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Title: The Vertical Momentum Budget of Shallow Cumulus Convection: Insights From a Lagrangian Perspective

Abstract

A Lagrangian Particle Dispersion Model is embedded into large eddy simulations to diagnose the responses of shallow cumulus convection to a small-amplitude large-scale temperature perturbation. The Lagrangian framework allows for a decomposition of the vertical momentum budget and diagnosis of the forces that regulate cloudy updrafts. The results are used to shed light on the parameterization of vertical velocity in convective schemes, where the treatment of the effects of entrainment as well as buoyancy-induced and mechanically induced pressure gradients remains highly uncertain. We show that both buoyancy-induced and mechanically induced pressure gradients are important for the vertical momentum budget of cloudy updrafts, whereas the entrainment dilution term is relatively less important. Based on the analysis of the dominant force balance, we propose a simple model to derive the perturbation pressure gradient forces. We further illustrate that the effective buoyancy and dynamic perturbation pressure can be approximated to a good extent using a simple cylindrical updraft model given the cloud radius. This finding has the potential for improving the parameterization of vertical velocity in convective schemes and the development of a unified scheme for cumulus convection.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [3];  [4]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesHarvard University Cambridge MA USA
  2. Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesHarvard University Cambridge MA USA, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied SciencesHarvard University Cambridge MA USA
  3. School of EarthAtmosphere and Environment, Monash University Clayton VIC Australia
  4. School of PhysicsPeking University Beijing China
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); National Science Foundation (NSF)
OSTI Identifier:
1490899
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1490901; OSTI ID: 1612847
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0018120; AGS-1649819
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems Journal Volume: 11 Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 1942-2466
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Lagrangian; vertical velocity; perturbation pressure; simple model; convective schemes

Citation Formats

Tian, Yang, Kuang, Zhiming, Singh, Martin S., and Nie, Ji. The Vertical Momentum Budget of Shallow Cumulus Convection: Insights From a Lagrangian Perspective. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1029/2018MS001451.
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Tian, Yang, Kuang, Zhiming, Singh, Martin S., & Nie, Ji. The Vertical Momentum Budget of Shallow Cumulus Convection: Insights From a Lagrangian Perspective. United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018MS001451
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Tian, Yang, Kuang, Zhiming, Singh, Martin S., and Nie, Ji. Tue . "The Vertical Momentum Budget of Shallow Cumulus Convection: Insights From a Lagrangian Perspective". United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018MS001451.
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@article{osti_1490899,
title = {The Vertical Momentum Budget of Shallow Cumulus Convection: Insights From a Lagrangian Perspective},
author = {Tian, Yang and Kuang, Zhiming and Singh, Martin S. and Nie, Ji},
abstractNote = {A Lagrangian Particle Dispersion Model is embedded into large eddy simulations to diagnose the responses of shallow cumulus convection to a small-amplitude large-scale temperature perturbation. The Lagrangian framework allows for a decomposition of the vertical momentum budget and diagnosis of the forces that regulate cloudy updrafts. The results are used to shed light on the parameterization of vertical velocity in convective schemes, where the treatment of the effects of entrainment as well as buoyancy-induced and mechanically induced pressure gradients remains highly uncertain. We show that both buoyancy-induced and mechanically induced pressure gradients are important for the vertical momentum budget of cloudy updrafts, whereas the entrainment dilution term is relatively less important. Based on the analysis of the dominant force balance, we propose a simple model to derive the perturbation pressure gradient forces. We further illustrate that the effective buoyancy and dynamic perturbation pressure can be approximated to a good extent using a simple cylindrical updraft model given the cloud radius. This finding has the potential for improving the parameterization of vertical velocity in convective schemes and the development of a unified scheme for cumulus convection.},
doi = {10.1029/2018MS001451},
journal = {Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems},
number = 1,
volume = 11,
place = {United States},
year = {2019},
month = {1}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1029/2018MS001451
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