectance of 3.7μm in the seeded track relatively decreased at least 10%. As cloud seeding advanced, the width and depth were gradually increased. Simultaneously the cloud top temperature within the track became progressively warmer with respect to the ambient clouds, and the maximum temperature differences reached 4.2 and 3.9℃at the first seeding position for Channels 4 and 5. In addition, the BTD in the track also increased steadily to a maximum of 1.4℃, compared with 0.2-0.4℃of the ambient clouds. The evidence that the seeded cloud became thinner comes from the visible image showing a channel, the warming of the cloud tops, and the increase of BTD in the seeded track. The seeded cloud became thinner mainly because the cloud top descended and it lost water to precipitation throughout its depth. For this cloud seeding case, the glaciation became apparent at cloud tops about 22 min after seeding. The formation of a cloud track in the supercooled stratiform clouds was mainly because that the seeded cloud volume glaciated into ice hydrometeors that precipitated and so lowered cloud top height. A thin line of new water clouds formed in the middle of the seeded track between 38 and 63 min after seeding, probably as a result of rising motion induced by the released latent heat of freezing. These clouds disappeared in the earlier segments of the seeded track, which suggested that the maturation of the seeding track was associated with its narrowing and eventual dissipation due to expansion of the tops of the ambient clouds from the sides inward.     

Advances in cloud physics and weather modification in China

The capabilities of cloud-resolving numerical models, observational instruments and cloud seeding have improved greatly over recent years in China. The subject of this review focuses on the main progresses made in China in the areas of cloud modeling, field observations, aerosol–cloud interactions, the effects of urbanization on cloud and precipitation, and weather modification.Well-equipped aircraft and ground-based advanced Doppler and polarized radars have been rapidly applied in cloudseeding operations. The combined use of modern techniques such as the Global Positioning System, remote sensing, and Geographical Information Systems has greatly decreased the blindness and uncertainties in weather-modification activities.Weather-modification models based on state-of-the-art cloud-resolving models are operationally run at the National Weather Modification Centre in China for guiding weather-modification programs.Despite important progress having been made, many critical issues or challenges remain to be solved, or require stronger scientific evidence and support, such as the chain of physical events involved in the effects induced by cloud seeding. Current important progresses in measurements and seeding techniques provide the opportunity and possibility to reduce these deficiencies. Long-term scientific projects aimed at reducing these key uncertainties are extremely urgent and important for weather-modification activities in China.     

Application and Study of Precipitation Schemes in Weather Simulation in Summer and Winter over China

Through simulation of summer and winter precipitation cases in China, the cloud precipitation schemes of model were examined. Results indicate that it is discrepant between convective precipitation simulated by the Kain-Fritsch (KF) scheme and Betts-Miller (BM) scheme in summer, the former scheme is better than the latter in this case. The ambient atmosphere may be varied by different convective schemes. The air is wetter and the updraft is stronger in the KF scheme than in the BM scheme, which can induce the more grid scale precipitation in the KF scheme, i.e., the different cumulus schemes may have the different and important effect on the grid scale precipitation. However, there is almost no convective rain in winter in northern China, so the effect of cumulus precipitation on the grid scale precipitation can be disregarded. Therefore, the gird scale precipitation is primary in the winter of northern China.     

Comparison Between Computer Simulation of Transport and Diffusion of Cloud Seeding Material Within Stratiform Cloud and the NOAA-14 Satellite Cloud Track

A precipitation enhancement operation using an aircraft was conducted from 1415 to 1549 LST 14 March 2000 in Shaanxi Province. The NOAA-14 satellite data received at 1535 LST soon after the cloud seeding shows that a vivid cloud track appears on the satellite image. The length, average width and maximum width of the cloud track are 301 kin, 8.3 and 11 kin, respectively. Using a three-dimensional numerical model of transport and diffusion of seeding material within stratiform clouds, the spatial concentration distribution characteristics of seeding material at different times, especially at the satellite receiving time,are simulated. The model results at the satellite receiving time axe compared with the features of the cloud track. The transported position of the cloud seeding material coincides with the position of the track. The width, shape and extent of diffusion of the cloud seeding material are similar to that of the cloud track.The spatial variation of width is consistent with that of the track. The simulated length of each segment of the seeding line accords with the length of every segment of the track. Each segment of the cloud track corresponds to the transport and diffusion of each segment of the seeding line. These results suggest that the cloud track is the direct physical reflection of cloud seeding at the cloud top. The comparison demonstrates that the numerical model of transport and diffusion can simulate the main characteristics of transport and diffusion of seeding material, and the simulated results are sound and trustworthy. The area, volume, width, depth, and lateral diffusive rate corresponding to concentrations 1, 4, and 10 L^-1 are simulated in order to understand the variations of influencing range.     

A CONVECTIVE RAINFALL ESTIMATE TECHNIQUE DEVELOPED BY NSMC OF CHINA

In order to reveal the relation between strong convective cloud characteristics and rainfall rate,over 20000 hourly raingauge data from 333 weather stations and the corresponding 4000 convectivecloud infrared images of GMS-4 during the period of 1992—1994 in Henan,Hubei and SichuanProvinces were studied.The results show that cloud top temperature,temperature gradient,thegrowth of cloud,overshooting top and the normalized distance between a cloud covering pixels and thecluster center have certain relations to cloud precipitation.These relations can vary with differentgeographical regions.Based on the study above,a convective rainfall estimation technique wasdeveloped by the scientists in National Satellite Meteorological Center of China.Its average error is30% for daily precipitation with a correlation coefficient of 0.69.     

Interdecadal Variations of Precipitation and Temperature in China Around the Abrupt Change of Atmospheric Circulation in 1976

The interdecadal characteristics of rainfall and temperature in China before and after the abrupt change of the general circulation in 1976 are analyzed using the global 2.5°×2.5° monthly mean reanalysis data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction of US and the precipitation and temperature data at the 743 stations of China from the National Climate Center of China. The results show that after 1976, springtime precipitation and temperature were anomalously enhanced and reduced respectively in South China, while the reverse was true in the western Yangtze River basin. In summer, precipitation was anomalously less in South China, more in the Yangtze River basin, less again in North China and more again in Northeast China, showing a distribution pattern alternating with negative and positive anomalies （＂ , ＋, -, ＋＂）. Meanwhile, temperature shows a distribution of warming in South China, cooling in the Yangtze and Huaihe River basins, and warming again in northern China. In autumn, precipitation tended to decrease and temperature tended to increase in in South China and warming was most parts of the country. In winter, the trend across all parts of China. precipitation increased moderately The interdecadal decline of mean temperature in spring and summer in China was mainly due to the daily maximum temperature variation, while the interdecadal increase was mainly the result of the minimum temperature change. The overall warming in autumn （winter） was mostly influenced by the minimum （maximum） temperature variation. These changes were closely related to the north-south shifts of the ascending and descending branches of the Hadley cell, the strengthening and north-south progression of the westerly jet stream, and the atmospheric stratification and water vapor transport conditions.     

Numerical Simulation of the Influence of Drop Size Distribution Shape on Cloud and Precipitation

At present,parameterization methods to describe cloud and precipitation processes are widely used in cloud and mesoscale models,but with different drop size distributions.When precipitation formation mechanism,weather modification technique,and mechanism of hail suppression with seeding are studied by using these models,a question that needs to be addressed is：what is the influence of different drop size distributions and related parameters on cloud and precipitation？In this paper,by using a three-dimensional hail cloud numerical model developed by the Institutes of Atmospheric Physics,Chinese Academy of Sciences, we performed numerical experiments with varied drop size distribution parameters for two hail storms,and analyzed the influence of shape parameters（ar,ai,and ag）of raindrops,ice crystal,and graupel size distributions on rainfall,hail amount,and microphysical processes in clouds.The results show that the variation of ar has no effect on precipitation formation on the whole,but affects directly the production rates for the physical processes related to raindrop.The ag variation has a less obvious effect on rainfall amount,but has a significant effect on hail amount,hailfall rate,and rainfall intensity.It impacts noticeably on the generation rate of the number and mass of ice crystal,graupel,and hail,and also to various degrees on all the microphysical processes in clouds.The ag variation also influences the growing process of the hydrometeors.The effects of the ai variation on part of the generation and growing processes of all the hydrometeors are significant,and even dramatic,such as the collection process of cloud water to rain through melting ice crystal（T CLcir）.However,for clouds located in different geographic regions,the variation of ai has different effects on precipitation,which reflects the complexity of the impact of drop size distribution on cloud and precipitation.At last,some issues about the application of cloud models are also discussed.     

THE EFFECTS OF STATION NETWORK DENSITY ON STATISTICAL ANALYSES OF TROPICAL CYCLONE PRECIPITATION

In this paper, 1416 conventional ground-based meteorological observation stations on the mainland of China were subdivided into groups of differing spatial density. Data from each subgroup were then used to analyze variations in the tropical cyclone (TC) precipitation statistics derived from each subgroup across the mainland of China (excluding Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao), as well as in two regions (east China and south China) and three provinces (Guangdong, Hainan, and Jiangxi) between 1981 and 2010. The results showed that for the mainland of China, total precipitation, mean annual precipitation, mean daily precipitation, and its spatial distribution were the same regardless of the spatial density of the stations. However, some minor differences were evident with respect to precipitation extremes and their spatial distribution. Overall, there were no significant variations in the TC precipitation statistics calculated from different station density schemes for the mainland of China. The regional and provincial results showed no significant differences in mean daily precipitation, but this was not the case for the maximum daily precipitation and torrential rain frequency. The maximum daily precipitation calculated from the lower-density station data was slightly less than that based on the higher-density station schemes, and this effect should be taken into consideration when interpreting regional climate statistics. The impact of station density on TC precipitation characteristics was more obvious for Hainan than for Guangdong or Jiangxi provinces. In addition, the effects were greater for south China (including Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous region, Guangdong, and Hainan provinces) than east China (including Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Fujian, Anhui, and Jiangxi provinces). Furthermore, the analysis proved that the statistical climatic characteristics began to change significantly when the station spacing was between 40 and 50 km, which are close to the mean spacing for all stations across the mainland of China. Moreover, TC areal precipitation parameters, including mean total areal precipitation and mean daily areal precipitation, also began to change significantly when the spacing was between 40 and 50 km, and were completely different when it was between 100 and 200 km.     

Decadal Anomalies of Winter Precipitation over Southern China in Association with El Nio and La Nia

Using multiple datasets, this paper analyzes the characteristics of winter precipitation over southern China and its association with warm and cold phases of E1 Nifio-Southern Oscillation during 1948 2011. The study proves that E1 Nifio is an important external forcing factor resulting in above-normal winter precipitation in southern China. The study also reveals that the impact ofLa Nifia on the winter precipitation in southern China has a decadal variability. During the winter of La Nifia before 1980, the East Asian winter monsoon is stronger than normal with a deeper trough over East Asia, and the western Pacific subtropical high weakens with its high ridge retreating more eastward. Therefore, anomalous northerly winds dominate over southern China, leading to a cold and dry winter. During La Nifia winter after 1980, however, the East Asian trough is weaker than normal, unfavorable for the southward invasion of the winter monsoon. The India-Burma trough is intensified, and the anomalous low-level cyclone excited by La Nifia is located to the west of the Philippines. Therefore, anomalous easterly winds prevail over southern China, which increases moisture flux from the tropical oceans to southern China. Meanwhile, La Nifia after 1980 may lead to an enhanced and more northward subtropical westerly jet over East Asia in winter. Since southern China is rightly located on the right side of the jet entrance region, anomalous ascending motion dominates there through the secondary vertical circulation, favoring more winter precipitation in southern China. Therefore, a cold and wet winter, sometimes with snowy and icy weathers, would occur in southern China during La Nifia winter after 1980. Further analyses indicate that the change in the spatial distribution of sea surface temperature anomaly during the La Nifia mature phase, as well as the decadal variation of the Northern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation, would be the important reasons for the decadal variability of the La Nifia impact on the atmospheric circulation in East Asia and winter precipitation over southern China after 1980.     

A Case Study of Impact of FY-2C Satellite Data in Cloud Analysis to Improve Short-Range Precipitation Forecast

Chinese FengYun-2C（FY-2C） satellite data were combined into the Local Analysis and Prediction System（LAPS） model to obtain three-dimensional cloud parameters and rain content. These parameters analyzed by LAPS were used to initialize the Global/Regional Assimilation and Prediction System model（GRAPES） in China to predict precipitation in a rainstorm case in the country. Three prediction experiments were conducted and were used to investigate the impacts of FY-2C satellite data on cloud analysis of LAPS and on short range precipitation forecasts. In the first experiment, the initial cloud fields was zero value. In the second, the initial cloud fields were cloud liquid water, cloud ice, and rain content derived from LAPS without combining the satellite data. In the third experiment, the initial cloud fields were cloud liquid water, cloud ice, and rain content derived from LAPS including satellite data. The results indicated that the FY-2C satellite data combination in LAPS can show more realistic cloud distributions, and the model simulation for precipitation in 1–6 h had certain improvements over that when satellite data and complex cloud analysis were not applied.     

Seasonal variation and physical properties of the cloud system over southeastern China derived from CloudSat products

Based on the National Centers for Environmental Prediction(NCEP) and Climate Prediction Center(CPC) Merged Analysis of Precipitation(CMAP) data and Cloud Sat products, the seasonal variations of the cloud properties, vertical occurrence frequency, and ice water content of clouds over southeastern China were investigated in this study. In the Cloud Sat data, a significant alternation in high or low cloud patterns was observed from winter to summer over southeastern China. It was found that the East Asian Summer Monsoon(EASM) circulation and its transport of moisture leads to a conditional instability, which benefits the local upward motion in summer, and thereby results in an increased amount of high cloud. The deep convective cloud centers were found to coincide well with the northward march of the EASM, while cirrus lagged slightly behind the convection center and coincided well with the outflow and meridional wind divergence of the EASM. Analysis of the radiative heating rates revealed that both the plentiful summer moisture and higher clouds are effective in destabilizing the atmosphere. Moreover, clouds heat the mid-troposphere and the cloud radiative heating is balanced by adiabatic cooling through upward motion, which causes meridional wind by the Sverdrup balance. The cloud heating–forced circulation was observed to coincide well with the EASM circulation, serving as a positive effect on EASM circulation.     

A Precipitation Detection Method for MWTS-Ⅱ Radiance Assimilation in Typhoon Simulation

FY-3C Microwave Temperature Sounder Ⅱ(MWTS-Ⅱ) lacks observations at 23.8 GHz, 31 GHz and 89 GHz,making it difficult to remove the data contaminated by precipitation in assimilation. In this paper, a fast forward operator based on the Community Radiative Transfer Model(CRTM) was used to analyze the relationship between the observation minus background simulation(O-B) and the cloud fractions in different MWTS-Ⅱ channels. In addition,based on the community Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation(GSI) system, the radiation brightness temperature of the MWTS-Ⅱ was assimilated in the regional Numerical Weather Prediction(NWP) model. In the process of assimilation,Visible and Infrared Radiometer(VIRR) cloud detection products were matched to MWTS-Ⅱ pixels for precipitation detection. For typhoon No. 18 in 2014, impact tests of MWTS-Ⅱ data assimilation was carried out. The results show that,though the bias observation minus analysis(O-A) of assimilated data can be reduced by quality control only with | O-B| 3 K; however, the O-A becomes much smaller while the precipitation detection is performed with F_(virr) 0.9(VIRR cloud fraction threshold of 0.9). Besides, the change of the environmental field around the typhoon is more conducive to make the simulated track closer to the observation. The 72-hour typhoon track simulation error also shows that, after the precipitation detection, the error of simulated typhoon track is significantly reduced, which reflects the validity of a precipitation detection method based on a double criterion of | O-B | 3 K and F_(virr) 0.9.     

PROGRESS OF MARINE METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATION EXPERIMENT AT MAOMING OF SOUTH CHINA

The coastal area of southern China is frequently affected by marine meteorological disasters,and is also one of the key areas that influence the short-term climate change of China.Due to a lack of observational facilities and techniques,little has been done in this area in terms of operational weather monitoring and scientific research on atmospheric and marine environment.With the support of China Meteorological Administration (CMA) and Guangdong Meteorological Bureau (GMB),the Marine Meteorological Science Experiment Base (MMSEB) at Bohe,Maoming has been jointly established by Guangzhou Institute of Tropical and Marine Meteorology (GITMM) and Maoming Meteorological Bureau (MMB) of Guangdong Province after three years of hard work.It has become an integrated coastal observation base that is equipped with a complete set of sophisticated instruments.Equipment maintenance and data quality control procedures have been implemented to ensure the long-term,steady operation of the instruments and the availability of high quality data.Preliminary observations show that the data obtained by the MMSEB reveal many interesting features in the boundary layer structure and air-sea interaction in such disastrous weather as typhoons and sea fog.The MMSEB is expected to play an important role in the scientific research of disastrous weather related to marine meteorology.     

Sensitivity of Snowfall Characteristics to Meteorological Conditions in the Yeongdong Region of Korea

This study investigates the characteristics of cold clouds and snowfall in both the Yeongdong coastal and mountainous regions under different meteorological conditions based on the integration of numerical modeling and three-hourly rawinsonde observations with snow crystal photographs for a snowfall event that occurred on 29?30 January 2016.We found that rimed particles predominantly observed turned into dendrite particles in the latter period of the episode when the 850 hPa temperature decreased at the coastal site,whereas the snow crystal habits at the mountainous site were largely needle or rimed needle.Rawinsonde soundings showed a well-defined,two-layered cloud structure along with distinctive wind-directional shear,and an inversion in the equivalent potential temperature above the low-level cloud layer.The first experiment with a decrease in lower-layer temperature showed that the low-level cloud thickness was reduced to less than 1.5 km,and the accumulated precipitation was decreased by 87%compared with the control experiment.The difference in precipitation amount between the single-layered experiment and control experiment(two-layered)was not so significant to attribute it to the effect of the seeder?feeder mechanism.The precipitation in the last experiment by weakening winddirectional shear was increased by 1.4 times greater than the control experiment specifically at the coastal site,with graupel particles accounting for the highest proportion(~62%).The current results would improve snowfall forecasts in complicated geographical environments such as Yeongdong in terms of snow crystal habit as well as snowfall amount in both time and space domains.     

IMPACT OF ENSO ON THE PRECIPITATION OVER CHINA IN WINTER HALF-YEARS

In this paper, the impact of ENSO on the precipitation over China in the winter half-year is investigated diagnostically. The results show that positive precipitation anomalies with statistical significance appear over southern China in El Nio episodes, which are caused by the enhanced warm and humid southwesterlies along the East Asian coast in the lower troposphere. The enhanced southwesterlies transport more water vapor to southern China, and the convergence of water vapor over southern China increases the precipitable water and specific humidity. In La Nia episodes,although atmospheric elements change reversely, they are not statistically significant as those in El Nio periods. The possible physical mechanism of the different impact of ENSO cycle on the precipitation over southern China is investigated by analyzing the intraseasonal oscillations(ISOs) in El Nio and La Nia winter half-years, respectively. By comparing the characteristics of ISOs in El Nio and La Nia, a physical mechanism is proposed to explain the different responses of the precipitation over China to ENSO in the winter half-year. In El Nio episodes, over western North Pacific(WNP) and South China Sea(SCS) the ISOs are inactive and exert little effect on water vapor transport and convergence, inducing positive precipitation anomalies with statistical significance over southern China in El Nio episodes. In La Nia episodes, however, the ISOs are active, which weaken the interannual variation signals of ENSO over WNP and southern China and lead to the insignificance of the interannual signals related to ENSO. Therefore, the different responses of precipitation over China to ENSO in the winter half-year are possibly caused by the difference of intraseasonal oscillations over WNP and SCS between El Nio and La Nia.