How well can CMIP5 simulate precipitation and its controlling processes over tropical South America?

Underestimated rainfall over Amazonia was a common problem for the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 3 (CMIP3) models. We investigate whether it still exists in the CMIP phase 5 (CMIP5) models and, if so, what causes these biases? Our evaluation of historical simulations shows that some models still underestimate rainfall over Amazonia. During the dry season, both convective and large-scale precipitation is underestimated in most models. GFDL-ESM2M and IPSL notably show more pentads with no rainfall. During the wet season, large-scale precipitation is still underestimated in most models. In the dry and transition seasons, models with more realistic moisture convergence and surface evapotranspiration generally have more realistic rainfall totals. In some models, overestimates of rainfall are associated with the adjacent tropical and eastern Pacific ITCZs. However, in other models, too much surface net radiation and a resultant high Bowen ratio appears to cause underestimates of rainfall. During the transition season, low pre-seasonal latent heat, high sensible flux, and a weaker influence of cold air incursions contribute to the dry bias. About half the models can capture, but overestimate, the influences of teleconnection. Based on a simple metric, HadGEM2-ES outperforms other models especially for surface conditions and atmospheric circulation. GFDL-ESM2M has the strongest dry bias presumably due to its overestimate of moisture divergence, induced by overestimated ITCZs in adjacent oceans, and reinforced by positive feedbacks between reduced cloudiness, high Bowen ratio and suppression of rainfall during the dry season, and too weak incursions of extratropical disturbances during the transition season.     

TRMM-retrieved Cloud Structure and Evolution of MCSs over the Northern South China Sea and Impacts of CAPE and Vertical Wind Shear

Cloud structure and evolution of Mesoscale Convective Systems(MCSs) retrieved from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Microwave Imager(TRMM TMI) and Precipitation Radar(PR) were investigated and compared with some pioneer studies based on soundings and models over the northern South China Sea(SCS).The impacts of Convective Available Potential Energy(CAPE) and environmental vertical wind shear on MCSs were also explored.The main features of MCSs over the SCS were captured well by both TRMM PR and TMI.However,the PR-retrieved surface rainfall in May was less than that in June,and the reverse for TMI.TRMM-retrieved rainfall amounts were generally consistent with those estimated from sounding and models.However,rainfall amounts from sounding-based and PR-based estimates were relatively higher than those retrieved from TRMM-TMI data.The Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF) modeling simulation underestimated the maximum rain rate by 22% compared to that derived from TRMM-PR,and underestimated mean rainfall by 10.4% compared to the TRMM-TMI estimate,and by 12.5% compared to the sounding-based estimate.The warm microphysical processes modeled from both the WRF and the Goddard Cumulus Ensemble(GCE) models were quite close to those based on TMI,but the ice water contents in the models were relatively less compared to that derived from TMI.The CAPE and wind shear induced by the monsoon circulation were found to play critical roles in maintaining and developing the intense convective clouds over SCS.The latent heating rate increased more than twofold during the monsoon period and provided favorable conditions for the upward transportation of energy from the ocean,giving rise to the possibility of inducing large-scale interactions.     

The observed teleconnection between the equatorial Amazon and the Intra-Americas Seas

Using observations of rainfall and SST analysis it is shown that there is a robust relationship with two-season lag between the austral summer (December–January–February [DJF]) Equatorial Amazon (EA) rainfall and the following boreal summer season (June–July–August [JJA]) Intra-Americas Seas (IAS) Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies (SSTA). It is observed that in wetter than normal austral summer seasons over EA, the SSTA in the IAS are cooler than normal in the following JJA season. This teleconnection also manifests in the ocean heat content of the IAS region. Our analysis indicates that the net surface heat flux into the ocean (particularly the surface longwave and the shortwave radiative fluxes) dictates the strongest influence on the JJA Caribbean SSTA, the core region of the IAS where the observed teleconnection with EA rainfall is strongest. This study also finds that this teleconnection is in fact a manifestation of the remote ENSO forcing on the Caribbean SSTA through its modulation of the EA rainfall anomalies. In a wet DJF year over EA, the Atlantic Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) moves further southward than climatology. This causes the dry limb of the associated overturning circulation of the Atlantic ITCZ to reside over the Caribbean Sea region in the subsequent March–April–May and JJA seasons. As a result of this large-scale descent in the wet DJF year over EA, there is a net decrease in the heat flux into the ocean from increased emission of surface longwave radiation in the presence of anomalously dry atmosphere. In a dry DJF year over EA the Atlantic ITCZ is nearly co-located in the core region of the IAS, which is northward than the climatological location, resulting in the descending limb of the overturning location to be located further south of the Caribbean Sea leading to warmer SSTA.     

Three-year Variations of Water, Energy and CO$_2$ Fluxes of Cropland and Degraded Grassland Surfaces in a Semi-arid Area of Northeastern China

Based on 3 years （2003-05） of the eddy covariance （EC） observations on degraded grassland and cropland surfaces in a semi-arid area of Tongyu （44°25′N, 122°52′E, 184 m a.s.1.）, Northeast China, seasonal and annual variations of water, energy and CO2 fluxes have been investigated. The soil moisture in the thin soil layer （at 0.05, 0.10 and 0.20 m） clearly indicates the pronounced annual wet-dry cycle; the annual cycle is divided into the wet （growing season） and dry seasons （non-growing season）. During the growing season （from May to September）, the sensible and latent heat fluxes showed a linear dependence on the global solar radiation. However, in the non-growing season, the latent heat flux was always less than 50 W m^-2, while the available energy was dissipated as sensible, rather than latent heat flux. During the growing season in 2003-05, the daily average sensible and latent heat fluxes were larger on the cropland surface than on the degraded grassland surface. The cropland ecosystem absorbed more CO2 than the degraded grassland ecosystem in the growing season in 2003-05. The total evapotranspiration on the cropland was more than the total precipitation, while the total evapotranspiration on the degraded grassland was almost the same as the total annual precipitation in the growing season. The soil moisture had a good correlation with the rainfall in the growing season. Precipitation in the growing season is an important factor on the water and carbon budget in the semi-arid area.     

The effect of vegetation changes on precipitation and Mesoscale Convective Systems in the Sahel

A number of general circulation model studies have assessed the impact of degradation of the land surface in the Sahel, mostly with idealized degradation scenarios. This paper builds on the previous research by testing the sensitivity of Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS) and associated rainfall amounts to observed vegetation changes using a regional atmospheric model. Over the last 20 years, the vegetation in the Sahel has recovered from the drought in the 1980s and vegetation cover values have increased up to 20%. The sensitivity for both a vegetation increase and a decrease by these realistic amounts is investigated. The model simulations span 42 days of the rainy season and are centred over the region of the Hydrological and Atmospheric Pilot Experiment in the Sahel (HAPEX-Sahel), of which the data are used to evaluate model results. The model is able to correctly reproduce rainfall amounts and atmospheric profiles. Total precipitation is found to be insensitive to the applied vegetation changes, but the latter do have an impact on the rainfall patterns and the location of MCS. The model results indicate that the change in vegetation cover influences the MCS in two different ways: Firstly, the vegetation change is found to affect the surface fluxes and this in turn is found to affect the Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) and thereby the strength of the convective systems. The relation between vegetation cover and CAPE turns out to be affected by the time in-between precipitation events. Secondly, a change in atmospheric dynamics, especially the mid-tropospheric zonal flow, is modelled as response to a change in the spatial temperature and humidity distribution. Both mechanisms are likely to play a role in determining the characteristics of the rainfall pattern.     

对流有效位能在强对流预报中的应用研究

利用2003年3-10月清远探空站逐日资料,得到不同气块抬升高度的对流有效位能（CAPE）,利用相关统计方法,对CAPE与强降水、雷雨大风的关系进行统计分析,结果表明：不同气块起始高度得到的对流有效位能相差很大,其中最佳对流有效位能始终是最大的;CAPE850与强降水呈显著正相关;CAPE850、MUCAPE、CAPEINV与雷雨大风呈显著正相关;CAPE850、MUCAPE、CAPEINV三者中,CAPE850与强对流的相关系数最高,但计算MUCAPE,了解大气的极端不稳定状况可以减少漏报的几率;CAPE变化趋势与强对流日的对应关系在前后汛期有不同的表现,前汛期对应关系较好。     

珠三角城市环境对对流降水影响的模拟研究

采用具有2 km分辨率的中尺度气象模式WRF及其耦合的单层城市冠层模式,以及Thompson云微物理方案,针对广州市附近发生的一次对流风暴过程,模拟研究了城市环境包括城市地表性质变化、城市空气污染可能引起的云粒子浓度增大现象对对流降水发展的影响问题.结果表明城市地表引起的热岛和干岛效应,可造成城市边界层高度升高,有利于城区附近辐合流场形成和不稳定能量增大.模拟结果显示,城市地表作用可在广州市南北各形成一个对流有效位能CAPE增大的辐合区,模拟对流降水回波起始发展于这些具有高不稳定能量的辐合区,并与观测雷达回波特征相一致,反映出城市地表对对流的起始发展及其发生位置有更直接作用.对流发展起来后,敏感试验反映出高云粒子浓度 (污染) 情形中有更多降水形成,降水增多可达20%以上.诊断分析发现降水增多与对流云中有更多雨水及过冷却云水形成有关系.增多的云水雨水通过相应的由于潜热释放增加引起的强上升运动被传送到较高层次,引起云中冻结过程及液态水和冰相物质之间的相互作用增强,从而导致更多冰相物质形成、降落地面降水增多.     

The convective boundary layer over pasture and forest in Amazonia

Summary The coupling between different types of surface (tropical forest or grass) and the Convective Boundary Layer (CBL) has been investigated using observational (rawinsoundings) data collected over Rondônia in southwest Amazonia. The data reported here support the notion that deforestation may modify the dynamics of the boundary layer, in particular during the dry season. In this period the sensible heat fluxes are very high over pasture, creating a CBL around 550m deeper compared to that over the forest. The measurements showed the height of the fully developed CBL for pasture to be 1650m, compared to around 1100m for forest. During the wet season the height of the CBL is lower than during the dry season and has the same height (around 1000m) for forest and pasture sites. The CBL over pasture is hotter and drier than over forest during the dry season, but during the wet season the air temperatures and humidities are similar. Comparing the CBL growth during the dry and wet season, there is evidence that the CBL properties over the forest are not dependent on the surface characteristics, but over the pasture they are.     

Preliminary Evaluation of a Revised Zhang-McFarlane Convection Scheme Using the NCAR CCM3 GCM

l. IntroductiOnThe parameterizat1on of atmospheric convection is one of the most challenging issues inglobal climate modeling. Since convection interacts strongly with clouds and the large--scalecirculation, its representation in GCMs has a tremendous impact on the slmulation of theglobal climate and its variations. For example, in the National Center for Atmospheric Re-search (NCAR) Community Climate Model Version 2 (CCM2), excessive surface 1atent heatflux in the tropics was simulate…     

Surface energy balance measurements at a tropical site in West Africa during the transition from dry to wet season

Summary In one of the first micrometeorological experiments at a tropical site in West Africa, direct measurements of all surface energy balance components were carried out. The experiment NIMEX-1 in Ile-Ife, Nigeria (7°33′ N, 4°33′ E), was conducted from February 19, 2004 to March 9, 2004, during the transition from the dry to the wet season. Three typical weather situations could be observed: firstly, monsoonal winds from the southwest blew over desiccated soils. Almost 100% of the available energy at the surface was transformed into sensible heat flux. Secondly, after several thundershowers, monsoonal winds swept over soils of increased water content, which led to a partitioning of the available energy corresponding to Bowen ratios between 0.3 and 0.5. Thirdly, harmattan winds advected dry dusty air from northern directions, which reduced the incoming shortwave radiation. Again, Bowen ratios range from 0.3 to 0.5 during daytime, whereas latent heat fluxes are still high during the night due to the advection of very dry air. No systematic non-closure of the surface energy balance could be found for the NIMEX-1 dataset. Unlike other experiments in Europe, most of the ogives for the sensible and latent heat flux were found to be convergent during NIMEX-1 in Ile-Ife. This can be attributed to the homogeneity of the surrounding bush, which lacks the defined borders found in agriculturally cultivated landscapes.     

甘肃马衔山区陆面过程与降水的研究

采用定西的麦田微气象观测,定西、兰州的辐射观测和马衔山区34个气象、水文和雨量站的气候资料,结合NOAA-16卫星的AVHRR资料以及反演的地表植被盖度和反射率,并用SEBAL算法推导出夏季地表净辐射、感热、潜热、土壤热通量密度的区域分布特征,并分析陆面过程对降水的影响。结果表明:本区降水的空间分布与夏季植被盖度对应最好,相关系数高达0.722,其次是土壤热通量和潜热通量,相关系数分别为-0.65和0.615。这表明森林通过降低地表反射率和表面温度,不仅增加地表净辐射,而且减少其用于感热和土壤热通量的消耗。由于林区地表水分多,从而将接收较多的太阳辐射能主要用于蒸散,增加边界层中的水汽。故林区降水远大于植被稀疏的半干旱黄土梁。     

Toward the development of prediction models for the primary Caribbean dry season

Summary Two statistical models are created for the Caribbean during its dry season. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) confirms that there is a robust El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) signal in the region during the dry season and that the mode manifests itself as oppositely signed precipitation anomalies over the north and south Caribbean. The south-eastern Caribbean becomes dry in response to a warm event. The first statistical model consequently uses a rainfall index averaged over the south-eastern Caribbean as the predictand. A model which retains an ENSO proxy as one of two predictors shows reasonable skill with hindcast predictions for the region. A second model is created using a Jamaican rainfall index as predictand. Jamaica falls in the transition zone i.e. between the oppositely signed north-south precipitation anomalies characteristic of the ENSO dry season mode. In this case no ENSO related predictor is retained in the final model. Composite analysis of select atmospheric variables for anomalously high and low rainfall years (for the dry season) give an understanding of the dynamics of the Caribbean dry season during phases of the ENSO, particularly those which lead to the creation of the transition zone. Authors’ address: Tannecia S. Stephenson, A. Anthony Chen, Michael A. Taylor, Department of Physics, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica.     

Cloud condensation nuclei from biomass burning during the Amazonian dry-to-wet transition season

Aircraft measurements of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) during the Large-Scale Biosphere–Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA) were conducted over the Southwestern Amazon region in September–October 2002, to emphasize the dry-to-wet transition season. The CCN concentrations were measured for values within the range 0.1–1.0% of supersaturation. The CCN concentration inside the boundary layer revealed a general decreasing trend during the transition from the end of the dry season to the onset of the wet season. Clean and polluted areas showed large differences. The differences were not so strong at high levels in the troposphere and there was evidence supporting the semi-direct aerosol effect in suppressing convection through the evaporation of clouds by aerosol absorption. The measurements also showed a diurnal cycle following biomass burning activity. Although biomass burning was the most important source of CCN, it was seen as a source of relatively efficient CCN, since the increase was significant only at high supersaturations.     

Surface Fluxes and Characteristics of Drying Semi-Arid Terrain in West Africa

This study examines the seasonal cycle of the components of the surface energy balance in the Volta basin in West Africa as part of the GLOWA-Volta project. The regional climate is characterized by a strong north–south gradient of mean annual rainfall and the occurrence of pronounced dry and wet seasons within one annual cycle, causing a strong seasonal variation in the natural vegetation cover. The observations are conducted with a combined system, consisting of a Large Aperture Scintillometer (LAS) for areally averaged sensible heat flux, radiometers and sensors for soil heat flux. For comparisons the eddy-covariance (EC) method providing the fluxes of momentum, sensible and latent heat is utilized as well. The measurements of a seasonal cycle in 2002/2003 were gathered including the rapid wet-to-dry transition after the wet season at two locations in Ghana, one in the humid tropical southern region and one in the northern region. A direct comparison and the energy balance closure of the two methods are investigated for daytime and nighttime separately. An attempt is made to understand and explain the differences between the two methods and the closure of energy budget found for these. It is found that the two systems correspond well during daytime. During nighttime the LAS seems to perform more realistically than the EC system. Considering the fact that a LAS system is much easier to use in the climate conditions of the Volta basin, it is concluded that the LAS approach is very suitable in this type of climate conditions. Surface conductances are estimated by rearranging the Penman–Monteith equation and compared to a Jarvis-type model optimised for savannah conditions. It is found that temperature dependence should be included in the conductance formulation in contrast to earlier findings. Based on the findings the gathered dataset can be used for further model studies of the climate and environment of West Africa.     

南海季风区冰相相变潜热对中尺度对流云和降水影响作用的数值模拟研究

利用可分辨云模式及中国南海北部试验区加密探空的平均水平风场、位温场和水汽场模拟分析了1998年5月15日至6月11日中国南海北部地区中尺度对流系统(Mesoscal Convective System,简称MCS)中冰相相变潜热对云和降水、辐射传输以及大尺度环境场的影响作用。研究表明,冰相相变潜热总体上不会引起明显的大气辐射通量的变化,但会引起较明显的下垫面热通量的变化。凝华潜热释放显著地增加了大气稳定度,造成对流和下垫面热通量的减弱,从而导致地面降水减小10.11%。碰冻潜热释放也使得大气稳定度增加,不利于中尺度对流系统对流的发展,区域累积降水量减小2.2%。融化潜热的冷却效应,使得融化层以下的大气降温,从而增加了低层大气的不稳定性,有利于海面热通量的输送,导致MCS降水增加4.1%。因此,冰相相变潜热对降水的影响主要是通过影响大气环境稳定,进而影响洋面感热通量和潜热通量的垂直输送和对流的发展,导致区域降水改变。     

A Case Study of the Impacts of Dust Aerosols on Surface Atmospheric Variables and Energy Budgets in a Semi-Arid Region of China

The authors present a case study investigating the impacts of dust aerosols on surface atmospheric variables and energy budgets in a semi-arid region of China. Enhanced observational meteorological data, radiative fluxes, near-surface heat fluxes, and concentrations of dust aerosols were collected from Tongyu station, one of the reference sites of the International Coordinated Energy and Water Cycle Observations Project (CEOP), during a typical dust storm event in June 2006. A comprehensive analysis of these data show that in this semi-arid area, higher wind velocities and a continuously reduced air pressure were identified during the dust storm period. Dust storm events are usually associated with low relative humidity weather conditions, which result in low latent heat flux values. Dust aerosols suspended in the air decrease the net radiation, mainly by reducing the direct solar radiation reaching the land surface. This reduction in net radiation results in a decrease in soil temperatures at a depth of 2 cm. The combination of increased air temperature and decreased soil temperature strengthens the energy exchange of the atmosphere-earth system, increasing the surface sensible heat flux. After the dust storm event, the atmosphere was dominated by higher pressures and was relatively wet and cold. Net radiation and latent heat flux show an evident increase, while the surface sensible heat flux shows a clear decrease.     

Impact of sub-grid variability of precipitation and canopy water storage on hydrological processes in a coupled land–atmosphere model

The impact of sub-grid variability of precipitation and canopy water storage is investigated by applying a new canopy interception scheme into the Community Atmosphere Model version 3 (CAM3) coupled with the Community Land Model version 3 (CLM3). Including such sub-grid variability alters the partitioning of net radiation between sensible heat flux and latent heat flux on land surface, which leads to changes in precipitation through various pathways/mechanisms. The areas with most substantial changes are Amazonia and Central Africa where convective rain is dominant and vegetation is very dense. In these areas, precipitation during December–January–February is increased by up to 2 mm/day. This increase is due to the enhanced large-scale circulation and atmospheric instability caused by including the sub-grid variability. Cloud feedback plays an important role in modifying the large-scale circulation and atmospheric instability. Turning off cloud feedback mitigates the changes in surface convergence and boundary layer height caused by inclusion of sub-grid variability of precipitation and water storage canopy, which moderate the effect on precipitation.     

青藏高原东坡高原草甸近地层气象要素与能量输送季节变化分析

本文简要介绍了青藏高原东坡理塘大气综合观测站的情况。利用该站20072008年观测资料, 分析比较了青藏高原东坡地区高原草甸下垫面情况下近地层气象要素及能量输送的季节变化特征。结果表明:理塘地区近地层气象要素及能量输送的季节变化显著, 具有明显的水热同期特点。各个季节近地层气象要素和湍流通量, 如风、气温、感热通量、潜热通量等, 日变化显著。风速、动量通量、摩擦速度等要素的平均日最大值和最小值分别出现在下午和日出前。比湿的峰值出现在日出前。辐射和热平衡分量的日均最大值与最小值分别出现在正午及日出前。地表热源强度分析表明, 理塘白天为热源, 在春夏秋三季夜间为弱的热源与冷源交替出现。在雨季, 潜热输送在陆气间热量交换过程中占主导作用, 感热输送是次要的;干季的结果与雨季相反, 感热是首要的。      

飑线组织化过程对环境垂直风切变和水汽的响应

利用ARPS模式对飑线发生发展过程进行二维理想数值试验,讨论了低层环境垂直风切变和水汽条件变化时,飑线内部物理因子配置变化及其与系统强度演变的联系。研究表明,飑线发展过程中出现的动量、热量和水汽的再分配过程,造成系统内垂直环流结构和扰动温湿场分布发生变化,从而影响系统内部深对流的组织化过程和飑线强度的发展。基于低层环境垂直风切变和水汽两个要素的敏感性试验研究表明,低层环境垂直风切变增大（减小）时,飑线移速减慢（加快）,冷池前沿激发的新对流与中高层的垂直运动相互贯通（分离）,飑线系统强度随之增强（减弱）。此外,当低层水汽增加（减少）时,会导致输送到中层的水汽增加（减少）,中层凝结潜热释放增多（减少）,该层垂直运动增强（减弱）;同时,飑线系统区域环境释放的对流有效位能（CAPE）增大（减小）,新生对流的强度增强（减弱）。低层水汽条件通过水汽输送和能量释放,改变冷池前沿新对流与中高层垂直环流的组织化结构,从而影响飑线强度。     

1961—2014年我国西南地区干湿季变化特征

利用中国1961—2014年逐日降水观测等资料,分析了西南地区的干湿季变化特征。结果表明：西南地区东部和西北部最早进入湿季;干季由四川盆地、贵州南部开始。西南中东部以及南部等地的湿季长度较长,干季则与之相反。干湿季开始日期以及干湿季长度均具有明显的年代际变化特征,在1970年代中期到1980年代发生了气候突变,呈现湿季长度变短,干季变长的趋势。湿季降水呈现东南多、西北少的特征,并表现出中东部减少,西部增加的趋势;干季降水则表现为东多西少的特点,在东部呈增加,在四川等地呈减少趋势。进一步分析表明：湿季异常偏湿(干)年,开始日期易偏早(晚),结束易偏晚(早),长度偏长(短);干季开始异常偏早(晚）年,干季长度长(短),干季略偏湿(干);太平洋、印度洋海温异常影响东亚大气环流的异常是造成西南地区干湿季出现异常的主要原因。