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Cloud-resolving model intercomparison of an MC3E squall line case: Part I-Convective updrafts: CRM Intercomparison of a Squall Line

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JD026622· OSTI ID:1392247
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [8];  [9];  [10];  [11];  [12];  [13];  [14];  [4];  [15]
  1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  2. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Nanjing Univ. (China). School of Atmospheric Sciences
  3. Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States). Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences
  4. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
  5. McGill Univ., Montreal, QC (Canada). Dept. of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
  6. McGill Univ., Montreal, QC (Canada). Dept. of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences; Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States). School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences
  7. Nanjing Univ. (China). School of Atmospheric Sciences
  8. Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States). Dept. of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences
  9. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Environmental and Climate Science Dept.
  10. Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem (Israel). Inst. of the Earth Science
  11. Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States). Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences
  12. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Norman, OK (United States). National Severe Storms Lab.
  13. Environment and Climate Change, Dorval, QC (Canada). Meteorological Research Division
  14. Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States). Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences
  15. California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States). Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
+ Show Author Affiliations
An intercomparison study of a midlatitude mesoscale squall line is performed using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model at 1 km horizontal grid spacing with eight different cloud microphysics schemes to investigate processes that contribute to the large variability in simulated cloud and precipitation properties. All simulations tend to produce a wider area of high radar reflectivity (Ze > 45 dBZ) than observed but a much narrower stratiform area. Furthermore, the magnitude of the virtual potential temperature drop associated with the gust front passage is similar in simulations and observations, while the pressure rise and peak wind speed are smaller than observed, possibly suggesting that simulated cold pools are shallower than observed. Most of the microphysics schemes overestimate vertical velocity and Ze in convective updrafts as compared with observational retrievals. Simulated precipitation rates and updraft velocities have significant variability across the eight schemes, even in this strongly dynamically driven system. Differences in simulated updraft velocity correlate well with differences in simulated buoyancy and low-level vertical perturbation pressure gradient, which appears related to cold pool intensity that is controlled by the evaporation rate. Simulations with stronger updrafts have a more optimal convective state, with stronger cold pools, ambient low-level vertical wind shear, and rear-inflow jets. We found that updraft velocity variability between schemes is mainly controlled by differences in simulated ice-related processes, which impact the overall latent heating rate, whereas surface rainfall variability increases in no-ice simulations mainly because of scheme differences in collision-coalescence parameterizations.
Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830; SC0012704
OSTI ID:
1392247
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1430433
OSTI ID: 1378786
Report Number(s):
BNL--114272-2017-JA; KP1701000
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres Journal Issue: 17 Vol. 122; ISSN 2169-897X
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (9)

How Do Microphysical Processes Influence Large‐Scale Precipitation Variability and Extremes? journal February 2018
On the sensitivity of deep‐convection initiation to horizontal grid resolution journal January 2020
Cloud‐Resolving Model Intercomparison of an MC3E Squall Line Case: Part II. Stratiform Precipitation Properties journal January 2019
Response of Extreme Precipitating Cell Structures to Atmospheric Warming journal July 2019
The Characteristics of Tropical and Midlatitude Mesoscale Convective Systems as Revealed by Radar Wind Profilers journal April 2019
Structure and Evolution of Mesoscale Convective Systems: Sensitivity to Cloud Microphysics in Convection‐Permitting Simulations Over the United States journal July 2018
The Impact of Variable Land‐Atmosphere Coupling on Convective Cloud Populations Observed During the 2016 HI‐SCALE Field Campaign journal August 2019
Investigation of observational error sources in multi-Doppler-radar three-dimensional variational vertical air motion retrievals journal January 2019
tobac 1.2: towards a flexible framework for tracking and analysis of clouds in diverse datasets journal January 2019

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