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Title: The Influence of Aerosols and Meteorological Conditions on the Total Rain Volume of the Mesoscale Convective Systems Over Tropical Continents

Abstract

This study provides an observational assessment of the variations of the total rain volume (TRV) with aerosols through the entire lifetime of mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) over tropics. Using 70,000 MCSs' samples, we show that TRV increases with aerosols from clean to moderately heavy polluted conditions (aerosol optical depth [AOD] ~ 0.0–0.4). TRV decreases when AOD exceeds 0.5. The TRV change with AOD is strongest under favorable meteorological conditions, such as high total precipitable water (45–75 kg/m2), high convective available potential energy (1,200–2,400 J/kg), and intermediate vertical wind shear (9–21 × 10-4/s). TRV of MCSs increases from 2 to 4 km3 (rain depth ~ 20–40 mm) when AOD < 0.15 or >0.5, to more than 12 km3 (~120 mm) when 0.2 < AOD < 0.4 under above the mentioned optimal meteorological conditions. The basic response of TRV to aerosol concentrations is similar under all the meteorological conditions and during all stages of the MCS lifecycle..

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [3]
  1. Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
  2. Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem (Israel)
  3. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States). Lab. for Atmospheric and Space Physics
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1611606
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0011117
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Geophysical Research Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 45; Journal Issue: 23; Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Geology

Citation Formats

Chakraborty, Sudip, Fu, Rong, Rosenfeld, Daniel, and Massie, Steven T. The Influence of Aerosols and Meteorological Conditions on the Total Rain Volume of the Mesoscale Convective Systems Over Tropical Continents. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1029/2018gl080371.
Chakraborty, Sudip, Fu, Rong, Rosenfeld, Daniel, & Massie, Steven T. The Influence of Aerosols and Meteorological Conditions on the Total Rain Volume of the Mesoscale Convective Systems Over Tropical Continents. United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gl080371
Chakraborty, Sudip, Fu, Rong, Rosenfeld, Daniel, and Massie, Steven T. Mon . "The Influence of Aerosols and Meteorological Conditions on the Total Rain Volume of the Mesoscale Convective Systems Over Tropical Continents". United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gl080371. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1611606.
@article{osti_1611606,
title = {The Influence of Aerosols and Meteorological Conditions on the Total Rain Volume of the Mesoscale Convective Systems Over Tropical Continents},
author = {Chakraborty, Sudip and Fu, Rong and Rosenfeld, Daniel and Massie, Steven T.},
abstractNote = {This study provides an observational assessment of the variations of the total rain volume (TRV) with aerosols through the entire lifetime of mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) over tropics. Using 70,000 MCSs' samples, we show that TRV increases with aerosols from clean to moderately heavy polluted conditions (aerosol optical depth [AOD] ~ 0.0–0.4). TRV decreases when AOD exceeds 0.5. The TRV change with AOD is strongest under favorable meteorological conditions, such as high total precipitable water (45–75 kg/m2), high convective available potential energy (1,200–2,400 J/kg), and intermediate vertical wind shear (9–21 × 10-4/s). TRV of MCSs increases from 2 to 4 km3 (rain depth ~ 20–40 mm) when AOD < 0.15 or >0.5, to more than 12 km3 (~120 mm) when 0.2 < AOD < 0.4 under above the mentioned optimal meteorological conditions. The basic response of TRV to aerosol concentrations is similar under all the meteorological conditions and during all stages of the MCS lifecycle..},
doi = {10.1029/2018gl080371},
journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
number = 23,
volume = 45,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Dec 03 00:00:00 EST 2018},
month = {Mon Dec 03 00:00:00 EST 2018}
}

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Cited by: 11 works
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Works referencing / citing this record:

Declining Summertime Local‐Scale Precipitation Frequency Over China and the United States, 1981–2012: The Disparate Roles of Aerosols
journal, November 2019

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