Comparison of a Manual and an Automated Tracking Method for Tibetan Plateau Vortices

Tibetan Plateau vortices （TPVs） are mesoscale cyclones originating over the Tibetan Plateau （TP） dnring the extended summer season （April-September）. Most TPVs stay on the TP, but a small number can move off the TP to the east. TPVs are known to be one of the main precipitation-bearing systems on the TP and moving-off TPVs have been associated with heavy precipitation and flooding downstream of the TP （e.g., in Sichuan province or over the Yangtze River Valley）. Identifying and tracking TPVs is difficult because of their comparatively small horizontal extent （400-800 kin） and the limited availability of soundings over the TP, which in turn constitutes a challenge for short-term predictions of TPV-related impacts and for the climatological study of TPVs. In this study, （i） manual tracking （MT） results using radiosonde data from a network over and downstream of the TP are compared with （ii） results obtained by an automated tracking （AT） algorithm applied to ERA-Interim data. Ten MT-TPV cases are selected based on method （i） and matched to and compared with the corresponding AT-TPVs identified with method （ii）. Conversely, ten AT-TPVs are selected and compared with the corresponding MT-TPVs. In general, the comparison shows good results in cases where the underlying data are in good agreement, but considerable differences are also seen in some cases and explained in terms of differences in the tracking methods, data availability/coverage and disagreement between sounding and ERA-Interim data. Recommendations are given for future efforts in TPV detection and tracking, including in an operational weather forecasting context.

COMPARISONS BETWEEN DOPPLER AND SIMULATED FEATURES OF A SUPERCELL

Firstly, typical features of a supercell, which occurred in Guangzhou on August 11, 2004, are discussed by using the new generation weather radar data. V-notch, finger-echo, weak echo region, overfiang and echo-wall are observed from reflectivity products. A vertical cross section of the radial velocity is made along the direction of the low-level inflow and across the maximum reflectivity core, which displays a part of strong updraft and downdraft. Secondly, a 3-D convective storm model is used to simulate the supercell. The maximum reflectivity and the core thickness of the simulated radar echo are 75 dBz and 14km, respectively. These values are more than the counterparts that are detected by radar. The reason is that attenuation is not calculated in the model. The wind field structure is also given when the storm is the strongest. Divergence, caused by thunderstorm outflow, is in the low level. In the middle and high level, convergence is dominant, but the plume is not simulated at the top. Finally, the evolution of the simulated vertical motion is documented. The interaction between the environmental wind and the updraft, which is formed by the convergence on the ground at the beginning, makes the storm stronger. Then, downdraft occurs and grows. When it becomes dominant, the supercell collapses.