Monsoon circulation interaction with Western Ghats orography under changing climate

In this study, the authors have investigated the likely future changes in the summer monsoon over the Western Ghats (WG) orographic region of India in response to global warming, using time-slice simulations of an ultra high-resolution global climate model and climate datasets of recent past. The model with approximately 20-km mesh horizontal resolution resolves orographic features on finer spatial scales leading to a quasi-realistic simulation of the spatial distribution of the present-day summer monsoon rainfall over India and trends in monsoon rainfall over the west coast of India. As a result, a higher degree of confidence appears to emerge in many aspects of the 20-km model simulation, and therefore, we can have better confidence in the validity of the model prediction of future changes in the climate over WG mountains. Our analysis suggests that the summer mean rainfall and the vertical velocities over the orographic regions of Western Ghats have significantly weakened during the recent past and the model simulates these features realistically in the present-day climate simulation. Under future climate scenario, by the end of the twenty-first century, the model projects reduced orographic precipitation over the narrow Western Ghats south of 16°N that is found to be associated with drastic reduction in the southwesterly winds and moisture transport into the region, weakening of the summer mean meridional circulation and diminished vertical velocities. We show that this is due to larger upper tropospheric warming relative to the surface and lower levels, which decreases the lapse rate causing an increase in vertical moist static stability (which in turn inhibits vertical ascent) in response to global warming. Increased stability that weakens vertical velocities leads to reduction in large-scale precipitation which is found to be the major contributor to summer mean rainfall over WG orographic region. This is further corroborated by a significant decrease in the frequency of moderate-to-heavy rainfall days over WG which is a typical manifestation of the decrease in large-scale precipitation over this region. Thus, the drastic reduction of vertical ascent and weakening of circulation due to ??upper tropospheric warming effect?? predominates over the ??moisture build-up effect?? in reducing the rainfall over this narrow orographic region. This analysis illustrates that monsoon rainfall over mountainous regions is strongly controlled by processes and parameterized physics which need to be resolved with adequately high resolution for accurate assessment of local and regional-scale climate change.     

地形对降水的影响研究概述

简要回顾了近些年来有关地形对降水影响的研究进展。介绍了地形的动力效应和热力效应,详细分析了地形的动力、热力效应引起的降水和云物理变化。重点分析了地形对气候尺度、天气尺度、中尺度及对流性天气系统降水的影响。简单地讨论了在研究地形对降水影响时观测分析、气候统计、理论分析及数值模拟方面存在的问题及其未来发展前景。     

Interaction of Orographic Disturbance with Front

1.IntroductionTheimportanceoforographiceffectsonfrontwasrecognizedintheearly20thcentury.Butforthecomplexityofthisproblem,theinvestigationoforographiceffectsonfrontfromdynamicalviewpointisnottakenuntilthe1980s.Bannon(1983)derivedanalyticalsolutionsforthequasi--geostrophicfrontforcedbyahorizontalwinddeformationfieldthatmovesoveratwo--dimensionalmountainridge.Thesolutionsshowthatasacoldfrontapproachestheridge,itweakens,relativetotheflat--bottomsolution,andthefrontstrengthensasitmovesdowntothelees…     

台风Rananim登陆期间地形对其降水和结构影响的数值模拟试验

应用非静力平衡中尺度模式MM5(V3.6),对0414号台风Rananim在登陆期间移动路径和所产生的降水进行了数值模拟研究,模式较好地再现了台风Rananim的移动路径和所产生的降水,但模拟的过程降雨量与实况值还有所偏差。多普勒雷达探测资料表明,台风Rananim登陆期间,强回波带出现在台风移动的右前方,螺旋云带中镶嵌着大量的对流云团;垂直液态水含量的高值区出现在台风中心的西北侧。作者通过在浙江、福建东部沿海一带进行有无地形的数值对比试验,着重讨论了台风登陆期间地形对台风降水、台风结构特征变化的影响。结果表明:（1）台风登陆期间, 地形的影响对台风降雨量有明显的增幅作用。由地形强迫产生的降雨量和地形走向相一致,迎风坡降雨量增加,背风坡降雨量减少,地形影响使浙江东部一带增加的平均降雨量约占该地区模拟平均总降雨量的40%左右。（2）台风登陆期间,地形的强迫作用有利于在低层台风眼的西北侧形成明显的辐合带,高层为明显的辐散区;在中尺度环流场上,地形的影响有利于台风中心西北侧低层中尺度气旋性涡旋系统的发生发展,从而激发中尺度对流云团,形成中尺度雨团,造成了台风中心南北雨区和雨量的不对称分布。（3）地形的强迫作用,可以使台风流场局部发生改变。当地形强迫产生与台风环流同向的中尺度扰动时,将使台风环流局部明显增强;当地形强迫产生与台风环流反向的中尺度扰动时,将使台风环流局部明显减弱。（4）台风登陆期间,地形的影响可以使台风靠近陆地一侧眼壁内的垂直上升速度增大,位涡明显增强,从而造成台风涡旋的增强。     

长江中下游中尺度云团演变过程的数值模拟

本文用中尺度五层原始方程模式，模拟了长江中下游中尺度云团的生成、强盛和减弱。结果表明，由这个模式，用实测大尺度资料，可以模拟出伴有暴雨的云团演变过程。此外，对于原模式作了一些改动，加进了地形作用。与无地形的数值试验相比，地形作用有利于在长江中下游形成一条近于东西方向的切变线，对系统的发展有促进作用。     

三峡坛子岭单点地面矢量风分析

利用UVW三轴风速仪三峡坛子岭单点地面风观测资料分析了三峡坝区地面风速量值、风向风速出现频率分布、风的日变化规律等，并根据这些观测资料、结合一些地形风理论知识和观测现象推测了三峡坛子岭附近地面风平面流场特征，从而揭示了河道地形回流风这一特殊小地形下的局地风现象。三峡坛子岭附近地面的这种回流风尺度在百米到千米量级，与由于地形热力因子引起的山地风不同，是由于小地形的动力作用引起的，其风向与长江河道引导的山地风相反。     

暴雨过程中中尺度地形作用的数值试验

本文利用美国PSU/NCAR中尺度模式（MM4）对1991年7月4—5日浙西皖南山区的大暴雨过程进行了地形作用的数值模拟对比试验。结果表明，中尺度地形对强降水区的分布和强度有重要影响，强降水中心位于山地附近；地形的动力及屏障作用对气流有明显影响；山区的水汽和热量对静力不稳定亦具有相当作用。     

Numerical experiments investigating the orographic effects on a heavy rainfall event over the northwestern coast of Taiwan during TAMEX IOP 13

An unusual heavy coastal rainfall event (>231?mm?day^?1) occurred during the period of 24?C25 June 1987 over the lowland (elevation less than 200?m) and coastal areas in northwest and central Taiwan. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is used to investigate the role of synoptic forcing, orographic effects and the diurnal heating cycle on the generation of a prefrontal localized low-level convergence zone offshore leading to the observed coastal rainfall maximum. This case is well simulated by the control experiment initialized at 0000 UTC (0800 LST) 24 June 1987 using the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts data. A model sensitivity test without Taiwan??s terrain fails to reproduce the observed coastal rainfall maximum. It is apparent that for this case, synoptic forcing by the Mei-Yu jet/front system is inadequate to initiate deep convection leading to the development of coastal heavy precipitation. The generation of the localized low-level convergence zone is closely related to the simulated strong winds with a large southwesterly wind component (or the barrier jet) along the northwestern coast as the surface front approaches. The development of the simulated barrier jet is due to a 50?C60% increase in the meridional pressure gradient as a result of orographic blocking. The diurnal heating cycle also impacts the strength of the simulated barrier jet over the northwestern Taiwan coast. The simulated barrier jet is stronger (~3?m?s^?1) in the early morning than in the afternoon as orographic blocking is most significant when the surface air is the coldest. The representation of the terrain in the model impacts the simulated barrier jet and rainfall. With a coarse horizontal resolution (45?km), orographic blocking is less significant than the control run with a much weaker meridional wind component over the northwestern coast of Taiwan. The coarse resolution model fails to reproduce the observed rainband off the northwestern coast. Thus, to successfully simulate this type of event, high-resolution mesoscale models adequately depicting Taiwan??s terrain are required.     

ANALYSIS OF CAUSATION OF ASYMMETRIC PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERE TYPHOON DAMREY

Severe typhoon Damrey moved across Hainan Island from 00:00 UTC 25 September to 00:00 UTC 27 September in 2005 and gave rise to a significant rain process during its 48-h passage. The precipitation intensity on the southern part of the island is stronger than that on the northern, showing obvious asymmetric distribution. Using Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) data, the associated mesoscale characteristics of the precipitation were analyzed and the formation of asymmetric rainfall distribution was investigated in the context of a subsynoptic scale disturbance, vertical wind shear and orographic factors. The results are shown as follows. (1) The subsynoptic scale system provided favorable dynamic conditions to the genesis of mesoscale rain clusters and rainbands. (2) The southern Hainan Island was located to the left of the leeward direction of downshear all the time, being favorable to the development of convection and leading to the asymmetric rainfall distribution. (3) Mountain terrain in the southern Hainan Island stimulated the genesis, combination and development of convective cells, promoting the formation of mesoscale precipitation systems and ultimately resulting in rainfall increase in the southern island.     

2008年台风“风神”强迫次级环流的诊断分析

利用WRF（weather research and forecasting）模式模拟资料对2008年06号台风“风神”进行诊断分析,采用准地转PV-ω方程对台风外围中尺度对流系统较强的6月20日10时（世界时）的资料进行分析.通过PV-ω方程诊断了潜热、摩擦及干动力过程对台风次级环流的作用,结果显示潜热强迫产生的次级环流最强,摩擦强迫主要集中在边界层,而干动力过程则在台风中心附近产生影响.加入摩擦、潜热得到的准平衡流场能够描述70％左右的台风环流.环境垂直切变在台风中心附近强迫产生横向次级环流的垂直切变与环境垂直切变相反,次级环流会使得台风一侧的上升气流减弱而另一侧上升气流增强,从而使得台风不对称增强.同时,发现垂直切变可能在其最大垂直切变方向右侧激发台风外围中尺度系统.通过构造理想的准平衡的台风及叠加在其上的中尺度系统环流,选择不同的切变和环境平均气流,发现增大切变会使得强迫次级环流增强,而增大环境平均气流不一定能够使得强迫次级环流增大,反而可能使得强迫次级环流减弱.通过诊断发现由切变强迫次级环流造成的中尺度对流系统上方扰动可能是中尺度对流系统持续存在的原因.     

2006年6月6—7日福建特大暴雨数值模拟和诊断分析

采用PSU／NCAR等共同研制的新一代细网格WRF（WeatherResearchandForecasting）中尺度数值模式,对2006年6月6-7日福建地区出现的一次特大暴雨过程进行了数值模拟,并利用模式输出的高分辨率动力协调资料进行了初步诊断分析。结果表明,中尺度低涡是本次暴雨过程的主要影响系统之一,低涡的时空演变特征与暴雨中心的移动和雨强的变化相一致。暴雨中心的强上升运动及低层辐合、高层辐散的配置有利于中尺度对流系统的发生发展,高低空急流耦合是此次强降雨爆发的重要机制。暴雨区域850hPaθse场呈现典型的“Ω”型,高湿能条件的维持,保证了强降雨过程的能量供给,是强降雨持续的重要条件。暴雨中心位于最大垂直速度中心附近,暴雨区两侧存在垂直的次级环流,对流层中低层负湿位涡区、高层正湿位涡区的配置有利于造成较强烈的中尺度上升运动。     

引发梅雨锋暴雨的频发型中尺度低压(扰动)的诊断研究

利用再分析资料及加密观测资料,对1999年6月下旬有利大尺度环境条件下长江中下游地区梅雨锋上频发的5个中尺度低压(扰动)进行了诊断研究.由合成分析得到了长江中下游地区中尺度低压(扰动)的基本特征(共性);依其特征将之归纳为两种类型;之后选择两个典型个例分析了它们各自发生发展过程中特征的异同(个性).分析结果揭示了梅雨锋中尺度低压(扰动)的动力和热力结构特征、暴雨过程中对流活动的详细过程及典型雨团的路径和生命史.此外,高山站每小时的风记录等信息反映出低空西南急流和其上大风速中心同中尺度低压(扰动)及暴雨发生演变过程有密切关系.高空急流对中尺度低压(扰动)的发展及暴雨有明显的作用,有无高空西风急流与低空急流的耦合似乎是未来发展与不发展中尺度低压(扰动)之间重要的动力学区别之一.     

华东中尺度地形对浙北暴雨影响的模拟研究

以一次梅雨降水为例，利用中尺度模式进行一系列中尺度地形对降水的增幅影响的敏感性试验。结果表明，中尺度地形对强降水区域的分布和强度有很大的影响，强降水中心位于地形附近，地形引起的１２小时降水增幅高达总降水的９０％以上；中尺度地形作为一种外界迫动，初始在低层形成气旋性辐合和水汽热量的集中，然后通过凝结潜热释放所造成的中高层增温和高层辐散，使得地形垂直环流加强和向上伸展。于是在降水、潜热释放与地形垂直环流之间出现一种正反馈机制，导致地形对降水的强烈增幅；同时午后下垫面加热所形成的不稳定层结也有利于地形垂直环流的不稳定发展，产生新的雨峰；初始场的中尺度扰动似乎在降水的地形性增幅中并不起明显作用。     

A Case of Convection Development over the Western Mediterranean Sea: A Study through Numerical Simulations

Summary  A convective case producing heavy precipitation in the western Mediterranean region, characterized by pronounced upper level forcing and main rainfall over the sea, is studied. On the day of the event (September 28^th, 1994), more than 140 mm of precipitation were recorded in coastal lands of eastern Spain, and 180 mm were estimated over the sea with radar data. Synoptically, the case appears to combine warm and moist easterly advection at low levels, typically observed in torrential rainfall events of the region, with a less common strong upper level dynamical forcing. A set of mesoscale numerical simulations using the Hirlam model is performed to investigate the mechanisms responsible for the convection development, and to assess the influence of the orography on the rainfall field. Model output diagnosis indicates that in addition to the lower level forcing, a two-jets interaction is decisive for the triggering and driving of the convection during the event. Moreover, a non-topographic simulation reveals a relatively weak influence of the orography on this event when compared with other similar heavy precipitation cases in eastern Spain. Previous studies have shown an orographic influence of more than 90% on the rainfall whereas in this case about 50% of the precipitation over the area is attributed to the orographic forcing. The study is extended with an analysis of the individual effects of the Atlas and Iberian Peninsula, by means of a factor separation technique. It is shown that the Atlas range induces a redistribution of the precipitation over the Mediterranean, whereas local enhancements can be attributed to the Iberian topography. Received March 2, 1999     

螺旋度诊断分析与短时强降水面雨量预报

利用T106细网格多个基本要素场和物理量预报场，诊断分析高低空Z－螺旋度在暴雨形成中的贡献，结合其他动力、热力物理量场，采用动态方法，建立降水量的逐步回归方程，作未来6小时的面雨量降水预报。     

青藏高原东侧陡峭地形对一次强降水天气过程的影响

利用高分辨率中尺度模式分析资料,研究了青藏高原东侧陡峭地形对一次暴雨天气发生发展的影响。结果显示,青藏高原地形对大气环流的动力阻挡作用形成了本次暴雨过程的水汽输送通道,青藏高原东侧陡峭地形结构造成了四川西北部和黄河上游的强水汽辐合中心,并使低层高能舌和能量锋区位于海拔较低的四川盆地,在四川盆地对流层低层建立起位势不稳定层结。青藏高原东侧陡峭地形结构引起了低层偏东气流强烈的垂直上升运动,最强的垂直上升运动出现在东西风垂直切变与陡峭地形交汇处,激发不稳定能量释放,促使强对流猛烈发展,暴雨过程中高原东侧还有一个中尺度涡旋的发生发展相伴。青藏高原东侧暴雨区最显著的热力特征是高温高湿区域仅出现在对流层低层,最显著的动力特征是强涡度柱也仅出现在对流层低层。     

HLAFS显式云降水方案及其对暴雨和云的模拟(II)暴雨和云的模拟

在HLAFS业务数值预报模式的动力框架下,利用文章(I)所述的显式云降水方案,对一次暴雨过程和伴随着的云物蓝砸淮伪?雨过程和伴随着的云物泪果表明,显式方案对降水落区和强降水中心位置的预报较原HLAFS的大尺度饱和凝结方案有明显改进.模式能合理地揭示出暴雨发生、发展过程中的云系演变规律和云物理过程.冰相过程对降水、中尺度热力和动力场有明显影响,特别是冰相过程有利于降水的早期的形成速率.与卫星TBB资料的对比分析表明,引进显式方案后,模式能较合理地模拟出云系的轮廓、位置、范围、强度、生消和移向,模式模拟出的云顶温度与卫星测量出的云顶温度较为一致.     

Interaction of secondary circulations with the summer monsoon and diurnal rainfall over Hong Kong

A complete yearly record (1988) of surface measurements is used to examine the atmospheric diurnal secondary circulations over the entire area of Hong Kong in conjunction with spatial and temporal variations of surface temperature, wind speed and rainfall. Evidence of atmospheric diurnal secondary circulations is found at 10 sites. The occurrence of a summer morning rainfall maximum over the coast results from the interaction of the large-scale summer monsoon and local mesoscale secondary circulations. The afternoon onshore secondary circulation accelerates the advection of warm, humid unstable air and, coupled with the upward orographic lifting, produces enhanced rainfall along windward mountain ridges.Dynamical and scaling considerations suggest that the blocking effect is negligible and the primary forcing mechanism is land-sea temperature difference, but terrain effects are also important. Although the secondary circulation system's strength and timing vary, the circulation behaves like a classic sea-land breeze circulation, complicated by superimposed mountain-valley breezes.     

Performance of two cumulus convection parameterizations for two heavy precipitation events in the Western Mediterranean

Summary A set of mesoscale numerical simulations using the Emanuel and Kain-Fritsch deep convection schemes has been performed in order to determine the sensitivity of the forecast-especially, the rainfall-to the scheme used. The study is carried out for two cases of heavy precipitation in the coastal zone of the Western Mediterranean, where the topographic forcing is of primary influence. The first one, characterized by an almost stationary synoptic situation, is dominated by warm, moist advection at low levels; the second one, of frontal type, presents a much stronger dynamic forcing at upper levels. Although the comparison attempt is conditioned by the limited number of considered cases, the numerical results provide at least some preliminary conclusions. The inclusion of a convective scheme improves the forecast precipitation, through two actions: directly, producing more realistic rainfall patterns in areas of convection; indirectly, avoiding excessive precipitation in areas with orographic or dynamical upward forcing by drying and stabilizing the atmosphere upstream. In particular, the Kain-Fritsch scheme seems to be more sensitive to the orographic forcing, in agreement with observations.With 21 Figures     

The effects of mechanical forcing on the mean meridional circulation and transfer properties of the atmosphere

Experiments using a quasi-geostrophic model and the ECMWF T21 spectral model with and without orography are performed to investigate the effects of mechanical forcing on the mean meridional circulation. Results show that mechanical forcing intensifies the horizontal poleward heat flux and redistributes the eddy angular momentum in the vertical, and that this changes significantly the intensity and location of the mean me-ridional circulation centres.It is shown how the mean meridional circulation is set up in such a way to satisfy both the dynamical and thermodynamical transport requirements of the model atmosphere. Whenever external forcing changes the eddy fluxes, the Coriolis torques from the upper horizontal branches of the mean meridional circulations change to balance the extra divergence of eddy momentum flux, and additional adiabatic heating is produced by the vertical branches of the toroids to balance the extra divergence of eddy heat flux. The mean meridional circula-tion is, therefore, confirmed to be very sensitive to mechanical forcing, and can be used as an efficient tool to quantitatively diagnose the adequacy of the orographic representation of numerical forecasting and general cir-culation models.