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.     

华北太行山东麓一次稳定性积层混合云飞机观测研究:对流云/对流泡和融化层结构特征

对云中微物理过程的研究是研究云降水形成过程和人工影响降水的重要基础,目前对积层混合云的对流区/对流泡中的微物理结构了解甚少。本文利用河北省“十三五”气象重点工程——云水资源开发利用工程的示范项目（2017～2019年）“太行山东麓人工增雨防雹作业技术试验”飞机和地面雷达观测数据,重点分析研究了2017年5月22日一次典型稳定性积层混合云对流泡和融化层的结构特征。研究结果表明,此次积层混合云高层存在高浓度大冰粒子,冰粒子下落过程中的增长在不同区域存在明显差异,在含有高过冷水含量的对流泡中,冰粒子增长主要是聚并和凇附增长,而在过冷水含量较低的云区以聚并增长为主。由于聚并增长形成的大冰粒子密度低,下落速度小,穿过0℃层时间更长,出现大量半融化的冰粒子,使融化现象更为明显。镶嵌在层状云中的对流泡一般处于0℃～-10℃（高度4～6 km）层之间,垂直和水平尺度约2 km,最大上升气流速度可达5 m s-1。对流泡内平均液态水含量是周围云区的2倍左右,小云粒子平均浓度比周围云区高一个量级,大粒子（直径800 μm以上）的浓度也更高。在具有较高过冷水含量的对流泡中降水形成符合“播撒—供给”机制,但在过冷水含量较低的区域并不符合这一机制。     

Macro- and Micro-physical Characteristics of Different Parts of Mixed Convective-stratiform Clouds and Differences in Their Responses to Seeding

This study investigates the cloud macro- and micro-physical characteristics in the convective and stratiform regions and their different responses to the seeding for mixed convective-stratiform clouds that occurred in Shandong province on 21 May 2018, based on the observations from the aircraft, the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite, and the high-resolution Himawari-8 (H8) satellite. The aircraft observations show that convection was deeper and radar echoes were significantly enhanced with higher tops in response to seeding in the convective region. This is linked with the conversion of supercooled liquid droplets to ice crystals with released latent heat, resulting in strengthened updrafts, enhanced radar echoes, higher cloud tops, and more and larger precipitation particles. In contrast, in the stratiform cloud region, after the Silver Iodide (AgI) seeding, the radar echoes become significantly weaker at heights close to the seeding layer, with the echo tops lowered by 1.4–1.7 km. In addition, a hollow structure appears at the height of 6.2–7.8 km with a depth of about 1.6 km and a diameter of about 5.5 km, and features such as icing seeding tracks appear. These suggest that the transformation between droplets and ice particles was accelerated by the seeding in the stratiform part. The NPP and H8 satellites also show that convective activity was stronger in the convective region after seeding; while in the stratiform region, a cloud seeding track with a width of 1–3 km appears 10 km downstream of the seeding layer 15 minutes after the AgI seeding, which moves along the wind direction as width increases.     

基于CloudSat卫星资料分析青藏高原东部夏季云的垂直结构

本文利用CloudSat卫星资料,对青藏高原东部2006~2010年6~8月云垂直结构的空间分布进行分析,结果表明:(1)夏季青藏高原东部云发展可达到平流层,且高原东部云在5km以下以水云存在,5~10km以液相和固相共存的混态存在,在垂直高度10km以上以冰云存在。由于CloudSat卫星资料云相的反演问题,可能会造成水云和混态云的发展上限偏低,冰云的发展下限抬升。(2)研究区整层水汽输送和云水平均路径空间分布存在一定的差异性,云水含量纬向分布表现为在26.5°~30.5°N附近存在一个明显的峰值区,经向分布表现为95°E以西云水含量低于以东。(3)研究区以单云层为主,尤其在青藏高原主体。单云层平均云层厚度4182 m,云顶高度、云厚限于水汽的输送,表现为由南向北波动下降。多层云发生频率在27°N以北明显减少,说明强烈的对流运动更容易激发多层云的产生。     

Comparison of cloud-top height retrievals from ground-based 35 GHz MMCR and GMS-5 satellite observations at ARM TWP Manus site

Retrievals of cloud-top heights from the ARM 35 GHz Millimeter Wave Cloud Radar (MMCR) located on Manus Island are compared to those from the GMS-5 satellite as a means to evaluate the accuracy of both MMCR and GMS-5 retrievals, as well as to ascertain their limitations. Comparisons are carried out for retrievals of both single-layer and multilayer clouds as seen by radar, but only for satellite-detected clouds with 100% amount within a 0.3×0.3° domain centered at the ARM site of one cloud type (i.e., low, middle, or high). Mean differences, with 95% confidence limits, between radar- and satellite-retrieved cloud-top heights (i.e., radar-retrieved cloud-top heights−satellite-retrieved cloud-top heights) are 0.3±0.3 km for single-layer clouds and −0.7±0.3 km for multilayer clouds. The study reveals that for thick clouds (i.e., cloud base ≤1 km and cloud thickness ≥10 km), which are representative of convective towers with no/light precipitation as well as thick anvil clouds, retrievals from the MMCR agree well with those from satellite with mean differences of 0.0±0.4 and −0.2±0.3 km for single-layer and multilayer clouds, respectively. For clouds of lesser thickness, mean cloud-top heights derived from satellite are lower than those derived from radar by as much as 2.0 km. It is also shown that for convective clouds with heavy precipitation, MMCR retrievals underestimate the cloud-top heights significantly.     

A study of vertical cloud structure of the Indian summer monsoon using CloudSat data

Precise specification of the vertical distribution of cloud optical properties is important to reduce the uncertainty in quantifying the radiative impacts of clouds. The new global observations of vertical profiles of clouds from the CloudSat mission provide opportunities to describe cloud structures and to improve parameterization of clouds in the weather and climate prediction models. In this study, four years (2007–2010) of observations of vertical structure of clouds from the CloudSat cloud profiling radar have been used to document the mean vertical structure of clouds associated with the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) and its intra-seasonal variability. Active and break monsoon spells associated with the intra-seasonal variability of ISM have been identified by an objective criterion. For the present analysis, we considered CloudSat derived column integrated cloud liquid and ice water, and vertically profiles of cloud liquid and ice water content. Over the South Asian monsoon region, deep convective clouds with large vertical extent (up to 14 km) and large values of cloud water and ice content are observed over the north Bay of Bengal. Deep clouds with large ice water content are also observed over north Arabian Sea and adjoining northwest India, along the west coast of India and the south equatorial Indian Ocean. The active monsoon spells are characterized by enhanced deep convection over the Bay of Bengal, west coast of India and northeast Arabian Sea and suppressed convection over the equatorial Indian Ocean. Over the Bay of Bengal, cloud liquid water content and ice water content is enhanced by ~90 and ~200 % respectively during the active spells. An interesting feature associated with the active spell is the vertical tilting structure of positive CLWC and CIWC anomalies over the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, which suggests a pre-conditioning process for the northward propagation of the boreal summer intra-seasonal variability. It is also observed that during the break spells, clouds are not completely suppressed over central India. Instead, clouds with smaller vertical extent (3–5 km) are observed due to the presence of a heat low type of circulation. The present results will be useful for validating the vertical structure of clouds in weather and climate prediction models.     

基于星载微波雷达和激光雷达探测的夏季云顶高度及云量差异分析

云是天气与气候变化的重要影响因子,准确估量云顶高度和云量对分析云特性、降水及强天气预报、估算云辐射强迫等都具有重要意义。利用2006-2010年6-8月CloudSat卫星搭载的微波云廓线雷达（CPR,简称微波雷达）和CALIPSO卫星搭载的云-气溶胶偏振激光雷达（CALIOP,简称激光雷达）的探测资料,分析了全球云顶高度及云量的空间分布特征。结果表明,热带地区微波雷达探测云顶高度平均比激光雷达低约4 km,但均超过12 km;副热带洋面云顶高度在4 km以下,且两部雷达探测的云顶高度差异存在地域性。微波雷达对薄云、云砧及云顶高度低于2.5 km的低云存在漏判,对厚云的云顶高度偏低估;微波雷达探测的全球总云量均值为51.1%,比激光雷达少23.3%;两者给出的云量分布也存在显著的海-陆差异,其中洋面云量差异更大,如微波雷达测出局部洋面云量为80%,而激光雷达的探测结果却超过90%。由于激光雷达发射波长短,对云顶微小粒子比较敏感,而微波雷达波长较长,对相对较小粒子的探测存在局限性。因此,激光雷达对云顶高度的探测优于微波雷达。此结果不仅加强了对激光雷达和微波雷达探测原理的认识,而且进一步理解了云的气候特征。     

一次对流云人工消减雨作业云条件预报和作业预案合理性分析

为做好固定目标时段和区域的人工消减雨作业,利用云降水显式预报系统(CPEFS_v1.0)对云系性质和结构、移速移向及演变、降水机制等云条件进行预报.预报结果显示,2017年8月8日影响呼和浩特的云系性质为分散性对流云,具有冷暖混合云结构,云中上升气流强,对流单体水平尺度约为几十千米,生命史约为1.5～3 h,云顶高度约...     

GATE A/B‐scale budget analysis

Abstract

Using GATE A/B‐scale U.S.S.R. ship data, heat and moisture budget analyses have been carried out for the three‐day period: 0000 GMT, 7 September to 2400 GMT, 9 September, 1974. The period has been subdivided into an undisturbed period (0000 GMT, 7 September ‐1800 GMT, 8 September) and a disturbed period (1800 GMT, 8 September ‐ 2400 GMT, 9 September) based on surface precipitation and satellite cloud observations. During the undisturbed period, precipitation was very light (1–3 mm day^‐1). On the other hand, the precipitation rate became well over 10 mm day^‐1 during the disturbed period. A/B‐scale heat and moisture budget results for both periods are presented.

It is found that during the undisturbed period, cumulus clouds have heating and moistening effects in the lower troposphere below 700 mb, and cooling and moistening effects in the upper troposphere above 600mb. In the disturbed period, clouds have strong heating and drying effects throughout the entire cloud layer.

Using the diagnostic scheme developed by Cho (1977), the collective properties of cumulus clouds for both the undisturbed and the disturbed periods are also determined. During the undisturbed period, some clouds reached as high as the 300‐mb level, however, little precipitation was produced. The total cloud mass flux is found to be negative in the upper troposphere and can be attributed to downdrafts induced by the evaporation of cloud liquid water. On the other hand, total cloud mass flux for the disturbed period is positive throughout the entire troposphere.     

青藏高原那曲地区一次深对流云垂直结构的多源卫星和地基雷达观测对比分析

为了加强对青藏高原深对流云垂直结构的深入认识,利用TRMM、CloudSat和Aqua多源卫星观测资料及地基垂直指向雷达（C波段调频连续波雷达和KA波段毫米波云雷达）资料,对第三次青藏高原大气科学试验期间2014年7月9日13-16时（北京时）发生在那曲气象站附近的深厚强对流云和那曲气象站以西100 km左右的深厚弱对流云的垂直结构特征进行了分析,得到的结果如下:（1）深厚强对流云和深厚弱对流云的水平尺度均较小（10-20 km）,垂直发展高度较高（15-16 km,均指海拔高度）;深厚强对流云在0℃层以下雷达反射率因子递增非常快,表明对流云内固态降水粒子下落至0℃层以下后融化过程有很重要的作用;在对流减弱阶段有明显的0℃层亮带出现,亮带位于5.5 km左右（距地1 km）;（2）对比TRMM测雨雷达和C波段调频连续波雷达观测到的雷达反射率因子,发现TRMM测雨雷达在11 km以下存在高估;（3）深对流云主要为冰相云,云内10 km以上主要是丰富小冰粒子,而10 km以下是较少的大冰晶粒子;深厚强对流云和深厚弱对流云的微物理过程都主要包括混合相过程和冰化过程,混合相过程分为两种:一种是-25℃（深厚强对流云）或-29℃（深厚弱对流云）高度以下以凇附增长为主,另一种是该高度以上主要以冰晶聚合、凝华增长为主,该过程冰晶粒子有效半径增长较快。这些空基和地基的观测证据进一步揭示了青藏高原深对流云的垂直结构特征,为模式模拟青藏高原深对流云的检验提供了依据。      

基于飞机观测的华北积层混合云降水微物理特征的数值模拟研究

基于2009年5月1日积层混合云降水2架飞机观测数据分析,使用中尺度模式WRFV3对此次过程积云区和层云区的微物理特征和转化过程进行数值模拟比较研究。飞机观测数据分析表明,此次积层混合云中的层云区和积云区冰粒子形状和形成过程有明显差别,层云区的粒子形状组成比较复杂,包含针状、柱状和辐枝状等,而积云区主要以辐枝状粒子为主,聚并、凇附过程明显。数值模式能较好地模拟出此次积层混合云降水过程的基本特征,包括回波分布、飞行路径上降水粒子的数浓度和液态水含量等。数值模拟结果表明,云水相对丰富、上升气流强的层云区凇附过程较强,产生的雪在低层融化为雨水,为后期高层形成的雪和霰提供丰富的液态水,能发展成对流较强的积云区,存在播种—供给机制。在积云区,水成物的比例从大到小依次为雪（51.9%）、霰（31.0%）和雨水（16.0%）;雪的主要源项包括淞附增长（56.8%）和凝华增长（40.1%）,霰的主要源项包括凇附增长（46.6%）、雨水碰并雪成霰（42.6%）和凝华增长（16.1%）,雨水的主要源项是霰（77.6%）和雪（22.4%）的融化。而相对云水较少、上升气流较弱的层云区将保持层云的状态,层云区水成物的比例从大到小依次为雪（90.4%）、雨水（6.1%）、冰晶（3.5%）;高层冰晶和雪通过凝华过程增长,雪在零度层下融化为弱的降水。     

Cloud mapping from the earth's surface using infrared radiance contrasts*

Abstract

Radiance criteria for distinguishing low, middle, and high clouds in the 9.5–11.5 μm band of the infrared are developed and used to produce local cloud maps. The performance of this radiance contrast method for mapping clouds from the earth's surface is evaluated with a view to using the technique for objective observation of cloud amount and distribution in the sky hemisphere.

Discrimination radiance formulas are developed using a multilayer, wavenumber‐specific infrared radiative transfer model including cloud parameters measured by other workers and atmospheric conditions measured by radiosonde. The clear sky radiance (N₀) is the dominant independent variable in the discrimination formulas. The variation of N₀ with time (primarily due to changes in atmospheric water vapour content) and zenith angle are found to be important in distinguishing cirriform clouds from clear sky and other clouds.

The local cloud maps are produced by applying the discrimination radiances (in voltage form) to the output from a narrow‐view infrared radiometer pointed at a sky‐scanning mirror. It is necessary to assume that the radiance from a cloud observed at the surface decreases unambiguously with an increase in cloud base height. Cloud maps for five days in July 1978 indicate the mapping technique shows promise under a wide range of sky conditions. Cloud motions rapidly degrade the maps’ quality over time‐scales that are much less than the current manual cloud sampling period of 1 h.     

强对流天气对O3和CO的垂直输送作用

利用ACTIVE（aerosol and chemical transport in tropical convection）试验资料,取2006年1月20日澳大利亚北部达尔文岛附近发生的一次飑线强对流天气的AE17航次和2006年1月27日无对流天气的AE21航次飞行路径中的探测资料,对澳大利亚达尔文地区夏季风盛行期间发生的有无强对流发生时O₃和CO浓度垂直分布变化进行对比,考察强对流性天气发生对O₃和CO浓度垂直输送作用。深对流云内强烈的垂直上升运动将O₃和CO等化学气体携带输送至对流层上部并在对流层顶堆积,从而在对流层上部产生浓度峰值。当有强对流发生,飞机进入对流云上层时,O₃浓度和CO浓度升高,O₃和CO浓度变率增大,在对流层上部浓度出现峰值;当飞机飞出对流云时,O₃和CO浓度相对较低,在对流云外出现谷值。在无对流发生的条件下O₃和CO浓度相对较小,浓度变率也较小,无峰值产生。分析表明:O₃和CO浓度分布不仅与强对流的垂直输送作用关系密切,且与气象要素垂直和水平分布以及动力输送过程密切相关。     

GRAPES-Meso模式浅对流云辐射效应的改进试验

在万子为等（2015）对GRAPES-Meso模式浅对流参数化改进的基础上,进一步引入了浅对流云量诊断计算,并设计旨在完善浅对流云辐射效应的浅云云量和云中水凝物的补偿方案,以改进模式低层云量偏少和浅对流云辐射效应不足的问题。通过对数值试验结果的诊断和对比分析以及与观测的比较,重点考察了浅对流云量计算与浅对流激发的协调性、浅对流云对低云补偿后所产生的辐射效应以及对模式地面要素预报的影响等,验证了改进方案的合理性与有效性。结果表明:（1）浅对流云量诊断计算合理,其云覆盖区与浅对流激发区相吻合,引入浅对流云量的计算可减小模式云量的计算偏差、使其向观测结果靠近;（2）改进方案在浅对流发生区低层0.5-4 km高度范围内,对影响模式云辐射过程的浅云云量和云中水凝物形成有效补偿,最明显的浅云补偿在1-1.5 km高度处,浅对流活跃时期浅对流过程对浅云水凝物（云水和雨水之和）的补偿量可达20%-55%;（3）云光学厚度对浅云水凝物的补偿响应合理,即水凝物的补偿引起云光学厚度增大,两者的变化特征在时空分布上十分相似,且云光学厚度之变化受云水补偿的影响比受雨水补偿的影响更明显;（4）在白天时段,浅云补偿所产生的辐射效应使模式地表太阳总辐射有所下降,缩小了与观测的偏差,进而使地表温度和地面2 m气温模拟偏差减小。改进方案在缓解模式云量偏少、地表太阳总辐射偏强和地面2 m气温偏高等方面的作用,在批量试验中得到了验证。      

A case study of GATE convective activity

Abstract

This paper presents the synoptic and meso‐scale aspects of the intense convective activity of 2 September 1974 in the Eastern Atlantic. Two main features were evident in the GATE B‐scale array: a broad convective band associated with the 700‐mb trough, and long and narrow lines of convection oriented SE‐NW. One of these lines, which moved across the B‐scale array and was penetrated by several aircraft, is described in detail. The structure of the cloud and precipitation fields, obtained from the analysis of satellite and radar data, indicates that intense precipitation occurred mainly at the leading edge of the line where new cells were continuously generating. Cross‐sections through the line (from boom, aircraft and tethered balloon data) show a gust front at the surface, a downdraft region associated with the rain area, and a wind shift in the lowest 300 m. The circulations around and within this line appear to be similar to a class of tropical squall‐lines studied at length by Zipser, (1977) and Houze (1977) with the important difference that the horizontal gradients of the dynamic and thermodynamic variables across the line were typically weaker.     

A process oriented characterization of tropical oceanic clouds for climate model evaluation, based on a statistical analysis of daytime A-train observations

This paper aims at characterizing how different key cloud properties (cloud fraction, cloud vertical distribution, cloud reflectance, a surrogate of the cloud optical depth) vary as a function of the others over the tropical oceans. The correlations between the different cloud properties are built from 2?years of collocated A-train observations (CALIPSO-GOCCP and MODIS) at a scale close to cloud processes; it results in a characterization of the physical processes in tropical clouds, that can be used to better understand cloud behaviors, and constitute a powerful tool to develop and evaluate cloud parameterizations in climate models. First, we examine a case study of shallow cumulus cloud observed simultaneously by the two sensors (CALIPSO, MODIS), and develop a methodology that allows to build global scale statistics by keeping the separation between clear and cloudy areas at the pixel level (250, 330?m). Then we build statistical instantaneous relationships between the cloud cover, the cloud vertical distribution and the cloud reflectance. The vertical cloud distribution indicates that the optically thin clouds (optical thickness <1.5) dominate the boundary layer over the trade wind regions. Optically thick clouds (optical thickness >3.4) are composed of high and mid-level clouds associated with deep convection along the ITCZ and SPCZ and over the warm pool, and by stratocumulus low level clouds located along the East coast of tropical oceans. The cloud properties are analyzed as a function of the large scale circulation regime. Optically thick high clouds are dominant in convective regions (CF?>?80?%), while low level clouds with low optical thickness (<3.5) are present in regimes of subsidence but in convective regimes as well, associated principally to low cloud fractions (CF?<?50?%). A focus on low-level clouds allows us to quantify how the cloud optical depth increases with cloud top altitude and with cloud fraction.     

基于2014～～2017年Ka毫米波雷达数据分析北京地区云宏观分布特征

本文利用2014年1月至2017年12月Ka毫米波雷达数据对北京地区云宏观特征进行统计分析。云出现率方面，4年平均值约36.3%；冬季最低，夏季最大；月出现率值9月最大，12月最小；出现率日变化有季节差异，春夏两季呈现中午（11:00，北京时间，下同）开始逐步升高至下午17:00后逐步下降的特点，增高幅度大于15%；冬、秋两季日变化特征不显著。高度方面，4年平均云底高约4.9 km，平均云顶高约7.2 km；云顶高和云底高的月变化特征明显，从年初1月开始逐步上升，在6月达到峰值，而后下降到12月达到低值；3～10月，高云（云底高>5 km)占约一半左右比例；厚度小于1 km的云在各月中所占比例最高；厚度1～4 km的云，厚度越大所占比例越低；特别地，厚度大于4 km的云所占比例在4～9月中仅次于厚度小于1 km云的比例。4年期间，北京地区单层云居多约占66.7%，两层云占比约25.2%，两层以上云占8.1%；冬季约80%的云为单层云，而6～9月云层分布变化最多，其中9月单层云比例最低约为40%。本文基于4年高时空分辨率雷达数据对北京地区云分布特征，特别是云垂直分布特征在数值上准确刻画，该项工作在已有云气候研究中尚未见开展，所获得的知识将对了解地区气候特征、区域模式云参数化选择提供参考。     

广西南宁冬季层状暖云微物理特征的飞机观测分析

利用运十二飞机在2012年冬季广西南宁地区开展的12架次层状暖云微物理探测资料进行分析,统计和观测结果表明,层状暖云垂直方向分层显著。存在逆温是典型宏观特征,降水云基本都为多层逆温,逆温位置主要出现在云顶附近。云滴平均浓度为652±607个/cm3;无降水云比降水云云滴平均浓度略大,分别为678±348个/cm3和615±363个/cm3。平均液水含量为1.03±0.73 g/m3,其中降水云远大于无降水云,分别为1.3±0.9 g/m3和0.88±0.6 g/m3。平均有效直径为18.2±5.6 μm,降水云略大于无降水云,分别为19.4±5.0 μm和17.3±6.0 μm。垂直分布上,云滴数浓度在接近地面的下层云中最大,峰值区主要出现在云底,且随高度一般呈现递减趋势。云滴谱分布显示在6.5 μm出现次峰值。降水云中大云滴主要出现在接近地面的下层云中,而无降水云中几乎没有观测到大云滴。      

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.     

我国云降水物理飞机观测研究进展

飞机观测是云中粒子相态、分布和转化特征的重要探测技术。我国云降水物理飞机观测开始于20世纪60年代,经过60多年的发展,在飞机平台、机载测量技术、云微物理结构和降水形成机制认识等方面均取得了长足进步。发现积层混合云中对流泡区具有更高的过冷水含量,凇附增长起重要作用,符合“播撒-供给”降水形成机制,而在层云区,当云厚度较小时,过冷水含量很少,冰雪晶的凝华、聚并增长起主导作用,并不符合“播撒-供给”降水形成机制,而当云厚度较大时,过冷水含量较为丰富,凝华、聚并和凇附增长起主导作用,基本符合“播撒-供给”降水形成机制;我国北方冬季降雪过程的形成机制主要是凝华-聚并机制,只有在水汽非常充足、云较厚的情况下,凇附增长过程才具有重要作用。近年虽然在人工影响天气播撒效应、数值模式云物理过程验证、卫星及雷达遥感数据检验、对流云结构观测等方面也取得了一些进展,但仍较薄弱,亟待加强。