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A numerical simulation of CCN impacts on weather modification efficiency

Journal Article · · Frontiers in Environmental Science
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. CMA Cloud-Precipitation Physics and Weather Modification Key Laboratory, Beijing (China); Weather Modification Center, Beijing (China)
  2. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China). Institute of Atmospheric Physics
  3. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations
Aerosols affect development of clouds and precipitation by serving as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice nuclei (IN). Considering the dramatically changing ambient aerosol concentration, it is important to examine the potential “side effect” of aerosol pollution on precipitation enhancement by weather modification. In this study, the cloud seeding was performed on a precipitation event in Beijing in the summer of 2008, which is simulated by the NSSL two-moment cloud scheme of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Sensitivity tests were conducted by modifying the ambient aerosol concentration and the ice crystal seeding amount to investigate the cloud seeding efficacy in different CCN concentration scenarios. There was a slight difference in the precipitation distribution between the simulations with two ambient CCN concentrations: the northern precipitation center in polluted scenario was weaker and the southern center was stronger. Compared with normal CCN scenario, the cloud liquid water mass and ice crystal mass in the severe pollution scenario is larger, and the total contents of snow and graupel were not sensitive to the CCN concentration. With the same amount of man-made ice crystals seeding, the precipitation enhancement was quite different under different CCN conditions. The higher the CCN concentration usually leads to stronger precipitation suppression. As CCN concentration increase, the deposition growth of snow, auto-conversion and accretion of ice crystals to snow were weakened, as well as the conversion of melting snow and graupel into rainwater.
Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
China Meteorological Administration; National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1985972
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-183582
Journal Information:
Frontiers in Environmental Science, Journal Name: Frontiers in Environmental Science Vol. 11; ISSN 2296-665X
Publisher:
Frontiers Research FoundationCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
aerosol
cloud condensation nuclei
cloud microphysics
meso-scale model
rain enhancement