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Title: On the Realism of the Rain Microphysics Representation of a Squall Line in the WRF Model. Part II: Sensitivity Studies on the Rain Drop Size Distributions

Abstract

A comparison between retrieved properties of the rain drop size distributions (DSDs) from multifrequency cloud radar observations and WRF Model results using either the Morrison or the Thompson bulk microphysics scheme is performed in order to evaluate the model’s ability to predict the rain microphysics. This comparison reveals discrepancies in the vertical profile of the rain DSDs for the stratiform region of the squall-line system observed on 12 June 2011 over Oklahoma. Based on numerical sensitivity analyses, this study addresses the bias at the top of the rain layer and the vertical evolution of the DSD properties (i.e., of Dm and N$$^{*}_{0}$$). In this way, the Thompson scheme is used to explore the sensitivity to the melting process. Moreover, using the Thompson and Morrison schemes, the sensitivity of the DSD vertical evolution to different breakup and self-collection parameterizations is studied. Results show that the DSDs are strongly dependent on the representation of the melting process in the Thompson scheme. In the Morrison scheme, the simulations with more efficient breakup reproduce the DSD properties with better fidelity. Here, this study highlights how the inaccuracies in simulated Dm and N$$^{*}_{0}$$ for both microphysics schemes can impact the evaporation rate, which is systematically underestimated in the model.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [1];  [3];  [1];  [4];  [1]
  1. Univ. Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand (France)
  2. Univ. of Leicester (United Kingdom); Univ. of Cologne (Germany)
  3. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
  4. Univ. of Leicester (United Kingdom)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Leicester (United Kingdom)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); Evaluation de la Modélisation microphysique des Précipitations à l’aide d’Observations Radars Multifréquences (EMPORiuM); WRF-DESCAM; French CNRS-INSU LEFE-IMAGO
OSTI Identifier:
1594471
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; Precipitation; Squall lines; Cloud microphysics; Drop size distribution; Radars/Radar observations; Cloud resolving models

Citation Formats

Planche, Céline, Tridon, Frédéric, Banson, Sandra, Thompson, Gregory, Monier, Marie, Battaglia, Alessandro, and Wobrock, Wolfram. On the Realism of the Rain Microphysics Representation of a Squall Line in the WRF Model. Part II: Sensitivity Studies on the Rain Drop Size Distributions. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1175/MWR-D-18-0019.1.
Planche, Céline, Tridon, Frédéric, Banson, Sandra, Thompson, Gregory, Monier, Marie, Battaglia, Alessandro, & Wobrock, Wolfram. On the Realism of the Rain Microphysics Representation of a Squall Line in the WRF Model. Part II: Sensitivity Studies on the Rain Drop Size Distributions. United States. https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-18-0019.1
Planche, Céline, Tridon, Frédéric, Banson, Sandra, Thompson, Gregory, Monier, Marie, Battaglia, Alessandro, and Wobrock, Wolfram. Wed . "On the Realism of the Rain Microphysics Representation of a Squall Line in the WRF Model. Part II: Sensitivity Studies on the Rain Drop Size Distributions". United States. https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-18-0019.1. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1594471.
@article{osti_1594471,
title = {On the Realism of the Rain Microphysics Representation of a Squall Line in the WRF Model. Part II: Sensitivity Studies on the Rain Drop Size Distributions},
author = {Planche, Céline and Tridon, Frédéric and Banson, Sandra and Thompson, Gregory and Monier, Marie and Battaglia, Alessandro and Wobrock, Wolfram},
abstractNote = {A comparison between retrieved properties of the rain drop size distributions (DSDs) from multifrequency cloud radar observations and WRF Model results using either the Morrison or the Thompson bulk microphysics scheme is performed in order to evaluate the model’s ability to predict the rain microphysics. This comparison reveals discrepancies in the vertical profile of the rain DSDs for the stratiform region of the squall-line system observed on 12 June 2011 over Oklahoma. Based on numerical sensitivity analyses, this study addresses the bias at the top of the rain layer and the vertical evolution of the DSD properties (i.e., of Dm and N$^{*}_{0}$). In this way, the Thompson scheme is used to explore the sensitivity to the melting process. Moreover, using the Thompson and Morrison schemes, the sensitivity of the DSD vertical evolution to different breakup and self-collection parameterizations is studied. Results show that the DSDs are strongly dependent on the representation of the melting process in the Thompson scheme. In the Morrison scheme, the simulations with more efficient breakup reproduce the DSD properties with better fidelity. Here, this study highlights how the inaccuracies in simulated Dm and N$^{*}_{0}$ for both microphysics schemes can impact the evaporation rate, which is systematically underestimated in the model.},
doi = {10.1175/MWR-D-18-0019.1},
journal = {Monthly Weather Review},
number = 8,
volume = 147,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jul 17 00:00:00 EDT 2019},
month = {Wed Jul 17 00:00:00 EDT 2019}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
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Cited by: 12 works
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Figures / Tables:

TABLE 1 TABLE 1: Description of the microphysical parameterization modification experiments using either the Thompson (THOM) or Morrison (MORR) scheme.

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Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.