Title: A study of cloud microphysics and precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau by radar observations and cloud-resolving model simulations

Abstract

Cloud microphysical properties and precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are unique because of the high terrains, clean atmosphere, and sufficient water vapor. With dual-polarization precipitation radar and cloud radar measurements during the Third Tibetan Plateau Atmospheric Scientific Experiment (TIPEX-III), the simulated microphysics and precipitation by the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) with the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences (CAMS) microphysics and other microphysical schemes are investigated through a typical plateau rainfall event on 22 July 2014. Results show that the WRF-CAMS simulation reasonably reproduces the spatial distribution of 24-h accumulated precipitation, but has limitations in simulating time evolution of precipitation rates. Here, the model-calculated polarimetric radar variables have biases as well, suggesting bias in modeled hydrometeor types. The raindrop sizes in convective region are larger than those in stratiform region indicated by the small intercept of raindrop size distribution in the former. The sensitivity experiments show that precipitation processes are sensitive to the changes of warm rain processes in condensation and nucleated droplet size (but less sensitive to evaporation process). Increasing droplet condensation produces the best area-averaged rain rate during weak convection period compared with the observation, suggesting a considerable bias in thermodynamics in the baseline simulation. Increasingmore » the initial cloud droplet size causes the rain rate reduced by half, an opposite effect to that of increasing droplet condensation.« less

Authors:

Gao, Wenhua  ^[1];

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0003-2478-5917"

Sui, Chung-Hsiung ^[2]; Fan, Jiwen  ^[3];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Fan, Jiwen"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0001-5280-4391"

Hu, Zhiqun ^[4]; Zhong, Lingzhi ^[4]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing (China); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
2. National Taiwan Univ., Taipei (Taiwan)
3. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
4. Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing (China)

Publication Date:

Fri Nov 11 00:00:00 EST 2016

Research Org.:

Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE; National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); China Meteorological Administration Special Public Welfare Research Fund; National (Key) Basic Research and Development (973) Program of China

OSTI Identifier:

1343180

Report Number(s):

PNNL-SA-121180
Journal ID: ISSN 2169-897X

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC05-76RL01830; GYHY201406001; 91437101; 91437106; 2015CB452805

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 121; Journal Issue: 22; Journal ID: ISSN 2169-897X

Publisher:

American Geophysical Union

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; cloud microphysics; precipitation; simulations; observations; Tibetan Plateau