Modeling the hydroclimatology of the midwestern United States. Part 1: current climate

An ensemble of six 22-year numerical experiments was conducted to evaluate the ability of Regional Climate Model version 3 (RegCM3) to simulate the energy and water budgets of the midwestern United States. RegCM3 was run using two surface physics schemes: Integrated Biosphere Simulator (IBIS) and Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme 1e (BATS1e), and two convective closure assumptions: Fritsch & Chappell (FC80) and Arakawa & Schubert (AS74). Boundary conditions were provided by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-Department of Energy Reanalysis 2 dataset and the ECHAM5 general circulation model. A companion paper examines the American Midwest under future climate scenarios. Overall, the model that reproduces the observed seasonal cycles of the midwestern United States climate system best is RegCM3 using IBIS and the AS74 convective closure assumption. IBIS simulates shortwave radiation more accurately, while BATS1e simulates longwave radiation more accurately. Summer two-meter air temperature is overestimated by the combination of IBIS and the FC80 convective closure assumption. All models contain a wet bias and overestimate evapotranspiration during the spring. Total runoff, surface runoff, groundwater runoff, and root zone soil moisture are best simulated by RegCM3 using IBIS and the AS74 convective closure assumption. While BATS1e does capture the seasonal cycle of total runoff, gross errors in the partitioning of total runoff between surface runoff and groundwater runoff exist. The seasonal cycle of root zone soil moisture simulated by RegCM3 using IBIS and the AS74 convective closure assumption is dry, but agrees with observations during the summer. The rest of the models underestimate root zone soil moisture.     

The general circulation model precipitation bias over the southwestern equatorial Indian Ocean and its implications for simulating the South Asian monsoon

Most of current general circulation models (GCMs) show a remarkable positive precipitation bias over the southwestern equatorial Indian Ocean (SWEIO), which can be thought of as a westward expansion of the simulated IO convergence zone toward the coast of Africa. The bias is common to both coupled and uncoupled models, suggesting that its origin does not stem from the way boundary conditions are specified. The spatio-temporal evolution of the precipitation and associated three-dimensional atmospheric circulation biases is comprehensively characterized by comparing the GFDL AM3 atmospheric model to observations. It is shown that the oceanic bias, which develops in spring and reduces during the monsoon season, is associated to a consistent precipitation and circulation anomalous pattern over the whole Indian region. In the vertical, the areas are linked by an anomalous Hadley-type meridional circulation, whose northern branch subsides over northeastern India significantly affecting the monsoon evolution (e.g., delaying its onset). This study makes the case that the precipitation bias over the SWEIO is forced by the model excess response to the local meridional sea surface temperature (SST) gradient through enhanced near-surface meridional wind convergence. This is suggested by observational evidence and supported by AM3 sensitivity experiments. The latter show that relaxing the magnitude of the meridional SST gradient in the SWEIO can lead to a significant reduction of both local and large-scale precipitation and circulation biases. The ability of local anomalies over the SWEIO to force a large-scale remote response to the north is further supported by numerical experiments with the GFDL spectral dry dynamical core model. By imposing a realistic anomalous heating source over the SWEIO the model is able to reproduce the main dynamical features of the AM3 bias. These results indicate that improved GCM simulations of the South Asian summer monsoon could be achieved by reducing the springtime model bias over the SWEIO. Deficiencies in the atmospheric model, and in particular in the convective parameterization, are suggested to play a key role. Finally, the important mechanism controlling the simulated precipitation distribution over South Asia found here should be considered in the interpretation and attribution of regional precipitation variation under climate change.     

长江中下游夏季降水与热带对流的关系

本文利用1979～2001年中国160站月平均降水资料、NCEP／NCAR月平均再分析资料，包括OLR资料、500hPa高度场、海平面气压场及850hPa风场，借助相关分析、合成分析研究了长江中下游夏季降水与热带对流活动的关系。结果表明，热带对流活动与长江中下游夏季降水之间呈显著的正相关，即夏季热带对流活动强(弱)，长江中下游降水偏少(多)，易出现干旱(洪涝)。热带对流活动异常引起中、低纬度大气环流系统异常，中、低纬度大气环流系统异常向中、高纬度传播，引起中、高纬度大气环流系统异常，构成东亚地区大气环流异常，导致长江中下游地区夏季降水异常。     

Effects of model resolution and subgrid-scale physics on the simulation of precipitation in the continental United States

We analyze simulations of the global climate performed at a range of spatial resolutions to assess the effects of horizontal spatial resolution on the ability to simulate precipitation in the continental United States. The model investigated is the CCM3 general circulation model. We also preliminarily assess the effect of replacing cloud and convective parameterizations in a coarse-resolution (T42) model with an embedded cloud-system resolving model (CSRM). We examine both spatial patterns of seasonal-mean precipitation and daily time scale temporal variability of precipitation in the continental United States. For DJF and SON, high-resolution simulations produce spatial patterns of seasonal-mean precipitation that agree more closely with observed precipitation patterns than do results from the same model (CCM3) at coarse resolution. However, in JJA and MAM, there is little improvement in spatial patterns of seasonal-mean precipitation with increasing resolution, particularly in the southeast USA. This is because of the dominance of convective (i.e., parameterized) precipitation in these two seasons. We further find that higher-resolution simulations have more realistic daily precipitation statistics. In particular, the well-known tendency at coarse resolution to have too many days with weak precipitation and not enough intense precipitation is partially eliminated in higher-resolution simulations. However, even at the highest resolution examined here (T239), the simulated intensity of the mean and of high-percentile daily precipitation amounts is too low. This is especially true in the southeast USA, where the most extreme events occur. A new GCM, in which a cloud-resolving model (CSRM) is embedded in each grid cell and replaces convective and stratiform cloud parameterizations, solves this problem, and actually produces too much precipitation in the form of extreme events. However, in contrast to high-resolution versions of CCM3, this model produces little improvement in spatial patterns of seasonal-mean precipitation compared to models at the same resolution using traditional parameterizations.     

The effect of horizontal resolution on simulation of very extreme US precipitation events in a global atmosphere model

We investigate the ability of a global atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) to reproduce observed 20 year return values of the annual maximum daily precipitation totals over the continental United States as a function of horizontal resolution. We find that at the high resolutions enabled by contemporary supercomputers, the AGCM can produce values of comparable magnitude to high quality observations. However, at the resolutions typical of the coupled general circulation models used in the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the precipitation return values are severely underestimated.     

Climatology of summer midtropospheric perturbations in the U.S. northern plains. Part I: influence on northwest flow severe weather outbreaks

Northwest flow severe weather outbreaks (NWF outbreaks) describe a type of summer convective storm that occurs in areas of mid-level NWF in the central United States. Convective storms associated with NWF outbreaks often travel a long distance systematically along a northwest-southeast oriented track across the northern plains. Previous studies have observed that these migrating convective storms are frequently coupled with subsynoptic-scale midtropospheric perturbations (MPs) initiated over the Rocky Mountains. This study traces MPs for the decade of 1997–2006 using the North American Regional Reanalysis to examine their climatology and possible influence on NWF outbreaks. MPs are characterized by a well organized divergent circulation with persistent ascending motion at the leading edge promoting convection. The divergent circulation is further enhanced by low-level convergence along the northern terminus of the Great Plains low-level jet. The downstream propagation of MPs assists in forming the progressive feature of the associated convective storms. MPs have a maximum frequency in July, consistent with NWF outbreaks. In July and August, the fully developed North American anticyclone produces prevailing NWF over the northern plains, where up to 60% of rainfall and storm reports are linked to MPs. The movement, timing and rainfall distribution of MPs remarkably resemble those of NWF outbreaks. When encountering strong low-level jets, ascending motion and convergence of water vapor flux associated with MPs intensify considerably and precipitation is greatly enhanced. It is likely that NWF outbreaks are generated whenever MPs occur in association with strong low-level jets.     

Effects of Land Use on the Climate of the United States

Land use practices have replaced much of the natural needleleaf evergreen, broadleaf deciduous, and mixed forests of the Eastern United States with crops. To a lesser extent, the natural grasslands in the Central United States have also been replaced with crops. Simulations with a land surface process model coupled to an atmospheric general circulation model show that the climate of the United States with modern vegetation is significantly different from that with natural vegetation. Three important climate signals caused by modern vegetation are: (1) 1 °C cooling over the Eastern United States and 1 °C warming over the Western United States in spring; (2) summer cooling of up to 2 °C over a wide region of the Central United States; and (3) moistening of the near-surface atmosphere by 0.5 to 1.5 g kg^-1over much of the United States in spring and summer. Although individual months show large, statistically significant differences in precipitation due to land-use practices, these differences average out over the course of the 3-month seasons. These changes in surface temperature and moisture extend well into the atmosphere, up to 500 mb, and affect the boundary layer and atmospheric circulation. The altered climate is due to reduced surface roughness, reduced leaf and stem area index, reduced stomatal resistance, and increased surface albedo with modern vegetation compared to natural vegetation. The climate change caused by land use practices is comparable to other well known anthropogenic climate forcings. For example, it would take 100 to 175 years at the current, observed rate of summer warming over the United States to offset the cooling from deforestation. The summer sulfate aerosol forcing completely offsets the greenhouse forcing over the Eastern United States. Similarly, the climatic effect of North American deforestation, with extensive summer cooling, further offsets the greenhouse forcing.     

形成2015年浙江省梅汛期暴雨的控制环流及梅雨锋结构

本文利用NCEP/NCAR全球再分析逐日资料、地面观测资料和自动站降水资料,在分析了2015年浙江省梅汛期强降水特征、水汽输送和局地环流的基础上,从西南季风进退、副热带高压、南亚高压及西风带波动等方面对2015年形成梅汛期暴雨的控制环流进行了分析。结果表明：2015年整个浙江省梅汛期降水量较常年显著偏多,浙江中部地区降水量比历史同期偏多接近一倍。丰沛的水汽从孟加拉湾经中南半岛向东输送,与西太平洋副热带高压西侧的西南气流相合并,在梅雨锋南侧形成异常辐合,为强降水提供了水汽条件。这次持续强降水由三次强降水过程构成并由西风辐合型锋生引起。第二次强降水过程中大气强对流性不稳定利于梅雨锋上中尺度对流系统发展,导致强降水呈现明显的局地性。而第一次和第三次过程中梅雨带附近大气基本处于对流稳定或中性,以斜压性降水为主。在对流层低层,副高较常年偏东偏南,其西北侧西南暖湿气流与北侧冷空气交汇于浙江省,利于梅汛期强降水集中期的出现。在对流层上层的南亚高压较常年位置偏东,其北侧的西风急流强度偏强,东亚急流核入口区右侧的强辐散利于造成强烈的上升运动。在对流层中层,贝加尔湖阻高的东侧有明显的波动能量向东向南传播并在长江中下游积聚,利于浙江地区扰动的维持,形成持续稳定的梅雨锋和中低空切变线,造成梅雨强降水过程的持续。2015年春夏季热带中东太平洋海温正异常分布有利于梅汛期降水偏多的异常环流的形成。     

A methodology study of the validation of clouds in GCMs using ISCCP satellite observations

The cloudiness fields simulated by a general circulation model and a validation using the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) satellite observations are presented. An adapted methodology is developed, in which the issue of the sub-grid scale variability of the cloud fields, and how it may affect the comparison exercise, is considered carefully. In particular different assumptions about the vertical overlap of cloud layers are made, allowing us to reconstruct the cloud distribution inside a model grid column. Carrying out an analysis directly comparable to that of ISCCP then becomes possible. The relevance of this method is demonstrated by its application to the evaluation of the cloud schemes used in Laboratoire de Météoroligie Dynamique (LMD) general circulation model. We compare cloud properties, such as cloud-top height and cloud optical thickness, analysed by ISCCP and simulated by the LMD GCM. The results show that a direct comparison of simulated low cloudiness and that shown from satellites is not possible. They also reveal some model deficiencies concerning the cloud vertical distribution. Some of these features depend little on the cloud overlap assumption and may reveal inadequate parameterisation of the boundary layer mixing or the cloud water precipitation rate. High convective clouds also appear to be too thick.     

Simulating the impact of the large-scale circulation on the 2-m temperature and precipitation climatology

The impact of the simulated large-scale atmospheric circulation on the regional climate is examined using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model as a regional climate model. The purpose is to understand the potential need for interior grid nudging for dynamical downscaling of global climate model (GCM) output for air quality applications under a changing climate. In this study we downscale the NCEP-Department of Energy Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP-II) Reanalysis using three continuous 20-year WRF simulations: one simulation without interior grid nudging and two using different interior grid nudging methods. The biases in 2-m temperature and precipitation for the simulation without interior grid nudging are unreasonably large with respect to the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) over the eastern half of the contiguous United States (CONUS) during the summer when air quality concerns are most relevant. This study examines how these differences arise from errors in predicting the large-scale atmospheric circulation. It is demonstrated that the Bermuda high, which strongly influences the regional climate for much of the eastern half of the CONUS during the summer, is poorly simulated without interior grid nudging. In particular, two summers when the Bermuda high was west (1993) and east (2003) of its climatological position are chosen to illustrate problems in the large-scale atmospheric circulation anomalies. For both summers, WRF without interior grid nudging fails to simulate the placement of the upper-level anticyclonic (1993) and cyclonic (2003) circulation anomalies. The displacement of the large-scale circulation impacts the lower atmosphere moisture transport and precipitable water, affecting the convective environment and precipitation. Using interior grid nudging improves the large-scale circulation aloft and moisture transport/precipitable water anomalies, thereby improving the simulated 2-m temperature and precipitation. The results demonstrate that constraining the RCM to the large-scale features in the driving fields improves the overall accuracy of the simulated regional climate, and suggest that in the absence of such a constraint, the RCM will likely misrepresent important large-scale shifts in the atmospheric circulation under a future climate.     

Coupling of latent heat flux and the greenhouse effect by large-scale tropical/subtropical dynamics diagnosed in a set of observations and model simulations

Coupled variability of the greenhouse effect (GH) and latent heat flux (LHF) over the tropical – subtropical oceans is described, summarized and compared in observations and a coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation model (CGCM). Coupled seasonal and interannual modes account for much of the total variability in both GH and LHF. In both observations and model, seasonal coupled variability is locally 180° out-of-phase throughout the tropics. Moisture is brought into convergent/convective regions from remote source areas located partly in the opposite, non-convective hemisphere. On interannual time scales, the tropical Pacific GH in the ENSO region of largest interannual variance is 180° out of phase with local LHF in observations but in phase in the model. A local source of moisture is thus present in the model on interannual time scales while in observations, moisture is mostly advected from remote source regions. The latent cooling and radiative heating of the surface as manifested in the interplay of LHF and GH is an important determinant of the current climate. Moreover, the hydrodynamic processes involved in the GH–LHF interplay determine in large part the climate response to external perturbations mainly through influencing the water vapor feedback but also through their intimate connection to the hydrological cycle. The diagnostic process proposed here can be performed on other CGCMs. Similarly, it should be repeated using a number of observational latent heat flux datasets to account for the variability in the different satellite retrievals. A realistic CGCM could be used to further study these coupled dynamics in natural and anthropogenically altered climate conditions.     

Measuring the effect of overgrazing in the Sonoran Desert

Long term overgrazing in Mexico has caused a sharp discontinuity in vegetative cover along the international border in the semi-arid Sonoran Desert. The United States side, protected from overgrazing by the Taylor Act since 1934, exhibits longer, more plentiful grasses and less bare soil than adjoining Mexican lands. Satellite- and ground-based datasets were used in a multi-scale examination of the differential radiative and reflective characteristics of the two regimes. The more exposed Mexican landscape dries more rapidly than the United States following summer convective precipitation. After about three days, depletion of soil moisture evokes a period of higher surface and air temperatures in Mexico. Good correspondence was found between remote and in situ measures of surface temperature and biomass.     

Effects of climate on numbers of northern prairie wetlands

The amount of water held in individual wetland basins depends not only on local climate patterns but also on groundwater flow regime, soil permeability, and basin size. Most wetland basins in the northern prairies hold water in some years and are dry in others. To assess the potential effect of climate change on the number of wetland basins holding water in a given year, one must first determine how much of the variability in number of wet basins is accounted for by climatic variables. I used multiple linear regression to examine the relationship between climate variables and percentage of wet basins throughout the Prairie Pothole Region of Canada and the United States. The region was divided into three areas: parkland, Canadian grassland, and United States grassland (i.e., North Dakota and South Dakota). The models - which included variables for spring and fall temperature, yearly precipitation, the previous year's count of wet basins, and for grassland areas, the previous fall precipitation - accounted for 63 to 65% of the variation in the number of wet basins. I then explored the sensitivities of the models to changes in temperature and precipitation, as might be associated with increased greenhouse gas concentrations. Parkland wetlands are shown to be much more vulnerable to increased temperatures than are wetlands in either Canadian or United States grasslands. Sensitivity to increased precipitation did not vary geographically. These results have implications for waterfowl and other wildlife populations that depend on availability of wetlands in the parklands for breeding or during periods of drought in the southern grasslands.The U.S. Government right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty-free license in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

Explicit and parameterized episodes of warm-season precipitation over the continental United States

This paper describes explicit and parameterized simulations of midsummer precipitation over the continental United States for two distinct episodes： moderate large-scale forcing and weak forcing. The objective is to demonstrate the capability of explicit convection at currently affordable grid-resolution and compare it with parameterized realizations. Under moderate forcing, 3-kin grid-resolution explicit simulations represent rainfall coherence remarkably well. The observed daily convective generation near the Continental Divide and the subsequent organization and propagation are reproduced qualitatively. The propagation speed, zonal extent and duration of the rainfall streaks compare favorably with their observed counterparts, although the streak frequency is underestimated. The simulations at -10-km grid-resolution applying conventional convective parameterization schemes also replicate reasonably well the diurnal convective regeneration in moderate forcing. The performance of the 3-km grid-resolution model demonstrates the potential of -1-km-resolution explicit cloud-resolving models for the prediction of warm season precipitation for moderately forced environments. In weak forcing conditions, however, predictions of precipitation coherence and diurnal variability are much poorer. This suggests that an even finer resolution explicit model is required to adequately treat convective initiation and upscale organization typical of the warm season over the continental U.S.     

Associations between the Autumn Arctic Sea Ice and North American Winter Precipitation

Associations between the autumn Arctic sea ice concentrations (SICs) and North American winter precipitation were examined using singular value decomposition. The results show that a reduced SIC in the majority of the Arctic is accompanied by dry conditions over the Great Plains, the southern United States, Mexico, eastern Alaska, and southeastern Greenland, and by wet conditions over the majority of Canada, the northeastern United States, and the majority of Greenland. Atmospheric circulation anomalies associated with the SIC variability show a wave train structure that is persistent from autumn to winter and is responsible for the covariability between the autumn Arctic SICs and North American winter precipitation. This relationship suggests a potential long-term outlook for the North American winter precipitation.     

青藏高原那曲地区夏季一次对流云降水过程的云微物理及区域水分收支特征

第三次青藏高原科学试验针对高原夏季云和降水物理过程开展了大量观测研究,为进一步揭示高原云微物理结构、云中水分转化和区域水分收支特征,本文采用中尺度数值预报模式（WRF）并结合高原试验期间的各种观测资料,对那曲观测试验区2014年7月5~6日的一次较为典型的夏季对流云降水过程进行了数值模拟研究。结果表明WRF模式能够基本再现高原夏季对流云的发展演变过程以及降水的日变化特征。模拟结果显示高原夏季对流云中具有较高的过冷云水和霰粒子含量,冰相过程在高原云和降水的形成和发展中具有十分重要的作用,地面降水主要由霰粒子融化产生。暖雨过程对降水的直接贡献很小,但在霰胚形成中具有十分重要的作用。霰粒子胚胎的形成主要来源于冰晶与过冷雨滴的撞冻过程,雪粒子和过冷雨水的碰冻转化及过冷雨滴的均质冻结贡献相对较小。霰粒子的增长过程在12 km（-40℃）以上层主要依靠对冰晶、雪粒子的聚并收集过程,而在其下层的增长过程主要依赖对过冷云水的凇附增长,对雪粒子的聚并收集和凝华增长过程较小。高原那曲地区净水汽收支为正,日平均降水转化率可达20.75%,接近长江下游地区,高于华北、西北地区。该地区日降水再循环率为10.92%,说明局地蒸发的水汽对高原降水的水汽来源具有一定的贡献,但高原降水的90%仍然由外界输入的水汽转化形成。     

Sensitivity of Precipitation in Aqua-Planet Experiments with an AGCM

The sensitivity of precipitation was studied by conducting control aqua-planet experiments(APEs) with a model to determine atmospheric general circulation.The model includes two versions: that with a spectral dynamical core(SAMIL) and that with a finite-volume dynamical core(FAMIL).Three factors were investigated including dynamical core,time-step length,and horizontal resolution.Numerical results show that the dynamical core significantly affects the structure of zonal averaged precipitation.FAMIL exhibited an equatorial precipitation belt with a single narrow peak,and SAMIL showed a broader belt with double peaks.Moreover,the time step of the model physics is shown to affect the zonal-averaged tropical convective precipitation ratio such that a longer time step leads to more production and consumption of convective available potential energy and convection initiated away from the equator,which corresponds to equatorial double peaks of precipitation.Further,precipitation is determined to be sensitive to horizontal resolution such that higher horizontal resolution allows for more small-scale kinetic energy to be resolved and leads to a broader probability distribution of low-level vertical velocity.This process results in heavier rainfall and convective precipitation extremes in the tropics.Abstract The sensitivity of precipitation was studied by conducting control aqua-planet experiments(APEs)with a model to determine atmospheric general circulation.The model includes two versions:that with a spectral dynamical core(SAMIL)and that with a finite-volume dynamical core(FAMIL).Three factors were investigated including dynamical core,time-step length,and horizontal resolution.Numerical results show that the dynamical core significantly affects the structure of zonal averaged precipitation.FAMIL exhibited an equatorial precipitation belt with a single narrow peak,and SAMIL showed a broader belt with double peaks.Moreover,the time step of the model physics is shown to affect the zonal-averaged tropical convective precipitation ratio such that a longer time step leads to more production and consumption of convective available potential energy and convection initiated away from the equator,which corresponds to equatorial double peaks of precipitation.Further,precipitation is determined to be sensitive to horizontal resolution such that higher horizontal resolution allows for more small-scale kinetic energy to be resolved and leads to a broader probability distribution of low-level vertical velocity.This process results in heavier rainfall and convective precipitation extremes in the tropics.     

A mass flux closure function in a GCM based on the Richardson number

A mass flux closure in a general circulation model (GCM) was developed in terms of the mean gradient Richardson number (GRN), which is defined as the ratio between the buoyancy and the shear-driven kinetic energy in the planetary boundary layer. The cloud resolving model (CRM) simulations using the tropical ocean and global atmosphere-coupled ocean–atmosphere response experiment forcing show that cloud-base mass flux is well correlated with the GRN. Using the CRM simulations, a mass flux closure function is formulated as an exponential function of the GRN and it is implemented in the Arakawa–Schubert convective scheme. The GCM simulations with the new mass flux closure are compared to those of the GCM with the conventional mass flux closure based on convective available potential energy. Because of the exponential function, the new closure permits convective precipitation only when the GRN has a sufficiently large value. When the GRN has a relatively small value, the convection is suppressed while the convective instability is released by large-scale precipitation. As a result, the ratio of convective precipitation to total precipitation is reduced and there is an increase in the frequency of heavy precipitation, more similar to the observations. The new closure also improves the diurnal cycle of precipitation due to a time delay of the large GRN with respect to convective instability.     

基于TRMM PR探测的夏季合肥地区降水特征分析

利用热带测雨卫星TRMM搭载的测雨雷达（PR）1998-2012年的观测资料,研究了合肥地区夏季（6、7、8月）不同类型降水的降水强度和频次的水平空间分布、降水垂直结构、日变化特征以及气候变化等特征,揭示了城市化效应造成城市及其周边区域降水特征在时空上的分布差异。研究结果表明,（1）主城区对流和层云降水强度低于周边区域,对流降水频次也低于周边区域,但层云降水频次则相反。可见城市化发展是改变降水的空间分布的因素之一,且对不同的降水类型空间分布影响不同。（2）主城区降水回波信号高度高于周边区域,而降水强度低于周边区域,表明城市效应促进降水云发展而未造成降水强度增强。（3）合肥地区对流和层云降水的强度和频次日循环存在时空分布不均匀性,其中城区的对流降水强度和频次日循环与城市热岛效应日循环具有一致性。总体来看,城市化对局地降水强度影响较大,而对局地降水频次的总体影响不是很明显。（4）通过降水气候变化分析表明,城区两种类型降水强度和频次均呈逐年下降趋势,周边区域降水强度呈不显著上升趋势,降水频次呈逐年下降趋势,其中层云降水频次下降趋势较显著。城市化进程使得城市及其周边区域降水不均匀性逐年增强。极端降水空间分布特征分析表明,城市周边区域强降水频次高于主城区,尤其在城市的下风区高出主城区75%;而周边区域弱降水发生的频次低于主城区,城市下风区最低,低于主城区约18%。     

The Effects of Model Resolution on the Simulation of Regional Climate Extreme Events

The fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University/NCAR Mesoscale Model Version 3 (MM5V3) was used to simulate extreme heavy rainfall events over the Yangtze River Basin in June 1999. The effects of model's horizontal and vertical resolution on the extreme climate events were investigated in detail. In principle, the model was able to characterize the spatial distribution of monthly heavy precipitation. The results indicated that the increase in horizontal resolution could reduce the bias of the modeled heavy rain and reasonably simulate the change of daily precipitation during the study period. A finer vertical resolution led to obviously improve rainfall simulations with smaller biases, and hence, better resolve heavy rainfall events. The increase in both horizontal and vertical resolution could produce better predictions of heavy rainfall events. Not only the rainfall simulation altered in the cases of different horizontal and vertical grid spacing, but also other meteorological fields demonstrated diverse variations in terms of resolution change in the model. An evident improvement in the simulated sea level pressure resulted from the increase of horizontal resolution, but the simulation was insensitive to vertical grid spacing. The increase in vertical resolution could enhance the simulation of surface temperature as well as atmospheric circulation at low levels, while the simulation of circulation at middle and upper levels were found to be much less dependent on changing resolution. In addition, cumulus parameterization schemes showed high sensitivity to horizontal resolution. Different convective schemes exhibited large discrepancies in rainfall simulations with regards to changing resolution. The percentage of convective precipitation in the Grell scheme increased with increasing horizontal resolution. In contrast, the Kain-Fritsch scheme caused a reduced ratio of convective precipitation to total rainfall accumulations corresponding to increasing horizontal resolution.