Interrelation between the Dynamic Structure and Water Content of Convective Clouds Based on Aircraft Observations

The spectral structure of turbulence (spectra and cospectra) and water content characteristics for convective clouds in the tropical region was analyzed using aircraft observations in the meteorological testbed over Cuba; the results are presented. The cospectra for vertical turbulent heat fluxes allow classifying convective clouds based on their development stage and revealing the stages of growth, stabilization, and dissipation of clouds. It is shown that the value of cloud air overheating as compared to the ambient space is a parameter defining the cloud development stage. The interrelation is revealed between the integral characteristics of turbulence and water content (the mean values and distribution functions of parameters) for different stages of development of convective clouds. The recommendations are formulated on using the data on the dynamic structure of clouds for weather modification activities. A method is proposed for the instrumental estimation of cloud suitability for seeding that is aimed at precipitation augmentation.     

Diurnal evoluion of properties of the sub-cloud layer over land

Observations of temperature, humidity and velocity structure beneath fields of cumulus clouds are analysed with the needs of cloud modelling and cloud field parameterization in mind. Sub-cloud fluxes of sensible and latent heat and their diurnal variations are determined from layer-mean profiles and from eddy-correlation measurements; the latter are especially sensitive to sampling on cloud-sized scales. The characteristic fluctuations in velocity temperature and humidity beneath clouds have time scales like the lifetime typical of small cumulus clouds; there is no evidence that such fluctuations occur only as brief pulses at cloud initiation. The magnitudes of these fluctuations exhibit well-marked diurnal patterns of change.     

湖南秋季积层混合云系飞机人工增雨作业方法

统计分析2007—2016年秋季湖南省长沙市地面气象观测资料、湖南省飞机人工增雨作业资料, 得到湖南省秋季积层混合云系的降水分布情况、一般结构特征和相应的飞机增雨作业方法。使用多普勒天气雷达、GRAPES_CAMS数值模式和中小尺度气象站网等资料对典型作业天气过程进行云降水物理和数值模拟分析, 采用成对对流云和基于TREC算法的回波跟踪等方法进行作业效果评估。归纳得到湖南省秋季积层混合云系人工增雨作业条件判别的12个宏微观指标, 探讨在使用运7飞机、碘化银烟条作业装备条件下, 开展飞机增雨作业的最佳催化时机、部位和剂量。针对积层混合云系中的降水性层状云系、积云对流泡, 飞机增雨适宜作业的区域、播撒高度和催化剂量:在过冷高层云的-15~-5℃层, 播撒达到30 L-1的人工冰晶浓度; 在过冷积云的-15~-7℃层, 静力催化使冰晶浓度达到30 L-1或动力催化达到100 L-1。这些方法在实践中取得了较好的人工增雨作业效果。     

Estimation of liquid water content effects on the air temperature measurements in the clouds based on the wind tunnel experiments

Presented are the results of experiments carried out in the wind tunnel and aimed at the investigation of characteristics of high-frequency aircraft thermometer constructed for studying the atmosphere from the board of the aircraft-laboratory. It is demonstrated that the values of recovery coefficient of the thermometer obtained both in the wind tunnel and after numerical experiments practically coincided with the values that have been measured before, during the flight testing. The flow with the specified values of liquid droplet content that was created in the wind tunnel, enabled to determine both the degree of effects made by the cloud on the measured temperature and its fluctuations and the value of the coefficient for introducing the correction to the temperature and its fluctuations in the cloud. It is shown that the taking account of effects made by liquid water content on the measured temperature is absolutely necessary for the correct interpretation of aircraft-based results of studying the thermodynamic structure of clouds.     

Some characteristics of cumulus convection over the Tibetan Plateau

The diagnostic model of the cumulus convection proposed by Yanai et al. (1973) was applied to the atmosphere over the Tibetan Plateau, and used to estimate the vertical mass flux, entrainment and detrainment, excess temperature and moisture, liquid water content, and condensation and precipitation rates of highland cloud clusters. The re-sults illustrated that in clouds over the Tibetan Plateau, the water vapor condensation rate, liquid water content, and efficiency of the rain generation process are less than those in the tropics (represented by the Marshall Islands region). Therefore, the condensational latent heat released over the Tibetan Plateau, overall, is much smaller than that in the tropics. The water vapor and liquid water detrainment from shallow nonprecipitating cumulus clouds, and their entrainment into deep cumulus clouds, serve as a growing mechanism for the deep precipitating cumulus towers over the Tibetan Plateau. It should be noted that there is a stronger detrainment of liquid water from cumulus clouds and a stronger re-evaporation rate in environment. The process of the condensation-detrainment-re-evaporation-entrainment is repeatedly in progress. It would play an important role in maintaining of cumulus convection on the condition that the supply of moisture is not plentiful over the Tibetan Plateau.The analyses also showed that the cloud mass flux Mc over the Tibetan Plateau is less, and the large-scale av-erage upward motion is much less than those over the Marshall Islands. Stronger compensating downward motion in the cloud environment over the Tibetan Plateau, responsible for the area’s strong environmental heating rate was re-vealed, and would link to the stability of the South Asian High in summer.     

Temperature and humidity structure of the sub-cloud layer over land

Observations of temperature, pressure and humidity have been made from an aircraft beneath cumulus clouds which formed over extensive flat country. In fair weather over land, cumulus cloud base is generally above the average top of the well-mixed convection layer so that penetrative convection is necessary to initiate cloud formation. The convective layer does not evolve and deepen uniformly over large areas (say greater than 100-km radius). Rather, it develops a patchy structure at 1–10 km scales. Such patches, close beneath cloud base, have thermodynamic properties very like those of the convection layer and in such regions that layer effectively extends right up to cloud base. Meso-scale effects (e.g., 50 km) seem to be important in determining where clear and cloudy areas occur, and although it appears reasonable to attribute this to local dynamic effects (e.g., subsidence), it is not possible to eliminate other possibilities on the basis of the present data.     

梅雨静止锋积云群整体属性的诊断研究

本文利用积云群整体诊断模式，对一次梅雨静止锋暴雨过程的积云对流活动进行研究，计算了质量通量、云内温度、比湿、液态水等积云属性，讨论了云中凝结蒸发过程以及对流能量输送特征。结果表明，梅雨积云质量通量比热带扰动大，但积云的发展高度不及热带深厚对流；积云群的降水效率约为50％；潜热在对流能量铅直输送中占显著地位，其量值远大于热带扰动中的对流活动。     

南方夏旱期积云含水量和降水效率的云模式估算

在胡志晋二维对流云模式的物理框架上增加了对整块积云的含水量、地面降水量、降水效率的估算部分.改进后的模式模拟了福建夏旱期37 个降水个例,并估算出南方夏旱期冷云、混合云和暖云的含水量、地面降水、降水效率,其结果与湖南积云的实测值较接近.分析了含水量在关键时段的主要分布情况,为研究南方夏旱期积云的人工影响方法提供物理依据.     

回流天气系统层状云的非均匀性

利用一次回流天气过程的PMS资料,从微物理结构上对回流天气系统层状云的不均匀性进行了分析,发现飞机在进入较强降水云带时,云物理量(液水含量、云滴浓度、云滴平均直径,温度)等会产生剧烈变化,表现为液水含量跃增、云滴浓度快速增大、云滴谱谱宽拓宽、温度下降等,在同一较强云带中,温度变化不大并且比周围低,较强降水云带冰晶含量丰富,自然催化较好。     

Convection model for stratus cloud over a warm water surface

A numerical model is developed to simulate convective stratus cloud formation over the sea. The model is based on quasi-steady state moist plumes advecting over an area of increasing sea-surface temperature with the sea warmer than the air, but it is also a good approximation for non-steady states whenever the model is matched to air-sea temperature differences. Combining the effects of upward transfer of heat and moisture fluxes as well as adiabatic cooling, stratus cloud forms and spreads downward in this field. The depth of the convective field, the sea surface temperature gradient, the liquid water content at cloud top, and the horizontal pressure gradient are the four controlling parameters for the convective field. Alternatively, the wind speed, air-sea temperature difference, and the mixing ratio of the air, derived variables in this treatment, can be taken, with the depth, as the basic parameters.The entity type of convective model used here has the advantage that it models the transport and modification of air parcels and hence provides a method for studying drop size development in stratus clouds. It also uses relationships derived from water tank experiments with plumes and tested in dry convection and so needs no parameters specific to each situation. Its most important feature, however, is that the mean motion of plumes, rather than turbulent diffusion, transports the moisture.The upward growth and erosion of a temperature step increase to produce an inversion can be attributed to liquid water present in haze drops or cloud drops, rather than to turbulent diffusion. Radiative transfer is not a necessary requirement, but may either enhance or slow down the process.     

夏季催化对流云雷达回波特征对比分析

对"江淮地区对流云人工增雨外场试验"中3次催化作业过程,催化云和对比云新一代天气雷达回波特征的对比分析结果表明:催化云的平均维持时间比对比云长51.2%,平均回波面积比对比云多17%,催化云每个体扫的平均总液态含水量要高于对比云,整个维持时间的总液态含水量高出对比云46%.从而认为:催化作业可以达到增加回波面积,延长回波的持续时间,增加云中液态含水量的目的.并且,从其中一组对比中发现,对流云催化作业要掌握好催化时机,对于处在减弱期的对流云,催化作业达不到增加含水量、延长生命期的目的.     

On the modelling of mixed layers and entrainment in cumulus cloud

A boundary-layer model, which incorporates an eddy diffusivity for turbulent transports, is presented. It is shown that this model can predict the appropriate behaviour for mixed layers produced by surface shear, free convection and mechanical mixing. The model is used to consider the development of cumulus clouds, which are shown generally to be convectively unstable at cloud top. Thus the entrainment of dry air leads to a very low cloud-water content in cumulus cloud.     

广东省新丰江流域4—5月暖云的微物理特征

本文对新丰江流域初夏暧云的含水量与小云滴谱特征进行了分析。指出暖积云的含水量比暖性层积云大;广东初夏暧性层积云的含水量大于北方降水性As—Ns云系。被探测云的主要降水机制均为碰并增长过程,但浓积云中云滴碰并增长条件比层积云优越;与湖南等地积云相比,广东积云更具有海洋性积云的特征。      

Numerical study of mesoscale cellular convection

Mesoscale cellular convections over the East China Sea during cold air outbreaks are simulated with a high-resolution numerical model. The model incorporates important physical processes involved in shallow convection, such as the exchange of heat and moisture between water and air; condensation; evaporation; and vertical turbulent transfer of heat, moisture, and momentum.The results show that open cells develop with aspect ratios as large as 14. The structure of the convection is examined in detail. The organized mesoscale circulation is responsible for breaking up the initial stratus cloud deck and enhancing turbulence in the upward-moving area (especially inside cumulus clouds). However, it is found that the heat flux contributed by MCC's themselves is much smaller than the eddy heat flux.     

The Microphysical Characteristics of Wintertime Cold Clouds in North China

The microphysical characteristics of wintertime cold clouds in North China were investigated from 22 aircraft observation flights from 2014 to 2017, 2020, and 2021. The clouds were generated by mesoscale weather systems with little orographic component. Over the mixed-phase temperature range (–40°C to 0°C), the average fraction of liquid, mixed-phase, and ice cloud was 4.9%, 23.3%, and 71.8%, respectively, and the probability distribution of ice mass fraction was a half-U-shape, suggesting that ice cloud was the primary cloud type. The wintertime mixed-phase clouds in North China were characterized by large cloud droplet number concentration, small liquid water content (LWC), and small effective diameter of cloud droplets. The main reason for larger cloud droplet number concentration and smaller effective diameter of cloud droplets was the heavy pollution in winter in North China, while for smaller LWC was the lower temperature during flights and the difference in air mass type. With the temperature increasing, cloud droplet number concentration, LWC, and the size of ice particles increased, but ice number concentration and effective diameter of cloud droplets decreased, similar to other mid-latitude regions, indicating the similarity in the temperature dependence of cloud properties of mixed-phase clouds. The variation of the cloud properties and ice habit at different temperatures indicated the operation of the aggregation and riming processes, which were commonly present in the wintertime mixed-phase clouds. This study fills a gap in the aircraft observation of wintertime cold clouds in North China.     

Some physical aspects of summer monsoon clouds—comparison of cloud model results with observations

The physical characteristics of the summer monsoon clouds were investigated. The results of a simple cloud mod-el were compared with the aircraft cloud physical observations collected during the summer monsoon seasons of 1973,1974,1976 and 1981 in the Deccan Plateau region.The model predicted profiles of cloud liquid water content (LWC) are in agreement with the observed profiles. There is reasonable agreement between the model predicted cloud vertical thickness and observed rainfall.The observed cloud-drop spectra were found to be narrow and the concentration of drops with diameter >20μm is either low or absent on many occasions. In such clouds the rain-formation cannot take place under natural atmos-pheric conditions due to the absence of collision-coalescence process. A comparison of the model predicted and ob-served rainfall suggested that the precipitation efficiency in cumulus clouds of small vertical thickness could be as low as 20 per cent.The clouds forming in the Deccan Plateau region during the summer monsoon are, by and large, cumulus and strato-cumulus type. The vertical thickness of the cumulus clouds is in the range of 1.0-2.0 km. The LWC is found to be more in the region between 1.6-1.9 km A. S. L., which corresponds to the level at almost 3 / 4 th of the total verti-cal thickness of the cloud and thereafter the LWC sharply decreased. Nearly 98 per cent of the tops of the low clouds in the region are below freezing level and the most frequent range of occurrence of these cloud-tops is in the range of 2.0-3.0 km A. S. L.. The dominant physical mechanism of rain-formation in these summer monsoon clouds it the col-lision-coalescence process.     

一次飞机严重积冰的天气条件和云微物理特征

利用2021年2月28日机载探测资料,结合欧洲中期天气预报中心ERA5再分析资料、陕西省延安站探空资料,分析飞机发生严重积冰的天气背景和云的宏微观结构特征。此次严重积冰天气是受高空槽、低空切变线、低空急流和地面冷锋共同影响的结果。ERA5再分析资料表明:过冷水大值区主要分布于锋区前部暖侧的700 hPa至600 hPa高度。探空资料表明:飞机探测区环境温度为-9～-3℃,温度露点差为0℃,具有发生严重积冰的温度和湿度条件。飞机遭遇严重积冰期间环境温度为-8～-5℃,云粒子探头观测的液态水含量平均为0.35 g·m^-3,最大为0.7 g·m^-3;总水含量仪观测的液态水含量平均为0.5 g·m^-3,最大为0.85 g·m^-3,有11 min大于0.45 g·m^-3;云粒子中值体积直径平均为20.3μm,云粒子数浓度平均为149.3 cm^-3;云粒子数浓度由低层到高层呈增大趋势,而云粒子中值体积直径变化趋势与之相反。计算表明:国王350飞机在穿云作业时,云中过冷...     

对流云对大气气溶胶和相对湿度变化响应的数值模拟

利用二维面对称分档云模式研究了气溶胶颗粒物浓度和尺度谱分布对混合相对流云微物理过程和降水的影响, 并重点讨论了气溶胶效应随环境相对湿度的变化。结果表明, 在初始热力和动力条件相同的情况下, 相对清洁的海洋性云在发展和成熟阶段能更有效地产生雨滴、 冰晶和霰粒, 形成更强的雷达反射率。随着气溶胶浓度增加, 比如在本文模拟的污染大陆性云中, 气溶胶粒子数浓度的增加限制云滴增长, 不利于降水粒子的形成。模拟结果也发现, 环境相对湿度对气溶胶效应有显著影响, 即当地面相对湿度从50%增大到70%时, 所模拟的云从浅对流泡发展为深对流云; 气溶胶对云微物理特性和降水的影响在干空气中较小, 但在湿空气中表现非常显著, 这与前人结果一致。随着相对湿度的增加, 冰相粒子出现的时间提前, 增长加快, 云砧范围扩大, 但相对来说, 降水起始时间对相对湿度的变化比气溶胶更敏感。     

Mean Profiles of Moisture Fluxes in Snow-Filled Boundary Layers

Profiles of moisture fluxes have been examined for convective boundary layers containing clouds and snow, using data derived from aircraft measurements taken on four dates during the 1983/1984 University of Chicago lake-effect snow project. Flux profiles were derived from vertical stacks of aircraft cross-wind flight legs taken at various heights over Lake Michigan near the downwind shore. It was found that, if ice processes are taken into account, profiles of potential temperature and water content were very similar to those presented in past studies of convective boundary layers strongly heated from below. Profiles of total water content and equivalent potential temperature adjusted for ice were nearly invariant with height, except very near the top of the boundary layer, suggesting that internal boundary-layer mixing processes were rapid relative to the rates at which heat and vapour were transported into the boundary layer through entrainment and surface fluxes. Ice was found to play a significant, measurable role in boundary-layer moisture fluxes. It was estimated that 40 to 57% of the upward vapour flux was returned to the surface in the form of snow, converting about 45 to 64% of the surface latent heat flux into sensible heat in the snow-producing process. Assuming advective fluxes are relatively small (thought to be appropriate after the first few tens of km over the lake as suggested by past studies), the boundary layer was found to warm at a rate faster than could be explained by surface heat fluxes and latent heat releases alone, the remainder of the heating presumably coming from radiational processes and entrainment. Discussions of moisture phase change processes throughout the boundary layer and estimates of errors of these flux measurements are presented.