The Role of Initial Cloud Condensation Nuclei Concentration in Hail Using the WRF NSSL 2-moment Microphysics Scheme

The effects of the initial cloud condensation nuclei(CCN) concentrations(100–3000 mg~(-1)) on hail properties were investigated in an idealized non-severe hail storm experiment using the Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF) model, with the National Severe Storms Laboratory 2-moment microphysics scheme. The initial CCN concentration(CCNC) had obvious non-monotonic effects on the mixing ratio, number concentrations, and radius of hail, both in clouds and at the surface, with a CCNC threshold between 300 and 500 mg~(-1). An increasing CCNC is conducive(suppressive) to the amount of surface hail precipitation below(above) the CCNC threshold. The non-monotonic effects were due to both the thermodynamics and microphysics. Below the CCNC threshold, the mixing ratios of cloud droplets and ice crystals increased dramatically with the increasing CCNC, resulting in more latent heat released from condensation and frozen between 4 and 8 km and intensified updraft volume. The extent of the riming process, which is the primary process for hail production, increased dramatically. Above the CCNC threshold, the mixing ratio of cloud droplets and ice crystals increased continuously, but the maximum updraft volume was weakened because of reduced frozen latent heating at low level. The smaller ice crystals reduced the formation of hail and smaller clouds, with decreased rain water reducing riming efficiency so that graupel and hail also decreased with increasing CCNC, which is unfavorable for hail growth.     

Precipitation Microphysical Characteristics of Typhoon Ewiniar (2018) before and after Its Final Landfall over Southern China

In this paper, the evolution of the microphysical characteristics in different regions(eyewall, inner core, and outer rainbands) and different quadrants [downshear left(DL), downshear right(DR), upshear left(UL), and upshear right(UR)]during the final landfall of Typhoon Ewiniar(2018) is analyzed using two-dimensional video disdrometer and S-band polarimetric radar data collected in Guangdong, China. Due to the different types of underlying surfaces, the periods before landfall(mainly dominated ...     

Aerosol Microphysical and Radiative Effects on Continental Cloud Ensembles

Aerosol–cloud–radiation interactions represent one of the largest uncertainties in the current climate assessment. Much of the complexity arises from the non-monotonic responses of clouds, precipitation and radiative fluxes to aerosol perturbations under various meteorological conditions. In this study, an aerosol-aware WRF model is used to investigate the microphysical and radiative effects of aerosols in three weather systems during the March 2000 Cloud Intensive Observational Period campaign at the US Southern Great Plains. Three simulated cloud ensembles include a low-pressure deep convective cloud system, a collection of less-precipitating stratus and shallow cumulus, and a cold frontal passage. The WRF simulations are evaluated by several ground-based measurements. The microphysical properties of cloud hydrometeors, such as their mass and number concentrations, generally show monotonic trends as a function of cloud condensation nuclei concentrations.Aerosol radiative effects do not influence the trends of cloud microphysics, except for the stratus and shallow cumulus cases where aerosol semi-direct effects are identified. The precipitation changes by aerosols vary with the cloud types and their evolving stages, with a prominent aerosol invigoration effect and associated enhanced precipitation from the convective sources. The simulated aerosol direct effect suppresses precipitation in all three cases but does not overturn the aerosol indirect effect. Cloud fraction exhibits much smaller sensitivity(typically less than 2%) to aerosol perturbations, and the responses vary with aerosol concentrations and cloud regimes. The surface shortwave radiation shows a monotonic decrease by increasing aerosols, while the magnitude of the decrease depends on the cloud type.     

Sensitivity of the simulation of tropical cyclone size to microphysics schemes

The sensitivity of the simulation of tropical cyclone(TC) size to microphysics schemes is studied using the Advanced Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting Model(WRF). Six TCs during the 2013 western North Pacific typhoon season and three mainstream microphysics schemes–Ferrier(FER), WRF Single-Moment 5-class(WSM5) and WRF Single-Moment6-class(WSM6)–are investigated. The results consistently show that the simulated TC track is not sensitive to the choice of microphysics scheme in the early simulation, especially in the open ocean. However, the sensitivity is much greater for TC intensity and inner-core size. The TC intensity and size simulated using the WSM5 and WSM6 schemes are respectively higher and larger than those using the FER scheme in general, which likely results from more diabatic heating being generated outside the eyewall in rainbands. More diabatic heating in rainbands gives higher inflow in the lower troposphere and higher outflow in the upper troposphere, with higher upward motion outside the eyewall. The lower-tropospheric inflow would transport absolute angular momentum inward to spin up tangential wind predominantly near the eyewall, leading to the increment in TC intensity and size(the inner-core size, especially). In addition, the inclusion of graupel microphysics processes(as in WSM6) may not have a significant impact on the simulation of TC track, intensity and size.     

Variational assimilation of satellite cloud water/ice path and microphysics scheme sensitivity to the assimilation of a rainfall case

Hydrometeor variables (cloud water and cloud ice mixing ratios) are added into the WRF three-dimensional variational assimilation system as additional control variables to directly analyze hydrometeors by assimilating cloud observations. In addition, the background error covariance matrix of hydrometeors is modeled through a control variable transform, and its characteristics discussed in detail. A suite of experiments using four microphysics schemes (LIN, SBU-YLIN, WDM6 and WSM6) are performed with and without assimilating satellite cloud liquid/ice water path. We find analysis of hydrometeors with cloud assimilation to be significantly improved, and the increment and distribution of hydrometeors are consistent with the characteristics of background error covariance. Diagnostic results suggest that the forecast with cloud assimilation represents a significant improvement, especially the ability to forecast precipitation in the first seven hours. It is also found that the largest improvement occurs in the experiment using the WDM6 scheme, since the assimilated cloud information can sustain for longer in this scheme. The least improvement, meanwhile, appears in the experiment using the SBU-YLIN scheme.     

不同云微物理方案对“7.21”特大暴雨模拟的对比试验

利用中尺度数值模式WRF v3.5.1中的17种不同云微物理过程参数化方案,对2012年7月21—22日北京特大暴雨过程进行了对比试验。模拟结果表明:不同云微物理方案对不同量级降水的模拟效果各有优势。NSSL 1-momlfo方案对中雨和大暴雨两个等级降水的模拟效果最好,降水中心值最接近实况;Eta(Ferrier)和Kessler方案分别对大雨和暴雨等级降水的模拟效果最好。总体上,能够较好地模拟出本次特大暴雨过程的方案依次为:NSSL 1-mom、NSSL 1-momlfo和Milbrandt 2-mom方案,而WDM6方案的模拟效果最差。云中水成物演变特征表明,模拟较好的方案中液态水、云冰和霰的含量较多,且随时间演变与地面降水强度的变化相一致。另外,模拟较好的方案中冰相粒子多,过冷水的范围大、含量高,有利于各相态粒子相互转化,促进冰相过程发展,致使降水量增多。     

基于云微物理过程的北方冻雨的模拟与形成机制研究

本文通过耦合AFWA(Air Force Weather Agency)冻雨参数化方案的WRF模式,对2020年冬季因暖锋引发的中国北方严重冻雨灾害个例进行了模拟,结果显示模式能够很好地模拟此次冻雨过程中降水相态的空间分布。通过分析暖锋的演变、水成物云微物理特征以及降水相态的变化,得到：在辽宁中北部—吉林中东部地区,暖锋导致中低空形成“冷—暖—冷”的温度层结,该区冻雨形成机制以“冰相机制”为主,即高空的雪花落入大于0℃暖层内融化、再降落到次冻结层后形成冻雨。同时,发现存在高空无固态水成物、逆温层内暖雨下落到次冻结层在地面形成冻雨的现象,这种新机制被定义为“暖雨机制”,更多水成物垂直剖面与同期地面观测降水相态的比对,验证了新机制的存在,并解释了该机制形成的可能原因。为更深入理解冻雨形成机理以及北方冻雨的预报、预警提供科学支撑。     

Changes in scavenging of particles by droplets due to weak electrification in clouds

Electrical charges on aerosol particles and droplets modify the droplet–particle collision efficiencies involved in scavenging, and the droplet–droplet and particle–particle collision efficiencies involved in coalescence of droplets and particles, even in only weakly electrified clouds and aerosol layers. This work places electrically enhanced scavenging, and the electrical inhibition of scavenging in the context of the microphysics of weakly electrified clouds.Collision efficiencies are calculated by numerical integration to obtain particle trajectories, that are determined by the complex interplay of electrical, gravitational and phoretic forces together with inertia. These modify the trajectory of a particle as it is carried by flow around the falling droplet. Conversely, the flow around the particle also modifies the trajectory of the droplet. The flows are specified analytically, using a hybrid of the Proudman–Pearson stream function for that region close to the droplet or particle, where it is accurate, merging into the exact Oseen stream function for larger distances, where that becomes accurate. The effect of the flow around the particle on the motion of the droplet was simulated using Langmuir's superposition technique on the hybrid stream functions. The treatment of inertia in the present calculations allows an extension of the scope of our previous work by a factor of 10 larger in particle size (10³ in mass). The coverage is extended to a wide range of atmospheric conditions and particle densities.The pressures and temperatures used in the models ranged from a representation of the lower troposphere at  1 km altitude (900 hPa, 10 °C) to that of the middle stratosphere at  30 km altitude (12 hPa, − 47 °C). The particles considered range from 0.1 μm to 10 μm radius; the droplet radii range from 4 μm to 50 μm; particle densities range from 300 kg m^− 3 to 2500 kg m^− 3; particle charges range from 2e to 100e with droplet charges of like sign of 100e; and relative humidities range from 10% to 100%.For the larger particles (radii greater than about 3 μm) interacting with the larger droplets (radii greater than about 15 μm) the effects of inertia increase with particle density and dominate at the larger densities. For particles with radii in the range 1–3 μm the ‘Greenfield Gap’ of very low collision efficiencies was found, and was determined to be due to the effects of the gravitational force causing a reduction of collisions of particles with the front of the droplet, and the effect of inertia overcoming the tendency for the weight to produce a collision in the slow velocity region in the rear. When the electrical or phoretic forces are sufficiently large the Greenfield Gap is closed.When the particles have radii < 3 μm inertial effects no longer dominate the collisions, although inertia modifies the weight effects for particles with radii down to about 0.5 μm. For charged aerosol particles with radii smaller than about 0.1 μm interacting with droplets or background aerosol particles smaller than a radius of about 15 μm, the long range electrical repulsive force is effective in opposing the phoretic forces and keeping the particle out of range of the short range attractive image force. Thus ‘electroscavenging’ gives way to ‘electroprotection’ against the scavenging or coagulation processes otherwise caused by Browninan diffusion or phoretic forces.In an atmosphere of temperature 10 °C and pressure 900 hPa the net phoretic force reduces to zero and becomes repulsive for particles with radii above about 2 μm (depending on particle conductivity). This enhances the development of the Greenfield Gap. However, the value of this radius (at which the net phoretic force is zero) increases strongly with decreasing temperature and pressure (increasing altitude) as expected from theory, and is about 5 μm in the middle troposphere and more than 10 μm in the stratosphere. Thus a net attractive phoretic force on particles extends into the 1–3 μm radius range in the upper troposphere; however, the weight and inertial effects can ensure the presence of the Greenfield Gap in that range for 2000 kg m^− 3 particles up to the middle stratosphere.     

北上台风强降水形成机制及微物理特征

利用NCEP FNL分析资料、青岛降水现象仪和双偏振雷达观测资料,对北上台风利奇马(1909)和巴威(2008)引发的局地对流性强降水微物理特征进行分析,结果表明:在台风外围的东南暖湿气流内,受地形或边界层锋区触发形成的强对流单体后向传播或原地合并加强造成了局地强降水;雨滴的质量加权平均直径(Dm)和对数归一化浓度(l...     

Aircraft Observations of Orographic Cloud and Precipitation Features over Southern Baffin Island,Nunavut, Canada

This study evaluates cloud and precipitation features over the orography of southern Baffin Island in the southeast Canadian Arctic during the Storm Studies in the Arctic (STAR) field project in autumn 2007. Three case studies provide the basis for a comparative analysis of how cloud and precipitation features from upstream ocean regions are modified by the orography, in addition to the variability of these features over diverse synoptic and sea-ice conditions. Using data collected by a research aircraft with an onboard W-band Doppler radar and microphysical instrumentation, multiple factors were found to play roles in enhancing and/or reducing cloud and precipitation over the orography of the region. Gravity waves, terrain shape, atmospheric stability, and atmosphere–ocean exchanges were all associated with precipitation enhancement. In addition, several factors that reduce precipitation were identified, including sublimation, high sea-ice extent, and low-level blocking in the upstream environment. Accretion and aggregation were identified as important particle growth mechanisms over the orography. By increasing particle density and/or mass, the probability of ice particles precipitating to the surface increased. These results indicate that the complexity of these critical features over terrain in high-latitude regions poses considerable challenges for modelling.