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Title: Sensitivity of Precipitation Displacement of a Simulated MCS to Changes in Land Surface Conditions

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research. Atmospheres
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
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This study investigates the role of the land surface on the precipitation produced by an elevated mesoscale convective system (MCS) in Iowa between 24-25 June 2015 during the Plains Elevated Convection at Night (PECAN) field campaign. Previous studies have shown a strong effect of low-level atmospheric moisture on the location of this MCS. A series of semi-idealized and realistic simulations with irrigation are conducted to understand the effect of moisture perturbations on the MCS precipitation displacement. In general, numerical simulations place the MCS east of the observed location. Adding moisture directly in the low-level atmosphere in the semi-idealized experiments reduces this displacement error. However, experiments with perturbed soil moisture result in drying over Iowa induced by moisture flux divergence from cooler low-level temperatures and higher surface pressure, causing the MCS to move further to the east. The irrigation impact on low-level moisture is highly dependent on the length of simulation period. Shorter simulations on the order of days generate similar drying over Iowa but the opposite is found for month-long simulations. Despite the lack of low-level moistening in the perturbed soil moisture and short-term irrigation experiments, the sensitivity to low-level moisture is similar in all runs. More low-level moisture generates a more convectively unstable environment with less inhibition and a lower level of free convection that leads to more rapid MCS development and a change in MCS location.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830; AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1973381
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1974502; OSTI ID: 1974504; OSTI ID: 1974687; OSTI ID: 1974688
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research. Atmospheres, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Atmospheres Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 128; ISSN 2169-897X
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
irrigation
soil moisture
mesoscale convective system
convection
thermodynamic
dynamic