Impacts of Cloud-Induced Mass Forcing on the Development of Moist Potential Vorticity Anomaly During Torrential Rains

The impacts of cloud-induced mass forcing on the development of the moist potential vorticity (MPV) anomaly associated with torrential rains are investigated by using NCEP/NCAR 1? × 1? data. The MPV tendency equation with the cloud-induced mass forcing is derived, and applied to the torrential rain event over the Changjiang River-Huaihe River Valleys during 26–30 June 1999. The result shows that positive anomalies are located mainly between 850 hPa and 500 hPa, while the maximum MPV, maximum positive tendency of the MPV, and maximum surface rainfall are nearly collocated. The cloud-induced mass forcing contributes to the positive tendency of the moist potential vorticity anomaly. The results indicate that the MPV may be used to track the propagation of rain systems for operational applications.

EFFECTS OF TROPOPAUSE AND POTENTIAL VORTICITY ANOMALY ON FRONTOGENESIS

A two-dimensional,semi-geostrophic numerical model incorporating the tropopause and stratosphere is used to investigate the effects of a positive potential vorticity anomaly and latent heat release on the frontogenetic process and the structure of the resulting frontal zone.It is demonstrated that(1)the inclusion of tropopause and stratosphere significantly changes the frontal structure only in the upper levels;(2)a clearly defined quasi-equivalent barotropic structure and a region of upward motion of finite width appear when a positive potential vorticity anomaly exists on the warm side of the maximum baroclinity in the lower troposphere,especially when it is located on the south edge of the baroclinic zone;(3)the above mentioned structure deteriorates as the frontogenesis proceeds in a dry atmosphere but can be maintained in a moist frontogenetic process with condensational heating;(4)the combination of a positive potential vorticity anomaly and the latent heat release is able to accelerate the frontogenesis significantly with the time needed to form an intense frontal zone reduced to less than 15 h.The results have significant theoretical importance in understanding the complex nature of frontal structure and frontogenesis,especially in understanding the dynamic structure of the subtropical frontal zone observed during early summer over East Asia.

Potential Vorticity Structure and Inversion of the Cyclogenesis Over the Yangtze River and Huaihe River Valleys

In this paper, the potential vorticity structure and inversion of the cyclogenesis over the Yangtze River and Huaihe River valleys during 21 23 June 2003 are investigated with a potential vorticity （PV） framework. The cyclogenesis is manifested by a lower-tropospheric PV anomaly over the Yangtze River and Huaihe River valleys at early stages mainly due to latent heat release, which greatly affects the evolution of the associated lower-tropospheric geopotential height and wind fields as demonstrated by piecewise PV inversion. At later stages, an upper-tropospheric PV anomaly develops, resulting in the growth of ridges over the cyclone in both the upstream and downstream, which provide a favorable background field for the low-level cyclone development. But the effect of a surface thermal anomaly always impedes the development of the cyclone to different extents during this cyclogenesis. It is further demonstrated that the position and the strength of the PV anomaly are closely related to the low-level cyclone development, and the lower-tropospheric PV anomaly seems to constitute the most significant feature, for instance, contributing about 60% to the low-level jet （LLJ）.

Snowstorm over the Southwestern Coast of the Korean Peninsula Associated with the Development of Mesocyclone over the Yellow Sea

This study investigates the characteristics of a heavy snowfall event over the southwestern part of the Korean Peninsula on 4 December 2005. The snowstorm was a type of mesoscale maritime cyclone which resulted from barotropic instability, and diabatic heating from the warm ocean in continental polar air masses. Based on surface observations, radiosonde soundings, MTSAT-1R satellite data and the 10-km grid RDAPS （Regional Assimilation and Prediction System based on the PSU/NCAR MM5） data, the evolution of the mesocyclone is explained by the following dynamics; （1） In the initial stage, the primary role in the cyclogenesis process of the mesocyclone is a barotropic instability in the horizontal shear zone. （2） In the developing stage, the mesocyclone moves and deepens into a baroclinic zone corresponding to the surface heating and moistening. （3） In the mature stage, it is found that the mesocyclone is intensified by the destabilization caused by enhanced low-level heating and condensation, the moisture flux convergence, and the interaction between upper and lower-level potential vorticity anomalies. We suggest that a checklist with stepwise indicators responsible for development be prepared for the forecasting of heavy snowfall over the southwestern part of the Korean Peninsula.