Sensitivities of Tornadogenesis to Drop Size Distribution in a Simulated Subtropical Supercell over Eastern China

ABSTRACT Numerical simulations with the Advanced Regional Prediction System （ARPS） model were performed to investigate the impact of microphysical drop size distribution （DSD） on tornadogenesis in a subtropical supercell thunderstorm over Anhui Province, eastern China. Sensitivity experiments with different intercept parameters of rain, hail and snow DSDs in a Lin-type microphysics scheme were conducted. Results showed that rain and hail DSDs have a significant impact on the simulated storm both microphysically and dynamically. DSDs characterized by larger （smaller） intercepts have a smaller （larger） particle size and a lower （higher） mass-weighted mean fall velocity, and produce relatively stronger （weaker） and wider （narrower） cold pools through enhanced （reduced） rain evaporation and hail melting processes, which are then less favorable （favorable） for tornadogenesis. However, tornadogenesis will also be suppressed by the weakened mid-level mesocyclone when the cold pool is too weak. When compared to a U.S. Great Plain case, the two microphysical processes are more sensitive to DSD variations in the present case with a higher melting level and deeper warm layer. This suggests that DSD-related cloud microphysics has a stronger influence on tornadogenesis in supercells over the subtropics than the U.S. Great Plains.

Evaluation of the WDM6 scheme in the simulation of number concentrations and drop size distributions of warm-rain hydrometeors: comparisons with the observations and other schemes

The number concentrations and drop size distributions(DSDs)of warm-rain hydrometeors play an important role in the simulation of microphysical processes.To evaluate the performance of the WDM6 scheme,which predicts the cloud number concentration(Nc)explicitly in aspects of warm-rain hydrometeors number concentrations and DSDs,the simulation of the WDM6 scheme is compared with airborne observations of a flight trial,as well as with the simulations of the Thompson scheme and Morrison scheme.Results show that the WDM6 scheme produces smaller(larger)cloud(rain)number concentrations and wider cloud DSDs compared to the observations,with the largest biases at upper levels of stratiform cloud(SC).The Thompson scheme and the Morrison scheme,both of which set the Nc as a constant,compare better to the observations than the WDM6 scheme in aspects of Nc and DSD.Sensitivity tests of the initial cloud condensation nuclei(CCN)number concentration(CCN0)of the WDM6 scheme show that a better choice of the initial CCN0 may improve the simulation of convective cloud but helps little in terms of SC.The simulation of rain number concentration and DSD is not sensitive to the CCN0 in the WDM6 scheme.

Variations of Raindrop Size Distribution and Radar Retrieval in Outer Rainbands of Typhoon Mangkhut(2018)

The evolution of the microphysical properties of raindrops from Typhoon Mangkhut’s outer rainbands as the storm made landfall in South China in September 2018 was investigated.The observations by three two-dimensional video disdrometers deployed in central Guangdong Province were analyzed concurrently.It was found that the radial distribution of the median volume diameter(D_(0))and normalized intercept parameter(N_(w))varied in different stages,and that raindrops smaller than 3.0 mm contributed more than 99%of the total precipitation.Considering the characteristics of precipitation in the typhoon outer rainband,a modified stratiform rain(SR)-convective rain(CR)separator line is proposed based on D_(0) and N_(w) scatterplots.Meanwhile,an“S-C likelihood index”is introduced,which was used to classify three rain types(SR,CR,and mixed rain).The CR results were highly consistent with those of the improved typhoon precipitation classification method based on rain rate.By calculating effectively the radar reflectivity factor(Ze)in the Ku and Ka bands,D0-Ze and N_(w)-D_(0) empirical relations were thereby derived for improving the accuracy of rainfall retrieval.Among the four quantitative precipitation estimators using S-band dual-polarimetric radar parameters simulated by the T-matrix method,the estimator that adopted the specific differential phase and differential reflectivity was found to be the most effective for both SR and CR.

Numerical Simulation of the Influence of Drop Size Distribution Shape on Cloud and Precipitation

At present,parameterization methods to describe cloud and precipitation processes are widely used in cloud and mesoscale models,but with different drop size distributions.When precipitation formation mechanism,weather modification technique,and mechanism of hail suppression with seeding are studied by using these models,a question that needs to be addressed is：what is the influence of different drop size distributions and related parameters on cloud and precipitation？In this paper,by using a three-dimensional hail cloud numerical model developed by the Institutes of Atmospheric Physics,Chinese Academy of Sciences, we performed numerical experiments with varied drop size distribution parameters for two hail storms,and analyzed the influence of shape parameters（ar,ai,and ag）of raindrops,ice crystal,and graupel size distributions on rainfall,hail amount,and microphysical processes in clouds.The results show that the variation of ar has no effect on precipitation formation on the whole,but affects directly the production rates for the physical processes related to raindrop.The ag variation has a less obvious effect on rainfall amount,but has a significant effect on hail amount,hailfall rate,and rainfall intensity.It impacts noticeably on the generation rate of the number and mass of ice crystal,graupel,and hail,and also to various degrees on all the microphysical processes in clouds.The ag variation also influences the growing process of the hydrometeors.The effects of the ai variation on part of the generation and growing processes of all the hydrometeors are significant,and even dramatic,such as the collection process of cloud water to rain through melting ice crystal（T CLcir）.However,for clouds located in different geographic regions,the variation of ai has different effects on precipitation,which reflects the complexity of the impact of drop size distribution on cloud and precipitation.At last,some issues about the application of cloud models are also discussed.

Microphysical Processes of a Stratiform Precipitation Event over Eastern China:Analysis Using Micro Rain Radar data

Data collected using the micro rain radar(MRR) situated in Jinan city, eastern China, were used to explore the altitudinal and temporal evolution of rainfall microphysical characteristics, and to analyze the bright band(BB) characteristics and hydrometeor classification. Specifically, a low-intensity and stable stratiform precipitation event that occurred from 0000 to0550 UTC 15 February 2015 and featured a BB was studied. During this event, the rainfall intensity was less than 2 mm h-1 at a height of 300 m, which was above the radar site level, so the errors caused by the vertical air motion could be ignored.The freezing height from the radiosonde matched well with the top of the BB observed by the MRR. It was also found that the number of 0.5–1 mm diameter drops showed no noticeable variation below the BB. The maximum fall velocity and the maximum gradient fall velocity(GFV) of the raindrops appeared at the bottom of the BB. Meanwhile, a method that uses the GFV and reflectivity to identify the altitude and the thickness of the BB was established, with which the MRR can provide a reliable and real-time estimation of the 0?C isotherm. The droplet fall velocity was used to classify the types of snow crystals above the BB. In the first 20 min of the selected precipitation event, graupel prevailed above the BB; and at an altitude of2000 m, graupel also dominated in the first 250 min. After 150 min, the existence of graupel and dendritic crystals with water droplets above the BB was inferred.

Rainfall Microphysical Properties of Landfalling Typhoon Yagi(201814)Based on the Observations of Micro Rain Radar and Cloud Radar in Shandong,China

The development and evolution of precipitation microphysical parameters and the vertical structure characteristics associated with Typhoon Yagi(201814)are analyzed in the city of Jinan,Shandong Province based primarily on the observations of a micro rain radar(MRR),a cloud radar,and a disdrometer.The precipitation process is further subdivided into four types:convective,stratiform,mixed,and light precipitation according to the ground disdrometer data,which is in agreement with the vertical profile of the radar reflectivity detected by the MRR.Vertical winds may be the main source of MRR retrieval error during convective precipitation.Convective precipitation has the shortest duration but makes the largest contribution to the cumulative precipitation.Collision-coalescence is the main microphysical process of stratiform precipitation and light precipitation below the bright band observed by the MRR.It is worth noting that as Typhoon Yagi(201814)transformed into an extratropical cyclone,its raindrop size distributions no longer had the characteristics of maritime precipitation,but become more typical of the characteristic of continental precipitation,which represents a very different raindrop size distribution from that which is normally observed in a landfalling typhoon.

Microphysical Insights into a Tornadic Supercell from Dual-Polarization Radar Observations in Jiangsu, China on 14 May 2021

Tornadoes are incredibly powerful and destructive natural events,yet the microphysical characteristics of the parent storm and its effects on tornadogenesis remain unclear.This study analyzed polarization radar data of a tornadic supercell that occurred in Jiangsu Province of China on 14 May 2021,in comparison with another tornadic supercell and two non-tornadic supercells that occurred in the same region in 2023.The two tornadic supercells exhibited lower differential reflectivity(ZDR)in the hook echo region compared with the non-tornadic supercells,indicating smaller median drop sizes.A distinct increase in ZDR from the melting of frozen hydrometeors,observed between2.5-and 4.0-km altitude in the non-tornadic storms,was absent in the tornadic cases.The non-tornadic supercells also displayed substantially higher specific differential phase(KDP)below the melting level,likely aroused from enhanced melting and cooling.These findings suggest fundamental microphysical contrasts between tornadic and nontornadic supercells.Specifically,tornadic supercells have smaller droplets and may reduce melting in hook echoes.Moreover,greater separation between the ZDR arc and the KDP foot was observed during tornadogenesis.The vertical gradient of KDP related to the cooling pool strength of the hook echo,regulating rear-flank downdraft thermodynamics.Despite the limited number of cases investigated,the findings of this study indicate that monitoring ZDR,KDP,and drop size distribution trends could assist with tornado prediction and warnings.

STUDY ON RAINFALL MEASUREMENT AND RAINDROP SPECTRA WITH THE DIFFERENTIAL REFLECTIVITY Z_(DR)TECHNIQUE OF A DUAL LINEAR POLARIZATION RADAR

In this paper,it is shown that the differential reflectivity Z_(DR) is related to drop size distribution(DSD)and the spectral shape variation of different truncated diameters.Z_(DR) is a sensitive function to variation of DSD of the spectra.The effects of shape variation of DSD on rainfall can be deduced with a(Z_H,Z_(DR))dual-parameter technique,which is effective to improve the accuracy of rainfall measurement and is of the priority of identifying large particles of hydrometeors(especially hailstone)from the rain region.