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Title: Simulation of Mesoscale Cellular Convection in Marine Stratocumulus. Part I: Drizzling Conditions

Journal Article · · Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [3]
  1. McGill Univ., Montreal, QC (Canada). Dept of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences; Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States). Dept of Atmospheric Sciences
  2. NASA Goddard Inst. for Space Studies (GISS), New York, NY (United States)
  3. Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States). School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences; Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Dept. of Environmental and Climate Sciences
+ Show Author Affiliations

This study uses eddy-permitting simulations to investigate the mechanisms that promote mesoscale variability of moisture in drizzling stratocumulus-topped marine boundary layers. Simulations show that precipitation tends to increase horizontal scales. Analysis of terms in the prognostic equation for total water mixing ratio variance indicates that moisture stratification plays a leading role in setting horizontal scales. This result is supported by simulations in which horizontal mean thermodynamic profiles are strongly nudged to their initial well-mixed state, which limits cloud scales. It is found that the spatial variability of subcloud moist cold pools surprisingly tends to respond to, rather than determine, the mesoscale variability, which may distinguish them from dry cold pools associated with deeper convection. Finally, simulations also indicate that moisture stratification increases cloud scales specifically by increasing latent heating within updrafts, which increases updraft buoyancy and favors greater horizontal scales.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0012704
OSTI ID:
1433985
Report Number(s):
BNL-203526-2018-JAAM
Journal Information:
Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Vol. 75, Issue 1; ISSN 0022-4928
Publisher:
American Meteorological SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 14 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (1)

The Correlation of Mesoscale Humidity Anomalies With Mesoscale Organization of Marine Stratocumulus From Observations Over the ARM Eastern North Atlantic Site journal December 2019

Figures / Tables (20)

Fig. 1.(p. 35)figure Fig. 1.
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Fig. 13.(p. 47)figure Fig. 13.
Fig. 14(p. 48)figure Fig. 14
Fig. 15.(p. 49)figure Fig. 15.
Fig. A1.(p. 50)figure Fig. A1.
Sqt" corresponds to the wavelength of the spectral peak and the other methods are described in Appendix B. Simulations as in Fig. 8." data-ostiid="1433985">
Fig. A2.(p. 51)figure Fig. A2.
Fig. A3.(p. 52)figure Fig. A3.
Fig. A4.(p. 53)figure Fig. A4.
Table 1(p. 54)table Table 1

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Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Mesoscale processes
Boundary layer
Drizzle
Stratiform clouds
Numerical analysis/modeling