Environments of Long-Lived Mesoscale Convective Systems Over the Central United States in Convection Permitting Climate Simulations
Abstract
Continental-scale convection-permitting simulations of the warm seasons of 2011 and 2012 reproduce realistic structure and frequency distribution of lifetime and event mean precipitation of mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) over the central United States. In this work, analysis is performed to determine the environmental conditions conducive to generating the longest-lived MCSs and their subsequent interactions. The simulations show that MCSs systematically form over the Great Plains ahead of a trough in the westerlies in combination with an enhanced low-level jet from the Gulf of Mexico. These environmental properties at the time of storm initiation are most prominent for the MCSs that persist for the longest times. Systems reaching 9 h or more in lifetime exhibit feedback to the environment conditions through diabatic heating in the MCS stratiform regions. As a result, the parent synoptic-scale wave is strengthened as a divergent perturbation develops over the MCS at high levels, while a cyclonic circulation perturbation develops in the midlevels of the trough, where the vertical gradient of heating in the MCS region is maximized. The quasi-balanced mesoscale vortex helps to maintain the MCS over a long period of time by feeding dry, cool air into the environment at the rear of the MCSmore »
- Authors:
-
[1];
[2];
[1]
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Atmospheric Science and Global Change Div. (ASGC)
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Atmospheric Science and Global Change Div. (ASGC); Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1417445
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1415050
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-125741
Journal ID: ISSN 2169-897X; KP1703010
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830; AC02-05CH11231
- Resource Type:
- Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 122; Journal Issue: 24; Journal ID: ISSN 2169-897X
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; mesoscale convective systems; large‐scale environment; long‐lived MCS; convection permitting modeling; MCS‐circulation interactions; central United States
Citation Formats
Yang, Qing, Houze, Jr., Robert A., Leung, L. Ruby, and Feng, Zhe. Environments of Long-Lived Mesoscale Convective Systems Over the Central United States in Convection Permitting Climate Simulations. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1002/2017JD027033.
Yang, Qing, Houze, Jr., Robert A., Leung, L. Ruby, & Feng, Zhe. Environments of Long-Lived Mesoscale Convective Systems Over the Central United States in Convection Permitting Climate Simulations. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JD027033
Yang, Qing, Houze, Jr., Robert A., Leung, L. Ruby, and Feng, Zhe. Thu .
"Environments of Long-Lived Mesoscale Convective Systems Over the Central United States in Convection Permitting Climate Simulations". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JD027033. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1417445.
@article{osti_1417445,
title = {Environments of Long-Lived Mesoscale Convective Systems Over the Central United States in Convection Permitting Climate Simulations},
author = {Yang, Qing and Houze, Jr., Robert A. and Leung, L. Ruby and Feng, Zhe},
abstractNote = {Continental-scale convection-permitting simulations of the warm seasons of 2011 and 2012 reproduce realistic structure and frequency distribution of lifetime and event mean precipitation of mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) over the central United States. In this work, analysis is performed to determine the environmental conditions conducive to generating the longest-lived MCSs and their subsequent interactions. The simulations show that MCSs systematically form over the Great Plains ahead of a trough in the westerlies in combination with an enhanced low-level jet from the Gulf of Mexico. These environmental properties at the time of storm initiation are most prominent for the MCSs that persist for the longest times. Systems reaching 9 h or more in lifetime exhibit feedback to the environment conditions through diabatic heating in the MCS stratiform regions. As a result, the parent synoptic-scale wave is strengthened as a divergent perturbation develops over the MCS at high levels, while a cyclonic circulation perturbation develops in the midlevels of the trough, where the vertical gradient of heating in the MCS region is maximized. The quasi-balanced mesoscale vortex helps to maintain the MCS over a long period of time by feeding dry, cool air into the environment at the rear of the MCS region, so that the MCS can draw in air that increases the evaporative cooling that helps maintain the MCS. At lower levels the south-southeasterly jet of warm moist air from the Gulf is enhanced in the presence of the synoptic-scale wave. That moisture supply is essential to the continued redevelopment of the MCS.},
doi = {10.1002/2017JD027033},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1417445},
journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres},
issn = {2169-897X},
number = 24,
volume = 122,
place = {United States},
year = {2017},
month = {12}
}
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