MAINTAINABLE MECHANISM OF MESO-β SCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM

By means of the Penn State-NCAR Mesoscale Model Version 5(MM5)with a horizontalresolution of 20 km.the maintainable mechanism of Meso-β scale Convective System(Mβ CS)hasbeen investigated on the basis of simulation of the temporal and spatial thermodynamics structureof the MβCS which occurred in Wuhan and its surroundings on 21 July 1998.The occurrence of thesignificant warm-core in the center of the MβCS happened in Changjiang River Basin between theMufu Mountain and the Dabie Mountain.To the southern side of the MβCS,there exist thesouthwest low-level jet(LLJ)and the vertical secondary circulation in the low and middletroposphere respectively.In respect to the northern of the MβCS,the northwest jet emerges in theupper troposphere,accompanied with cold and dry atmosphere downdrafts,resulting in anothersecondary circulation.The foregoing mentioned vertical wind shear provides a favorable dynamicalenvironment for the intensification and maintenance of the MβCS.Equally important,the latentheat release associated with the MβCS produces the warm center in the middle troposphere and thepressure falls.The pressure drop then accelerates air parcels toward the low leading to strongconvergence as well as the intensified convection,establishing a positive feedback between theconvection and the latent heat release,which is the thermodynamic mechanism of the developmentand maintenance of the MβCS.     

A DIAGNOSTIC STUDY OF AN EXPLOSIVELY DEEPENING OCEANIC CYCLONE OVER THE NORTHWEST PACIFIC

The vertical motions and secondary circulation of an explosively deepening oceanic cyclone,which oc-curred over the Northwest Pacific Ocean and was in conjunction with 200 hPa-level jet stream and hascentral pressure falls of 33.9 hPa/24h,have been computed from seven-level nonlinear balance model and Saw-yer-Eliassen-Shapiro equation for the transverse ageostrophic circulation.The vertical motions are partitionedinto contributions from large-scale latent heat release,effect of cumulus heating,thermal advection,differen-tial vorticity advection,etc.,while the secondary circulation stream function is partitioned into contributionsfrom geostrophic deformation,transfer of momentum and heat in the area of cumulus and diabatic heating.The principal results are the following.Large-scale latent heat release is very crucial to the explosive de-velopment of cyclones.If there is enough transfer of moisture,the positive feedback process between ascentof air and large-scale heating would work.The cumulus heating and the transfer of momentum and heatin the area of cumulus play an important role during the explosively deepening stage.Thermal advection isthe initial triggering condition for large-scale heating and the conditional instability for the convection ofcumulus.     

The Evolution of a Meso-β-Scale Convective Vortex in the Dabie Mountain Area

The evolution of a mesoscale convective system (MCS) that caused strong precipitation in the northern area of Dabie Mountain during 21-22 June 2008 is analyzed, along with the evolution of the associated meso-β-scale convective vortex (MCV). The mesoscale reanalysis data generated by the Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS) at a 3-km horizontal resolution and a 1-h time resolution during the South China Heavy Rainfall Experiment (SCHeREX) were utilized. The results show that two processes played key roles in the enhancement of convective instability. First, the mesoscale low-level jet strengthened and shifted eastward, leading to the convergence of warm-wet airflow and increasing convective instability at middle and low levels. Second, the warm-wet airflow interacted with the cold airflow from the north, causing increased vertical vorticity in the vicinity of steeply sloping moist isentropic surfaces. The combined action of these two processes caused the MCS to shift progressively eastward. Condensation associated with the MCS released latent heat and formed a layer of large diabatic heating in the middle troposphere, increasing the potential vorticity below this layer. This increase in potential vorticity created favorable conditions for the development of a low-level vortex circulation. The vertical motion associated with this low-level vortex further promoted the development of convection, creating a positive feedback between the deep convection and the low-level vortex circulation. This feedback mechanism not only promoted the maturation of the MCS, but also played the primary role in the evolution of the MCV. The MCV formed and developed due to the enhancement of the positive feedback that accompanied the coming together of the center of the vortex and the center of the convection. The positive feedback peaked and the MCV matured when these two centers converged. The positive feedback weakened and the MCV began to decay as the two centers separated and diverged.     

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 COMPARATIVE STUDY ON CHARACTERISTICS AND THERMO- DYNAMIC DEVELOPMENT MECHANISMS OF TWO TYPES OF WARM-SECTOR HEAVY RAINFALL ALONG THE SOUTH CHINA COAST

Warm-sector heavy rainfalls along the south China coast from April to June during 2009–2014 can be divided into two main types based on their low-level circulations. Type I is the southerly pattern with meridional convergence line at the west of the Pearl River estuary, which is formed by the convergence of southeasterly, southerly, and southwesterly flows. Type II is the southwesterly pattern with a latitudinal convergence line at the east of the Pearl River estuary, which is formed by the convergence of westerly and southwesterly flows. Statistics on 6-hourly heavy rainfall events indicates that, during the afore-mentioned 6 years, there were on average 73.2 occurrences of the southerly pattern and 50.3 occurrences of the southwesterly pattern per year. After the onset of summer monsoon in the South China Sea, the occurrence frequencies of both patterns increase remarkably. The synthetic diagnosis of pattern circulation shows that, at 500 hPa, for the southerly pattern, there is a broad warm high ridge, and a temperature ridge is behind the high ridge, which causes an obvious warm advection at the high ridge area. There is no frontal region. For the southwesterly pattern, the circulation is a weak trough with a temperature trough behind it. The position of the frontal region is near Yangzi River, and the south China coast is in the warm-sector of the frontal region. At the vertical cross-section of each of the two categories of heavy rainfall, there is a strong vertical motion center stretching to 400 hPa, where the convergence layer in the rainfall region is deep and with several vertical convergence centers overlapping one another. Both types of heavy rainfalls are with abundant water vapor, accompanied with deep convective instability energy layers, and with strong release of latent heat caused by condensation of water vapor. The release of latent heat leads to the warming-up and stretching of the air column, thus strengthens deep convergence and vertical velocity upward. There is a stronger latent heat-release in the southwesterly pattern than in the southerly pattern, while in the southerly pattern, the warm advection at middle and upper levels is stronger than the latent head release. To study the thermo-dynamic development mechanisms, weather research and forecasting model (WRF) numerical simulations are made and the results show that, in the two rainstorm regions, latent heat release warms up the air column, hence significantly increase the depth and strength of the vertical velocity. Moreover, the release of latent heat strengthens convergent circulation at lower levels and weakens divergent circulation at middle levels, whose influence can be as strong as 30%–50% of the wind circulation strength of the two types of the warm-sector heavy rainfall over the south China coast, and further enhances deep convection, promoting warm-sector storm development.     

DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS OF THE RE-INTENSIFICATION OF HIGOS IN SOUTHERN CHINA AFTER LANDFALL

The NCEP Global Data Assimilation System analysis of grid data, satellite products of Naval Research Laboratory, conventional meteorological data and observations of automatic weather stations in Guangdong province were used together with environmental conditions, atmospheric circulation, and physical characteristics to diagnose the cause and mechanism of the intensification of tropical cyclone Higos in Southern China. The results showed that favorable environmental conditions of high temperature, humidity of the underlying surface, strong upper divergence, weak vertical wind shear, and the persistence of a southwest jet stream beside the southern Higos were the necessary ingredients that contributed to the maintenance of intensity and re-intensification of Higos. The sinking intrusion of cold air from the lower troposphere was the critical condition for its intensification over land. The frontal genesis caused by weak cold air increased the lower tropospheric convergence and updraft, and the condensation latent heat released by heavy rains promoted convergence. From this positive feedback process, Higos obtained an increasing of positive vorticity and re-intensified over land. The re-intensification was due not only to the build-up of wind and the reduction of pressure but also to the simultaneous warm-up of its warm core.     

Vorticity budget investigation of a simulated long-lived mesoscale vortex in South China

A vorticity budget investigation is performed using the output data from a numerical simulation of a typical MCV (mesoscale convectively generated votex) case in South China. Results suggest that the divergence caused by convection in the low troposphere is the main producer of positive vorticity, while vertical vorticity transferred by the tilting term from the horizontal vorticity compensates the upward output of cyclonic vorticity. Scale analyses of the vorticity equation suggest that the advection of planetary vorticity can be neglected owing to the low latitude, which is different from the larger scale systems in high latitude areas. In addition, the distribution of relative vorticity tendency on pressure level is not uniform. A vortex will move along the vector from the negative to the positive vorticity tendency region. The mechanism of the phenomenon-that nearly all of the convectively ascending region is located southward/southeastward of the vortex center-is also discussed. Convergence with regard to latent heat release would be in favor of the spin-up of meso-vortex, however, the horizontal vorticity caused by windshear is tilted by vertical motion due to convection. Consequently, the negative and positive vorticity tendencies are located symmetrically about the convective center, which suggests that the vortex southward movement is dynamically driven by convection.     

Maintenance of Tropical Cyclone Bill （1988） after Landfall

The mechanism for the maintenance of Tropical Cyclone Bill （1988） after landfall is investigated through a numerical simulation. The role of the large-scale environmental flow is examined using a scale separation technique, which isolates the tropical cyclone from the environmental flow. The results show that Bill was embedded in a deep easterly-southeasterly environmental flow to the north-northeast of a large-scale depression and to the southwest of the western Pacific subtropical high. The depression had a quasi-barotropic structure in the mid-lower troposphere and propagated northwestward with a speed similar to the northwestward movement of Bill. The moisture budgets associated with both the large-scale and the tropical cyclone scale motions indicate that persistent low-level easterly-southeasterly flow transported moisture into the inner core of the tropical cyclone. The low-level circulation of the tropical cyclone transported moisture into the eyewall to support eyewall convection, providing sufficient latent heating to counteract energy loss due to surface friction and causing the storm to weaken relatively slowly after landfall. Warming and a westward extension of the upper-level easterly flow led to westward propagation of the environmental flow in the mid-lower troposphere. As a result, Bill was persistently embedded in an environment of deep easterly flow with high humidity, weak vertical wind shear, convergence in the lower troposphere, and divergence in the upper troposphere. These conditions are favorable for both significant intensification prior to landfall and maintenance of the tropical cyclone after landfall.     

Analysis on the Interaction between Turbulence and Secondary Circulation of the Surface Layer at Jinta Oasis in Summer

The kinetic energy variations of mean flow and turbulence at three levels in the surface layer were calculated by using eddy covariance data from observations at Jinta oasis in 2005 summer.It is found that when the mean horizontal flow was stronger,the turbulent kinetic energy was increased at all levels,as well as the downward mean wind at the middle level.Since the mean vertical flow on the top and bottom were both negligible at that time,there was a secondary circulation with convergence in the upper half and divergence in the lower half of the column.After consideration of energy conversion,it was found that the interaction between turbulence and the secondary circulation caused the intensification of each other.The interaction reflected positive feedback between turbulence and the vertical shear of the mean flow.Turbulent sensible and latent heat flux anomaly were also analyzed.The results show that in both daytime and at night,when the surface layer turbulence was intensified as a result of strengthened mean flow,the sensible heat flux was decreased while the latent heat flux was increased.Both anomalous fluxes contributed to the cold island effect and the moisture island effect of the oasis.     

The Energy Budget of a Southwest Vortex With Heavy Rainfall over South China

Energy budgets were analyzed to study the development of an eastward propagating southwest vortex (SWV) associated with heavy rainfall over southern China(11-13 June 2008).The results show that kinetic energy(KE) generation and advection were the most important KE sources,while friction and sub-grid processes were the main KE sinks.There was downward conversion from divergent to rotational wind KE consistent with the downward stretching of SWVs.The Coriolis force was important for the formation and maintenance of the SWV.Convergence was also an important factor for maintenance,as was vertical motion during the mature stage of the SWV and the formation stage of a newly formed vortex(vortex B).The conversion from available potential energy(APE) to KE of divergent wind can lead to strong convection.Vertical motion influenced APE by dynamical and thermal processes which had opposite effects. The variation of APE was related to the heavy rainfall and convection;in this case,vertical motion with direct thermal circulation was the most important way in which APE was released,while latent heat release and vertical temperature advection were important for APE generation.     

Simulation of the westerly jet axis in boreal winter by the climate system model FGOALS-g2

The major features of the westerly jets in boreal winter, consisting of the Middle East jet stream (MEJS), East Asian jet stream (EAJS) and North Atlantic jet stream (NAJS), simulated by a newly developed climate system model, were evaluated with an emphasis on the meridional location of the westerly jet axis (WJA). The model was found to exhibit fairly good performance in simulating the EAJS and NAJS, whereas the MEJS was much weaker and indistinguishable in the model. Compared with the intensity bias, the southward shift of the WJA seems to be a more remarkable deficiency. From the perspective of Ertel potential vorticity, the profiles along different westerly jet cores in the model were similar with those in the reanalysis but all shifted southward, indicating an equatorward displacement of the dynamic tropopause and associated climatology. Diagnosis of the thermodynamic equation revealed that the model produced an overall stronger heating source and the streamfunction quantifying the convection and overturning Hadley circulation shifted southward significantly in the middle and upper troposphere. The two maximum centers of eddy kinetic energy, corresponding to the EAJS and NAJS, were reproduced, whereas they all shifted southwards with a much reduced intensity. A lack of transient eddy activity will reduce the efficiency of poleward heat transport, which may partially contribute to the meridionally non-uniform cooling in the middle and upper troposphere. As the WJA is closely related to the location of the Hadley cell, tropopause and transient eddy activity, the accurate simulation of westerly jets will greatly improve the atmospheric general circulation and associated climatology in the model.     

Roles of Mesoscale Terrain and Latent Heat Release in Typhoon Precipitation： A Numerical Case Study

The mesoscale orographic effects on typhoon Aere＇s precipitation are simulated using an Advanced Regional Eta-coordinate Model （AREM） version 3.0. In particular, the effects of the latent heat release are studied by two comparable experiments： with and without condensational heating. The results show that the typhoon rainfall is tripled by the southeastern China mesoscale terrain, and the condensational heating is responsible for at least half of the increase. One role of the latent heat release is to warm the atmosphere, leading to a depression of the surface pressure, which then causes a larger pressure difference in the zonal direction. This pressure gradient guides the water vapour to flow into the foothills, which in turn amplifies the water vapour flux divergence amplified, causing the typhoon rainfall to increase eventually. The other role of the latent heat release is to make the convection more organized, resulting in a relatively smaller rain area and stronger precipitation.     

A Study of the Extratropical Transformation of Typhoon Winnie （1997）

The complicated evolutive process of how a tropical cyclone transforms into an extratropical cyclone is still an unresolved issue to date, especially one which arises in a weakly baroclinic environment. Typhoon Winnie （1997） is studied during its extratropical transformation stage of extratropical transition （ET） with observational data and numerical simulations. Results show that Winnie experienced its extratropical transformation to the south of the subtropical high without intrusion of the mid-latitude baroclinic zone. This is significantly different from previous studies. Analyses reveal that the cold air, which appeared in the north edge of Winnie circulation, resulted from the precipitation drag and cooling effect of latent heat absorption associated with the intense precipitation there. The cooling only happened below 3 km and the greatest cooling was below 1 km. With the cold air and its advection by the circulation of Winnie, a front was formed in the lower troposphere. The front above is related not only to the cooling in the lower level but also to the warming effect of latent heat release in the middle-upper levels. The different temperature variation in the vertical caused the temperature gradient over Winnie and resulted in the baroclinicity.     

A Study on a Heavy Rainfall Event Triggered by an Inverted Typhoon Trough in Shandong Province

A heavy rainfall event that occurred in Shandong Province in 26 28 August 2004 was caused mainly by Typhoon Acre and cold air activities related to a westerly trough. The event was triggered by an inverted typhoon trough, which was closely associated with the intensification of the low-level southeasterly flow and the northward transport of heat and momentum in the periphery of the typhoon low. A numerical simulation of this event is performed using the nonhydrostatic mesoscale model MM5 with two-way interactive and triply-nested grids, and the structure of the inverted typhoon trough is studied. Furthermore, the formation and development mechanism of the inverted typhoon trough and a mesoscale vortex are discussed through a vorticity budget analysis. The results show that the heavy rainfall was induced by the strong convergence between the strong and weak winds within the inverted typhoon trough. Dynamic effects of the low-level jet and the diabatic heating of precipitation played an important role in the development of the inverted typhoon trough and the formation of the mesoscale vortex. The vorticity budget analysis suggests that the divergence term in the low troposphere, the horizontal advection term, and the convection term in the middle troposphere were main contributors to positive vorticity. Nonetheless, at the same pressure level, the effect of the divergence term and that of the adveetion term were opposite to each other. In the middle troposphere, the vertical transport term made a positive contribution while the tilting term made a negative contribution, and the total vorticity tendency was the net result of their counteractions. It is found that the change tendency of the relative vorticity was not uniform horizontally. A strong positive vorticity tendency occurred in the southeast of the mesoscale vortex, which is why the heavy rainfall was concentrated there. The increase of positive vorticity in the low （upper） troposphere was caused by horizontal convergence （upward transport of vorticity from the lower troposphere）. Therefore, the development of the inverted typhoon trough and the formation of the mesoscale vortex were mainly attributed to the vorticity generated in the low troposphere, and also the vertical transport of vorticity from the low and middle troposphere.     

Modulation of Tropical Cyclone Activity Over the Northwestern Pacific Through the Quasi-Biweekly Oscillation

The quasi-biweekly oscillation (QBWO) is the second most dominant intraseasonal mode for circulation over the Northwestern Pacific (WNP) during boreal summer. In this study, we investigated how the QBWO modulates tropical cyclone (TC) activities over the WNP from dynamic and thermodynamic perspectives. The propagation of the QBWO can be divided into four phases through empirical orthogonal function analysis of the vorticity at 850 hPa, which was proven to be effective in extracting the QBWO signal. TC generation and landings are significantly enhanced during the active period (phases 1 and 2) relative to the inactive period (phases 3 and 4). Composite analyses show the QBWO could significantly modulate TC activity as it propagates northwestward by changing the atmospheric circulation at both high and low levels. Cumulus convection provides an important link between TCs and the QBWO. The major component of the atmosphere heat source is found to be the latent heat release of convection. The condensation latent heat centers, vertical circulation, and water vapor flux divergence cooperate well during different phases of the QBWO. The vertical profile of the condensation latent heat indicates upper-level heating (cooling) during the active (inactive) phases of the QBWO. Thus, the northwestward propagation of the QBWO can modulate TC activity by affecting the configuration of atmospheric heating over the WNP.     

STUDY ON SENSITIVITY OF WIND FIELD VARIATION TO STRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF CONVECTIVE STORMS

A numerical experiment was carried out on individual cases of severe convections in the Jianghuai area under cold vortex on April 28, 2015 in order to study the impact of wind field variations at the middle and low troposphere on the development and structure of storms. The results show that the structure and development of convective storm is highly sensitive to the changes of wind fields, and the adjustment of wind field at the middle or low troposphere will lead to significant changes in the development and intensity of storms. When the wind field at the middle or low troposphere is weakened, the convective development suffers different degrees of attenuation compared with the control experiment, and the ways of attenuation of the two levels are different. In the attenuation test of wind field at the middle level, convection is obviously weak at all stages of its development, while for the wind field at the low level, the convective development is weak only in the initial development stage of storm. On the contrary, the enhancement of the wind field at the middle or low troposphere is conducive to the development of convection, especially the enhancement of the wind field at the middle troposphere. In comparison, the convection develops rapidly in this test, as the most intensive one. The wind field variations have a significant impact on the structure and organization of the storm. The enhancement of the wind field at the middle troposphere makes for the intension of the middle-level swirl of convective storm, the reduction of the storm scale, and the organized evolution of convection. The development of the wind field at the low level troposphere is conducive to the development of the low-level secondary circulation of the storm and the cyclonic vorticity at the middle and low levels at the inflowing side.     

Diagnosis of the forcing of inertial-gravity waves in a severe convection system

The non-hydrostatic wave equation set in Cartesian coordinates is rearranged to gain insight into wave generation in a mesoscale severe convection system. The wave equation is characterized by a wave operator on the lhs, and forcing involving three terms—linear and nonlinear terms, and diabatic heating—on the rhs. The equation was applied to a case of severe convection that occurred in East China. The calculation with simulation data showed that the diabatic forcing and linear and nonlinear forcing presented large magnitude at different altitudes in the severe convection region. Further analysis revealed the diabatic forcing due to condensational latent heating had an important influence on the generation of gravity waves in the middle and lower levels. The linear forcing resulting from the Laplacian of potential-temperature linear forcing was dominant in the middle and upper levels. The nonlinear forcing was determined by the Laplacian of potential-temperature nonlinear forcing. Therefore, the forcing of gravity waves was closely associated with the thermodynamic processes in the severe convection case. The reason may be that, besides the vertical component of pressure gradient force, the vertical oscillation of atmospheric particles was dominated by the buoyancy for inertial gravity waves. The latent heating and potential-temperature linear and nonlinear forcing played an important role in the buoyancy tendency. Consequently, these thermodynamic elements influenced the evolution of inertial-gravity waves.     

Diurnal Variation of Tropical Convection during TOGA COARE IOP

Diurnal variation of tropical convection and kinematic and thermodynamic conditions was investigated for different large-scale environments of the convectively active and inactive periods by using satellite observations and surface measurements during the Intensive Observation Period （IOP） of the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere/Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment （TOGA/COARE）. During the convectively active period, the features of nocturnal convection appear in vertical profiles of convergence, vertical velocity, heat source, and moisture sink. The specific humidity increases remarkably in the middle troposphere at dawn. On the other hand, the altitude of maximum convergence and that of the upward motion is lower during the convectively inactive period. The specific humidity peaks in the lower troposphere in the daytime and decreases in the middle troposphere. Spectral analyses of the time series of the infrared （IR） brightness temperature （TBB） and amounts of rainfall suggest multiscale temporal variation with a prominent diurnal cycle over land and oceanic regions such as the Intensive Flux Array （IFA） and the South Pacific Convergence Zone （SPCZ）. Over land, the daily maximum of deep convection associated with cloud top temperature less than 208 K appears at midnight due to the daytime radiative heating and the sea-land breeze. Over the ocean, convection usually tends to occur at dawn for the convectively active period while in the afternoon during the inactive period. Comparing the diurnal variation of convection with large-scale variables, the authors inferred that moisture in the middle troposphere contributes mostly to the development of nocturnal convection over the ocean during the convectively active period.     

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.