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Title: On the Realism of the Rain Microphysics Representation of a Squall Line in the WRF Model. Part I: Evaluation with Multifrequency Cloud Radar Doppler Spectra Observations

Abstract

This study investigates how multifrequency cloud radar observations can be used to evaluate the representation of rain microphysics in the WRF Model using two bulk microphysics schemes. A squall line observed over Oklahoma on 12 June 2011 is used as a case study. A recently developed retrieval technique combining observations of two vertically pointing cloud radars provides quantitative description of the drop size distribution (DSD) properties of the transition and stratiform regions of the squall-line system. For the first time, the results of this multifrequency cloud radar retrieval are compared to more conventional retrievals from a nearby polarimetric radar, and a supplementary result of this work is that this new methodology provides a much more detailed description of the DSD vertical and temporal variations. While the extent and evolution of the squall line is well reproduced by the model, the 1-h low-reflectivity transition region is not. In the stratiform region, simulations with both schemes are able to reproduce the observed downdraft and the associated significative subsaturation below the melting level, but with a slight overestimation of the relative humidity. Under this subsaturated air, the simulated rain mixing ratio continuously decreases toward the ground, in agreement with the observations. Conversely, themore » profiles of the mean volume diameter and the concentration parameter of the DSDs are not well reproduced. These discrepancies pinpoint at an issue in the representation of rain microphysics. The companion paper, investigates the sources of the biases in the microphysics processes in the rain layer by performing numerical sensitivity studies.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [2];  [4];  [2];  [2]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Earth Observation Science, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
  2. Université Clermont Auvergne, INSU-CNRS UMR 6016, Laboratoire de Météorologie Physique, Clermont-Ferrand, France
  3. National Centre for Earth Observation, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
  4. Earth Observation Science, Department of Physics and Astronomy, and National Center for Earth Observation, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Leicester (United Kingdom)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1612798
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0017967
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Monthly Weather Review
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 147; Journal Issue: 8; Journal ID: ISSN 0027-0644
Publisher:
American Meteorological Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences

Citation Formats

Tridon, Frédéric, Planche, Céline, Mroz, Kamil, Banson, Sandra, Battaglia, Alessandro, Van Baelen, Joel, and Wobrock, Wolfram. On the Realism of the Rain Microphysics Representation of a Squall Line in the WRF Model. Part I: Evaluation with Multifrequency Cloud Radar Doppler Spectra Observations. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1175/mwr-d-18-0018.1.
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Tridon, Frédéric, Planche, Céline, Mroz, Kamil, Banson, Sandra, Battaglia, Alessandro, Van Baelen, Joel, & Wobrock, Wolfram. On the Realism of the Rain Microphysics Representation of a Squall Line in the WRF Model. Part I: Evaluation with Multifrequency Cloud Radar Doppler Spectra Observations. United States. https://doi.org/10.1175/mwr-d-18-0018.1
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Tridon, Frédéric, Planche, Céline, Mroz, Kamil, Banson, Sandra, Battaglia, Alessandro, Van Baelen, Joel, and Wobrock, Wolfram. Thu . "On the Realism of the Rain Microphysics Representation of a Squall Line in the WRF Model. Part I: Evaluation with Multifrequency Cloud Radar Doppler Spectra Observations". United States. https://doi.org/10.1175/mwr-d-18-0018.1. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1612798.
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@article{osti_1612798,
title = {On the Realism of the Rain Microphysics Representation of a Squall Line in the WRF Model. Part I: Evaluation with Multifrequency Cloud Radar Doppler Spectra Observations},
author = {Tridon, Frédéric and Planche, Céline and Mroz, Kamil and Banson, Sandra and Battaglia, Alessandro and Van Baelen, Joel and Wobrock, Wolfram},
abstractNote = {This study investigates how multifrequency cloud radar observations can be used to evaluate the representation of rain microphysics in the WRF Model using two bulk microphysics schemes. A squall line observed over Oklahoma on 12 June 2011 is used as a case study. A recently developed retrieval technique combining observations of two vertically pointing cloud radars provides quantitative description of the drop size distribution (DSD) properties of the transition and stratiform regions of the squall-line system. For the first time, the results of this multifrequency cloud radar retrieval are compared to more conventional retrievals from a nearby polarimetric radar, and a supplementary result of this work is that this new methodology provides a much more detailed description of the DSD vertical and temporal variations. While the extent and evolution of the squall line is well reproduced by the model, the 1-h low-reflectivity transition region is not. In the stratiform region, simulations with both schemes are able to reproduce the observed downdraft and the associated significative subsaturation below the melting level, but with a slight overestimation of the relative humidity. Under this subsaturated air, the simulated rain mixing ratio continuously decreases toward the ground, in agreement with the observations. Conversely, the profiles of the mean volume diameter and the concentration parameter of the DSDs are not well reproduced. These discrepancies pinpoint at an issue in the representation of rain microphysics. The companion paper, investigates the sources of the biases in the microphysics processes in the rain layer by performing numerical sensitivity studies.},
doi = {10.1175/mwr-d-18-0018.1},
journal = {Monthly Weather Review},
number = 8,
volume = 147,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2019},
month = {Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2019}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1175/mwr-d-18-0018.1
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Figures / Tables:

FIG. 1 FIG. 1: Thermodynamic sounding from Norman, OK (KOUN), at 0000 UTC 12 Jun 2011.
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