The WRF model performance for the simulation of heavy precipitating events over Ahmedabad during August 2006

The summer monsoon season of the year 2006 was highlighted by an unprecedented number of monsoon lows over the central and the western parts of India, particularly giving widespread rainfall over Gujarat and Rajasthan. Ahmedabad had received 540.2mm of rainfall in the month of August 2006 against the climatological mean of 219.8mm. The two spells of very heavy rainfall of 108.4mm and 97.7mm were recorded on 8 and 12 August 2006 respectively. Due to meteorological complexities involved in replicating the rainfall occurrences over a region, the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF-ARW version) modeling system with two different cumulus schemes in a nested configuration is chosen for simulating these events. The spatial distributions of large-scale circulation and moisture fields have been simulated reasonably well in this model, though there are some spatial biases in the simulated rainfall pattern. The rainfall amount over Ahmedabad has been underestimated by both the cumulus parameterization schemes. The quantitative validation of the simulated rainfall is done by calculating the categorical skill scores like frequency bias, threat scores (TS) and equitable threat scores (ETS). In this case the KF scheme has outperformed the GD scheme for the low precipitation threshold.     

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.     

珠江三角洲城市群对夏季降雨影响的初步研究

利用TRMM 2A25卫星降水数据和CMORPH同化数据对珠三角洲地区的降水分布特征进行了探讨,观测表明：珠三角城市群区域总体处于降水的低值中心,且对流降雨的低值中心尤为明显;同时近10 a珠三角核心城市区域降雨有减少的趋势,这种降水减少的趋势可能与珠三角城市化效应有关。本文进一步利用WRF模式模拟分析了珠三角城市群发展对夏季降雨的影响,结果表明珠三角城市化使得该区域降雨减少,其原因为城市化使得地表的蒸发减弱及其大气中的水分供应减少,同时也抬升了珠三角区域边界层高度相应增强了低层大气水汽垂直混合。     

Satellite Observations of Reflectivity Maxima above the Freezing Level Induced by Terrain

Previous studies have recognized reflectivity maxima above the freezing level(RMAF) within stratiform precipitation over mountain slopes, however, quantitative studies are limited due to the lack of adequate identification criteria. Here, we establish an identification method for RMAF precipitation and apply it to the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission(TRMM) Precipitation Radar(PR) observations. Using the TRMM 2A25 product from 1998 to 2013, we show that the RMAF structure in reflectivity profiles can be effectively identified. RMAF exists not only in stratiform precipitation but also in convective precipitation. RMAF frequency is positively correlated with elevation, which is thought to be caused by enhanced updrafts in the middle layers of stratiform precipitation, or in the low to middle layers of convective precipitation over mountains. The average RMAF heights in stratiform and convective precipitation were 1.35 and 2.01 km above the freezing level, respectively, which is lower than previous results. In addition, our results indicate that the RMAF structure increased the echo top height and enhanced precipitation processes above the RMAF height, but it suppressed the downward propagation of ice particles and the near-surface rain rate. Future studies of orographic precipitation should take into account the impact of the RMAF structure and its relevant dynamic triggers.     

利用TRMM资料对热带气旋“威马逊”结构及其降水特征的研究

利用NASA提供的热带测雨卫星(TRMM)资料和NCEP/AVN模式的实况分析场研究了热带气旋“威马逊”(2002)的演变过程、结构和降水特征.对要素场及倾斜对流有效位能诊断分析发现,降水的分布和强度对热带气旋的发展有很好的指示作用.针对MM5的几种积云参数化方案进行了数值试验,初步研究了各方案在热带气旋定量降水预报(QPF)中的作用.     

基于TRMM数据的鄱阳湖流域降雨时空分布特征及其精度评价

基于1998-2007 年热带测雨卫星(TRMM) 3B42 V6 降雨数据分析鄱阳湖流域降雨时空分布特征, 并利用40个气象站观测日降雨数据对TRMM数据在不同子流域、不同降雨强度及不同季节里的精度进行了对比分析, 弥补了以往只评价整体精度的不足。结果显示:鄱阳湖流域北部地区修水、饶河子流域较易出现暴雨, 导致雷达信号衰减, 使TRMM对大雨强降雨的探测出现较大偏差;流域内降雨以10~50 mm为主, 其雨量占到总雨量的60%;流域降雨在年内1-3 月中旬为干旱少雨期, 3 月下旬-9 月初为湿润多雨期, 9-12 月再次进入干旱少雨期;而空间分布呈东、西部大, 中部小的格局;同时发现, 在赣南山区TRMM降雨较观测雨量低300~400 mm, 这可能受高程和坡度的影响, 使TRMM对山区降雨的探测精度也出现较大偏差。     

基于TRMM 3B43产品的1998-2016年黄淮海平原降水时空特征研究

以黄淮海平原为研究区,基于59个气象站点的逐月降水数据,采用相关系数(R)、相对误差(BIAS)和均方根误差(RMSE)对TRMM 3B43降水产品的精度进行系统评估,揭示黄淮海平原降水的时空变化规律.研究表明:①TRMM 3B43产品对研究区内大部分气象站点存在轻微高估现象,总体上TRMM产品和站点数据在黄淮海平原的...     

TRMM资料分析热带气旋的降水与水汽、潜热的关系

利用TRMM（Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission）卫星上搭载的TMI（微波成像仪）资料,以2004年桑达热带风暴和1999年9908号热带风暴为例,定量分析西北太平洋上热带气旋降水与水汽、潜热的关系。结果发现,日平均降水率与气柱水汽量之间存在着很好的双对数关系,对流层中高层（3．0～14km）潜热与地面日平均降水率之间存在很好的双对数关系,在热带气旋密闭云区和外围螺旋云区两个区域内,降水与潜热的相关程度最好,并且每相隔24h出现一次极大值。本工作试图为台风预报模式提供降水参数化方案。     

Satellite estimates and subpixel variability of rainfall in a semi-arid grassland

卫星估雨精度的不确定性受到当地降雨类型和像元内降雨非均匀性影响,而结合这两个关键因素开展半干旱草原卫星估雨的研究有限.2009年夏,我们在中国锡林郭勒半干旱草原用多部微雨雷达和雨量计构建了9 km卫星像元降雨观测网,观测了像元内降雨非均匀性(空间变异系数CV),并评估了卫星估雨精度.结果表明:(1)CV值受像元内平均降雨量,降雨类型,降雨云面积及移向等影响,如高Cv值的降雨过程大多为平均降雨量小,对流性降雨过程,降雨云边缘像元CV值较高;(2)TRMM 3B42V7卫星估雨产品适用性较好,CMORPH和PERSIANN次之,但TRMM 3B42V7易在半干旱草原湖泊处高估降雨.     

Effects of vertical wind shear and storm motion on tropical cyclone rainfall asymmetries over the North Indian Ocean

Tropical cyclone (TC) rainfall asymmetry is often influenced by vertical wind shear and storm motion. This study examined the effects of environmental vertical wind shear (200-850 hPa) and storm motion on TC rainfall asymmetry over the North Indian Ocean (NIO): the Bay of Bengal (BoB) and the Arabian Sea (AS). Four TC groups were used in this study: Cyclonic Storm (CS), Severe Cyclonic Storm (SCS), Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) and Extreme Severe Cyclonic Storm (ESCS). The Fourier coefficients for wave number-1 was used to analyze the structure of TC rainfall asymmetry. Results show that the maximum TC rainfall asymmetry was predominantly in the downshear left quadrant in the BoB, while it placed to downshear right quadrant in the AS, likely due to the different primary circulation strength of the TC vortex. For the most intense cyclone (ESCS), the maximum TC rainfall asymmetry was in the upshear left quadrant in the BoB, whereas it was downshear right quadrant in the AS. It is evident for both basins that the magnitude of TC rainfall asymmetry declined (increased) with TC intensity (shear strength). This study also examined the collective effects of vertical wind shear and storm motion on TC rainfall asymmetry. Here, the analysis in case of the strong shear environment (>7 m s^-1) omitted for the AS because the maximum value for this basin was about 7 m s^-1. The result showed that the downshear left quadrant was dominant in the BoB for the maximum TC rainfall asymmetry. In a weak shear environment (<5 m s^-1), on the other hand, downshear right quadrant is evident for the maximum TC rainfall asymmetry in the BoB, while it placed dominantly downshear left quadrant in the AS. In the case of motion-relative wavenumber-1, the maximum TC rainfall asymmetry was dominantly downshear for both basins.