Numerical experiments investigating the mechanisms of a heavy rainfall event over northeastern Taiwan and a mesovortex during TAMEX

Summary This study analyzes the mechanisms of the development of a heavy rainfall event (17 June 1987) over the lee side of the Central Mountain Range (CMR) in northeastern Taiwan during the southwesterly monsoon. This heavy rainfall event was examined using gridded data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, surface rainfall data and numerical model results, employing a non-hydrostatic fifth-generation mesoscale model (MM5) developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research and Pennsylvania State University. A tropical depression was simulated over the northern South China Sea on 16 June. Convergence, resulting from the southeasterly winds associated with the circulation from the tropical depression, and northeasterly winds over the Taiwan Strait, occurred over the northern Bashi Channel at 850 hPa. The convergence amplified planetary vorticity and the vorticity associated with the intensifying tropical depression. Consequently, a mesovortex with low pressure over the northeastern edge of the tropical depression near southern Taiwan was produced. Additional convergence over the ocean adjacent to southern Taiwan caused by the interaction between the northeasterly flow, which was deflected over the southeastern slope of the CMR, and the southeasterly flow of the tropical depression, also affected the intensity of the mesovortex. When the mesovortex moved northward and reached southern Taiwan, the southeasterly flow associated with it interacted with an east-southeasterly flow, which was related to the tropical depression, to form a mesoscale convective system (MCS) over the ocean adjacent to southeastern Taiwan. As the mesovortex moved northward, the MCS, which was embedded in the southeasterly flow, also drifted inland toward northeastern Taiwan. The orographic lifting and the ascending motion associated with the deceleration of the easterly flow near the CMR enhanced the MCS over northeastern Taiwan and produced heavy rainfall. To examine the role of Taiwan’s orography on the modelled rainfall, two simulations were conducted; one which included Taiwan’s orography and one which excluded it. In both simulations, the mesovortex in the northern Bashi Channel and the MCS near southeastern Taiwan were reproduced. However, in the simulation excluding the orography, the mesovortex was slightly less intense. In addition, without the extra orographic lifting and the ascending motion caused by flow deceleration, rainfall over northeastern Taiwan was weaker than in the simulation with the orography.     

A preliminary study of the formation of precipitation systems under undisturbed conditions during TAMEX

Summary The effect of mountains on the occurrence of precipitation systems on Taiwan island is very significant, especially as mountain areas occupy about two-thirds of the land-mass. The mountains are, on average, about 3 km high. To investigate the formation of precipitation systems influenced by Pacific high pressure systems, we selected five cases (May 24, 25 and 26, June 19 and 20 in 1987) during a field program, TAMEX (Taiwan Area Mesoscale Experiment, Kuo and Chen, 1990). In all cases most of the rainfall took place in the afternoon when the level of free convection (LFC) was at about the 1 km height. If the average wind (below 3 km in height) was from the south (May 25 and 26), higher amounts of precipitation would be found along the sloped areas of western and eastern Taiwan. Rainfall also occurred in southern and northern Taiwan. If the average wind was from the southwest (May 24), the precipitation pattern was similar to that on May 25, except over the plains area in southwest and northeast Taiwan, where the amount was less. However, if the prevailing wind direction changed little with height and the average wind was from the south-southeast (June 19), higher rainfall amounts occurred from northwestern to central Taiwan. If the average wind was from the south and wind direction changed little with height (June 20), higher rainfall amounts took place in northern and central Taiwan. A nonhydrostatic model was used to simulate the formation of precipitation systems in all five cases. Simulation results indicated that the mixing ratio of rainwater could occur on the upstream side of a mountain slope and in the central mountain areas, where topographic lifting from the environmental wind and an upslope flow due to surface heating were evident. On the downstream side of the mountain, upward motion due to lee-side convergence and upslope motion from surface heating would also help rain form.With 13 Figures     

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.     

A study of microphysical properties within a precipitation system using wind profiler spectra

This study investigates microphysical properties from wind profiler Doppler spectra observed within a precipitation system that produced high rainfall rates up to 40 mm hr^?1 near the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula on 25～26 June 2010. A 1290-MHz wind profiler located in the National Center for Intensive Observation of Severe Weather at Boseong, Korea, observed a widespread stratiform region and short-lived convective cells from 1850 UTC 25 to 0200 UTC 26 June 2010. By using a spectral model applied to observed profiler spectra, rainfall parameters and raindrop size distributions were retrieved below a melting layer during this period. Three representative periods during precipitation were selected based on intensities of bright band and characteristics in vertical profiles of radar reflectivity and Doppler velocity. During a brief convective period (～30 min), radar reflectivity tended to be proportional to vertical air motion (positive upward), suggesting that updrafts up to ～3 m s^?1 over a large vertical extent through the melting layer probably contributed to increasing rainfall rates at the surface. In reflectivityrainfall rate distributions, large drop spectra (high reflectivity) were analyzed within downdrafts and small drop spectra (low reflectivity) within updrafts, similar to the large and small drop spectra but found in stratiform and convective regions, respectively, in previous studies. This indicates that the degree of spread between reflectivity and rainfall rate may be strongly dependent on positive and negative magnitudes of vertical air motion. For three categories of vertical air motion (i.e., updrafts, neutral, and downdrafts), physical relations between the retrieved rainfall parameters were examined.     

台湾地区中尺度试验期间梅雨锋及其对流云团的研究

本文对台湾地区中尺度试验(TAMEX)中的两次IOP(加密观测期)过程进行了诊断研究,结果表明: (1)1987年5月13日至17日,台湾地区的对流系统活跃.究其原因,主要系两次锋面过境所致.这两条锋面的温度梯度比长江流域一般的梅雨锋要强.梅雨锋上的对流云团与降水直接有关. (2)高空东移短波槽与梅雨锋的有利配合,是造成台湾地区出现较大降水的重要原因、IOP2有高空短波槽配合,因而降水比IOP1大、槽与锋面的配合,使对流层中低层正涡度区加强,这与华南前汛期暴雨的特征有某些相似之处。 (3)由每小时一次的GMS卫星云图上发现,在此期间台湾地区发展的对流云团与大陆的系统联系密切.此外,NCAR飞机落仪探测资料表明,与环境相比,云团内部有较深厚的湿层;时空加密探空资料的计算结果显示,700hPa以下的水汽主要来自水平方向的辐合,而在高层主要来自垂直输送.对于活跃的云团而言,上述特征更加明显.     

台湾天气研究计划与绿岛中尺度实验简介

从1987年开始,台湾暴雨研究进入一个新纪元,由早期定性描述分析进入定量计算与模拟,其中包括新观测设施的建设与数值天气预报系统的建立。近年来,随着全球气候变暖,台湾极端降雨事件有所增加,其中不少极端降雨事件是由非台风暴雨所致,往往给当地社会经济和人民生命财产造成严重影响,这就迫切需要不断提高强降雨定量预报业务水平。本文通过对近30 a台湾在非台风暴雨研究发展方面取得的主要进展的回顾,重点介绍了台湾气象部门为了提高强降雨定量预报业务水平所做出的努力,同时对未来台湾非台风暴雨研究规划与方向作了简要介绍。

     

一次层状云系水分收支和降水机制的数值研究

对2002年10月18—20日河南省层状云系的水分收支和降水机制用MM5模式模拟的结果表明,河南省域以外的水物质主要通过西和南边界输送到区域内,19日降水主要时段总水物质通量在水平方向上为净流入。对河南省域水汽、水凝物和总水物质的水分平衡等式中各项的估算表明该区域水物质基本达到收支平衡。估算的河南省域总水物质降水效率、凝结率、凝华率和水凝物降水效率及水汽降水效率分别约33.1%、27.7%、13.1%、69.7%和31.1%,总水物质降水效率与水汽降水效率接近是由于参与的水物质总量中水汽占绝大部分。约58.2%以上的冰晶转化为雪,超过82.1%的雪融化,不到11.1%的雪转化为霰,霰粒子几乎完全融化。冰晶通过凝华过程增长。雪主要由冰晶转化产生,凝华增长率比撞冻增长率高得多。雨水由暖云和冷云过程产生和增长,雨水碰并云水量和冰粒子融化量对雨水的贡献相近,云雨自动转化量小。可见,在主要降水时段,降水是由冷云和暖云过程共同产生的。冰粒子凝华增长对雨水的贡献最大超过35%,撞冻增长的贡献最高不足12%,可见水汽对降水粒子增长重要。催化层、冰水混合层和液水层对降水的贡献分别约为15%—27%、45%—50%和23%—38%,表明此"催化-供给"云中冰粒子在冰水混合层的增长对降水的贡献相当大。     

Estimation of fog deposition on epiphytic bryophytes in a subtropical montane forest ecosystem in northeastern Taiwan

The fog meteorology, fog chemistry and fog deposition on epiphytic bryophytes were investigated from July 2000 to June 2001 in the Yuanyang Lake forest ecosystem. The elevation of the site ranges from 1650 to 2420 m, at which the high frequency of fog occurrence throughout the year has been thought to be of benefit to the establishment of the primary Taiwan yellow cypress forest [Chamaecyparis obtusa var. formosana (Hayata) Rehder] and to the extensive growth of the epiphytic bryophytes. A weather station including a visibility sensor and an active fog collector was installed for fog meteorological and chemical study. The fog deposition rate on epiphytic bryophytes was estimated by measuring the increase rate in plant weight when exposed to fog. Average fog duration of 4.7 and 11.0 h per day was measured in summer months (June to August) and the rest of the year, respectively. November 2000 was the foggiest month in which the average fog duration reached 14.9 h per day. The ionic composition of fog water revealed that the area was less polluted than expected from literature data. The in situ exposure experiments done with the dominant epiphytic bryophytes showed an average fog deposition rate of 0.63 g H₂O g⁻¹ d. w. h⁻¹, which approximated 0.17 mm h⁻¹ at the stand scale. The nutrient fluxes estimated for February 2001 showed that for all ions, more than 50% of the ecosystem input was through fog deposition. These results demonstrate the importance of epiphytic bryophytes and fog deposition in nutrient cycling of this subtropical montane forest ecosystem. The incorporation of fog study in the long-term ecosystem research projects is necessary in this area.     

夏季降水概率预报系统的试验研究

降水概率天气预报的最大优点能够有效的发挥天气预报的潜在经济效益。我们根据山西省长治市的气候区划，将长治市的13个县区分为3片，应用T106资料，并通过对T106资料以及3片的实时资料制作0，1化处理，分别建立了3片的夏季（6月－8月）降水概率预报方程，并将整个系统挂接于MICAPS系统下。计算快捷，图文并茂，准确率较高。     

台海地区一次冬季冷锋降水过程的数值模拟

利用WRF中尺度模式,结合FY-2E卫星云图和常规气象资料,对台海地区一次冬季冷锋降水过程进行了数值模拟研究.结果表明:1)微物理方案对台海地区冬季冷锋降水过程的模拟具有敏感性,Milbrandt双参数微物理方案能较好地再现云系层次结构、冰相降水过程及其云系的对流发展,24 h累积降水量模拟结果优于其他微物理方案.2)锋区的降水粒子(雨水、雪晶和霰)混合比大于锋后,锋区雨带集中在地面锋线的中段,锋后雨带偏向冷区的西南段.3)锋区附近云系受低空急流及台湾岛中部高山地形抬升共同作用,在迎风坡形成强降水中心,对应空中霰含量高值区.4)低空高相当位温、强辐合、正涡度和对流性不稳定与高空强辐散和负涡度的配置是本次冷锋云系维持与发展的重要原因.     

Development of an arc-shaped precipitation system during the pre-monsoon period in Bangladesh

A numerical simulation is performed to understand the features and development processes of the arc-shaped precipitation system that dominates in Bangladesh during the pre-monsoon (March–May) period. An arc-shaped precipitation system of 26 April 2002 is simulated using the Cloud Resolving Storm Simulator (CReSS) with a horizontal grid increment of 2 km. The Pennsylvania State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model is used for downscaling. Hourly outputs of the finest domain (grid increment of 5 km) of MM5 and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Reynolds weekly mean sea surface temperature data are used as the initial and boundary conditions for CReSS. Younger and more intense cells are formed in the southwestern end of the system. These cells move northeastward and merge with the system producing intense rainfalls. Simulation results indicate that low-level southwesterly or southerly wind brings warm moist air from the Bay of Bengal and helps develop new cells. The propagation speed of the system is 8 m/s, and the northeastern end moves faster than the southwestern end, creating clockwise rotation of the system. The propagation speed and the rotation of the simulated system coincide well with radar observations. The clockwise rotation of the system can be explained by the stronger (weaker) outflow and weaker (stronger) inflow in the northeastern (southwestern) end. The propagation of the system is attributable to the weak (≤7 m/s, storm relative) rear-to-front flow in the moist environment. Thus, the arc-shaped precipitation system common to the pre-monsoon period in Bangladesh develops through a balance of strong southwesterly or southerly moist inflow in the low altitudes below 2 km and relatively weak outflow in the rear of the system.     

近30 a影响皖北东部降水的台风环流场研究

分析1981—2014年7—9月影响皖北东部地区的台风特征,统计不同台风路径和降雨量之间的关系,研究不同路径下皖北东部出现暴雨的环流场特征,结果表明:(1)西北行、陆面转向、海面转向和其他类路径的台风都可以影响皖北东部,并产生降水。其中产生降水个例最多的台风路径为陆面转向类,次多为西北行类。(2)台风影响时无降水、非暴雨和暴雨3类降水个例的500 hPa平均环流场对比分析表明:当有台风影响皖北东部时,配合西风槽或副高阻挡更有利于产生强降水。(3)西北行类台风暴雨的环流场特征是华北到河套存在西南-东北走向高压带阻挡使台风停滞少动;海面转向类台风暴雨环流场特征是河套东部存在低槽与台风相互作用;陆面转向类台风暴雨环流场可以分为3类:贝湖两槽一脊型、贝湖单槽型和副热带高压阻挡型。     

A study on the structure and precipitation of Morakot (2009) induced by the Central Mountain Range of Taiwan

The three-dimensional structures and ingredients leading to extremely heavy precipitation associated with the passage of Typhoon Morakot (2009) over the Central Mountain Range (CMR) of Taiwan are investigated. Using a numerical model, the track, track deflection, characteristic rainbands, and precipitation patterns and maxima are successfully reproduced after verification against observational data. The high-level outward flow of the secondary circulation around the eyewall is not very clear even during Morakot’s strongest stage. In the control case, the eyewall collapses within 5 h after landfall that is closely associated with limited precipitation along the track after landfall. During the early stage of landfall, the deep convection on the windward (west) side of the CMR helps strengthening the secondary circulation. A quantitative comparison of total precipitable water, translation speed, and orographic lifting among 12 typhoons in recent years causing large accumulated rainfall in Taiwan shows that the abundant water vapor around Taiwan outweighs translation speed and orographic lifting in resulting in the record-breaking precipitation. It is found that the major processes leading to strong upward motion in the extremely heavy precipitation during 0000 UTC 8 August–0000 UTC 9 August are initiated by orographic lifting by CMR.     

降水信息分析服务子系统

降水资料无论在气象情报服务还是在预报制作中,都占有重要位置.为了提高情报服务的现代化水平,黑龙江省气象台建立了一套功能齐全的情报服务系统,降水信息分析服务子系统是其中的重要组成部分.     

一次强对流活动中雷电与降水廓线特征研究

利用热带测雨卫星的测雨雷达(PR)和闪电成像传感器(LIS)的逐轨探测结果,通过资料匹配处理方法,并配合常规气象资料,分析了2006年6月29日黄淮地区一次强对流活动中不同类型雷暴单体(Area,LIS探测资料认为近似于雷暴单体)的降水廓线,并分析了降水廓线与雷暴闪电频数的关系。结果表明:该强对流系统的雷暴单体可分为对流降水、层云降水、对流与层云混合降水3种雷暴单体,其中,混合降水雷暴单体数量最多,对流降水雷暴单体数和层云降水雷暴单体数量较少;并且雷暴单体中的闪电大多发生在对流降水区。结果还表明,不同闪电频数的雷暴单体相应的降水廓线差别明显:雷暴中闪电频数越大,5km以上高度廓线给出的雨强越大(对流降水廓线尤其如此),说明雷暴单体中闪电越多时,降水云冻结层以上存在的冰相粒子越多。     

基于降水极端预报指数的福建台风极端降水预报研究

应用1961—2017年中国气象局热带气旋最佳路径数据集、国家地面气象观测站日降水观测资料和2015年8月—2017年12月欧洲中期天气预报中心(ECMWF)集合预报系统降水极端预报指数(EFI)数据,根据百分位法定义台风影响期间福建省各站点的台风极端降水阈值,采用最小阈值法剔除台风极端降水时EFI箱线图中的异常值,保...     

利用深度学习预报美国东北部日降水分布

现阶段降水预报主要依靠数值天气预报模式。但受物理参数化、计算资源等因素的影响,基于数值模式的降水预报还存在非常大的不确定性。近年来,深度学习在天气预报领域显示出巨大优势和潜力。本文通过构建神经网络预报美国东北部日降水分布,探讨神经网络模型基于低分辨率气象场(ERA-Interim, 0.7°)预报高分辨率降水(CPC,0.25°)的能力,并比较3种主流网络框架(VGG,ResNet, GoogleNet)在该任务中的表现。结果表明,3种网络框架都对美国东北部日降水分布具有一定的预报能力(VGG框架表现最优),但三者的均方根误差(RMSE)均高于ERA-Interim 24-h(ERA24)的降水预报。3种神经网络的集合预报结果优于ERA24预报,且这三者与ERA24预报结果的集合平均能够显著提高ERA24对不同季节、不同强度降水的预报。     

华北一次暴雨过程中潜热对中尺度系统和降水影响的数值研究

针对2005年7月22日的发生于华北的暴雨中尺度对流系统,在用中尺度ARPS模式数值模拟和分析云场、动力场以及微物理过程释放的潜热垂直分布和作用特征的基础上,通过改变主要微物理过程潜热做敏感性数值试验,研究和分析了潜热对云系发展演变、云系宏观动力场、水汽场、云场和降水的影响,总结出云暖区潜热的影响途径。结果表明,在对流云团中,5000 m以上微物理过程起加热作用,以下起冷却作用。不同物理过程潜热加热的云层高度不同:高层起加热作用的主要为水汽凝结、云冰初生和雪凝华增长、霰撞冻云水过程;中层起加热/冷却作用的主要为水汽凝结、霰/雹融化过程;低层雨水的蒸发过程起冷却作用。微物理过程潜热通过影响云系和降水发展过程、云系动力场,进而影响水汽场、云场和降水。忽略霰/雹融化潜热,相当于增加云系暖区潜热,促进了低层气旋性环流的形成,增强了低层动力场的辐合,使得低层辐合区增多、增强;中低层水汽通量辐合区增多、面积扩大,明显地促进了对流云系的发展,增大了含水量和覆盖范围,云系的降水量显著增加,强降水区覆盖范围扩大。即使减少20%的凝结潜热,云系的发展也受到极大抑制,没有气旋性环流生成,低层辐合区缩小、强度降低,水汽通量辐合区也同样缩小、强度降低,云系对流发展减弱、含水量降低,因此,降水量大为减小,降水范围也显著缩小。此外,微物理过程潜热还影响到此次中尺度对流系统发展演变过程,改变了云系的形态、影响到系统的移动和系统中对流云团的发展强度和分布情况。     

Reconstructed cool- and warm-season precipitation over the tribal lands of northeastern Arizona

For over a decade, the Hopi Tribe and Navajo Nation of northeastern Arizona have suffered the effects of persistent drought conditions. Severe dry spells have critically impacted natural ecosystems, water resources, and regional livelihoods including dryland farming and ranching. Drought planning and resource management efforts in the region are based largely on the instrumental climate record, which contains a limited number of severe, sustained droughts. In this study, a new network of moisture-sensitive tree-ring chronologies provides the basis for evaluating the longer-term temporal variability of precipitation in the Four Corners region. By analyzing the earlywood and latewood components within each annual tree ring, we are able to generate separate, centuries-long reconstructions of both cool- (October-April) and warm-season (July-August) precipitation. These proxy records offer new insights into seasonal drought characteristics and indicate that the instrumental record fails to adequately represent precipitation variability over the past 400 years. Through the use of two different analysis techniques, we identify multiyear and decadal-scale drought events more severe than any in the modern era. Furthermore, the reconstructions suggest that many of the historically significant droughts of the past (e.g., 17th century Puebloan drought) were not merely winter phenomena, but persisted through the summer season as well. By comparing these proxy records with historical documents, we are able to independently validate the reconstructions and better understand the socioeconomic and environmental significance of past climate anomalies on the tribal lands of northeastern Arizona.     

A field study of orographic precipitation anomalies during high velocity winds using an aerofoil rain gauge

Summary This study was prompted by a need to explain an anomaly in the apparent precipitation distribution over a prominent mountain subject to a high velocity westerly airstream. Historical data reveal that the lee receives 58% more precipitation than the summit. A novel rain gauge with a vertically orientated collecting orifice, 3 standard rain gauges and complementary wind data were procured from 3 sites on the mountain to assess the effect of the airstream on the precipitation distribution. The catch efficiency of standard rain gauges decrease after the wind velocity exceeds 2.5 ms^–1 Results indicate that the summit actually receives 59% more precipitation than the lee, where a vortex directly affects the precipitation distribution over, and east, of the mountain.With 11 Figures