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.

Study on Moist Potential Vorticity and Symmetric Instabilityduring a Heavy Rain Event Occurred inthe Jiang-Huai Valleys

In the light of the theory on moist potential vorticity (MPV) investigation was undertaken of the 700 hPa vertical (horizontal) component MP1 (MPV2) for the heavy rain event occurring in July 5–6, 1991. Results show that the distribution features of the two components were closely related to the development of a mesoscale cyclone as a rainstorm-causing weather system in the lower troposphere in such a way that the ambient atmosphere of which MPV1 > 0 and MPV2 < 0 with |MPV1| ≥ |MPV2| favored the genesis of conditional symmetric instability (CSI) and that, as indicated by calculations, a CSI sector was really existent in the lower troposphere during the heavy rain happening and contributed greatly to its development.

Sensitivity of Cyclone Tracks to the Initial Moisture Distribution:A Moist Potential Vorticity Perspective

In this study, the characteristics of moist potential vorticity （MPV） in the vicinity of a surface cyclone center and their physical processes axe investigated. A prognostic equation of surface absolute vorticity is then used to examine the relationship between the cyclone tracks and negative MPV （NMPV） using numerical simulations of the life cycle of an extratropical cyclone. It is shown that the MPV approach developed herein, i.e., by tracing the peak NMPV, can be used to help trace surface cyclones during their development and mature stages. Sensitivity experiments are conducted to investigate the impact of different initial moisture fields on the effectiveness of the MPV approach. It is found that the lifetime of NMPV depends mainly on the initial moisture field, the magnitude of condensational heating, and the advection of NMPV. When NMPV moves into a saturated environment at or near a cyclone center, it can trace better the evolution of the surface cyclone due to the conservative property of MPV. It is also shown that the NMPV generation is closely associated with the coupling of large potential temperature and moisture gradients as a result of frontogenesis processes. Analyses indicate that condensation, confluence and tilting play important but different roles in determining the NMPV generation. NMPV is generated mainly through the changes in the strength of baroclinicity and in the direction of the moisture gradient due to moist and/or dry air mass intrusion into the baroclinic zone.

Moist Potential Vorticity Vector for Diagnosis of Heavy Rainfall Events in Tanzania

In this paper, we modify the convective vorticity vector (CVV) defined as a cross product of absolute vorticity and gradient of equivalent potential temperature to moist potential vorticity vector (MPVV) defined as a cross product of absolute vorticity () and the gradient of the moist-air entropy potential temperature (). The patterns of (MPVV) are compared with the patterns of heavy rainfall events that occurred over different regions in Tanzania on 20th to 22nd December, 2011 and on 5th to 8th May, 2015. Moreover, the article aimed at assessing the relative contributions of the magnitude, horizontal and vertical components of (MPVV) detecting on the observed patterns of rainfall events. Dynamic and thermodynamic variables: wind speed, temperature, atmospheric pressure and relative humidity from numerical output generated by the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model running at Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) were used to compute MPVV. It is found that MPVV provide accurate tracking of locations received heavy rainfall, suggesting its potential use as a dynamic tracer for heavy rainfall events in Tanzania. Finally it is found that the first and second components of MPVV contribute almost equally in tracing locations received heavy rainfall events. The magnitude of MPVV described the locations received heavy rainfall events better than the components.

Diagnosis Analysis on the Moist Potential Vorticity of a Regional Rainstorm on May 27,2013 in Eastern Jiangxi Province

Based on conventional meteorological data and NCEP 1°×1° DEG reanalysis data, reasons for a regional rainstorm in Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province on May 27, 2013 was analyzed from the aspects of weather situation, influencing systems, water vapor, dynamic and thermal instability. The results showed that the regional rainstorm happened in the warm area while the Jianghuai cyclone moved eastwards, and it was a short-dura- tion strong convective rainstorm. Jianghuai cyclone, 500 hPa trough, low vortex and southwesterly jet were the main influencing systems of the rain- storm. The precipitation was mainly the result of release of convective unstable energy in the lower troposphere. MPVl was negative in the lower troposphere and positive in the middle and upper troposphere. Moist potential vorticity in the upper troposphere moved downwards, which was ad- vantageous to the release of the unstable energy and then increased precipitation. The negative moist potential vorticity center in the lower tropo- sphere can reflect the position and intensity of the rainstorm, and the intensity and duration of precipitation were consistent with the increase of the negative MPVl. The distribution of MPV2 showed that as atmospheric baroclinicity increased, heavy rain always occurred in the lower troposphere where baroclinicity was strong. The areas with negative baroclincity in the lower troposphere matched with rainstorm center very well.

Analysis on the Moist Potential Vorticity and Conditional Symmetric Instability of a Rainstorm

[Objective] The research aimed to analyze the moist potential vorticity (MPV) and conditional symmetric instability (CSI) of a rainstorm in Guangxi in the prior flood season. [Method] Based on the conventional observation data, precipitation data from the automatic station and 1°×1° six-hourly reanalyzed data from NCEP, MPV and CSI in a rainstorm process which occurred in the prior flood season in Guangxi were analyzed. The characteristics of MPV component and role of CSI before and after the rainstorm occurrence were discussed. [Result] The dense belt of isoline in the southeast of MPV1 positive-value area (MPV2 negative-value area) at 925 hPa, the underneath of sloping MPV1 positive-value column (MPV2 negative-value column) on the profile map and the underneath of dense belt of θe isoline had the good corresponding relationships with the falling zone of strong precipitation. After the system developed strongly, the enhancements of gradient and intensity of MPV1 and MPV2 predicted the rainstorm increase. In the beginning period of strong precipitation occurrence, the convective instability at 850-650 hPa co-existed with CSI. The convective instability and vertical movement played the main role. In the middle and latter periods of strong precipitation, the high-altitude weak cold air further invaded southward. It triggered the release of unstable energy, and compelled that the original sloping θe dense belt became steep. It was favorable for the development of sloping vorticity, and the atmosphere gradually turned into the neutral state of convection. CSI and ramp motion played the major role. Then, the rainstorm continued. [Conclusion] The research provided the theory basis for the application of MPV and CSI into the local routine business.

A Diagnostic Study of Moist Potential Vorticity Generation in an Extratropical Cyclone

Moist potential vorticity (MPV) and its generation may be important in the development of mesoscale structures such as rainbands within cyclones. In an adiabatic and frictionless flow, MPV generation is possible if the flow is three-dimensional and the air is unsaturated. Moist potential vorticity can be generated through the combined effects of gradients in the potential temperature and moisture fields. The diagnosis of MPV generation in an extratropical cyclone was performed with the ECMWF objectively analyzed fields for a system that developed during February 1992. It was found that at various stages during the development of the cyclone, negative MPV was generated: at the north end of the cold front; along the occluded front and the cold front; and in the region of the warm core. This pattern of negative MPV generation is in excellent agreement with the predictions of previous theoretical and numerical studies. After the cyclone ceased to deepen, the region of negative MPV generated in the cyclone was horizontally advected into a saturated area. The area of negative MPV generated both along the occluded front in this case study and in the region of the bent-back warm front in a numerical simulation showed a mesoscale structure with a width of about 200-500 km. It was found that the intrusion of moist or dry air into baroclinic zones was important for MPV generation. In addition, baroclinicity increase (adjacent to the area of condensation) in the regions of high moisture gradients led to significant MPV production.

Application of Generalized Moist Potential Vorticity to the Analysis of a Torrential Rain Case

Considering the non-uniform saturation of the real atmosphere,a diagnostic study of a torrential rain event is performed from the perspective of the anomaly of the generalized moist potential vorticity（GMPV） after introducing the generalized potential temperature into the thermodynamic frame of the real atmosphere. The results show that the anomaly appeared at mid-lower levels of the troposphere when the torrential rain happened.Analysis of the magnitudes and locations of maximum values of the tendency of the GMPV indicates that the anomaly of the GMPV was closely related to the occurrence of torrential rain. Therefore,the GMPV could be used to forecast and diagnose the occurrence of torrential rain in operational application.

CONSERVATION OF MOIST POTENTIAL VORTICITY AND DOWN-SLIDING SLANTWISE VORTICITY DEVELOPMENT

An accurate form of the moist potential vorticity(MPV)equation was deduced from a complete set of primitive equations.It was shown that motion in a saturated atmosphere without diabatic heat- ing and friction conserves moist potential vorticity.This property was then used to investigate the de- velopment of vertical vorticity in moist baroclinic processes.Results show that in the framework of moist isentropic coordinate,vorticity development can result from reduction of convective stability,or convergence,or latent heat release at isentropic surfaces.However,the application of the usual analy- sis of moist isentropic potential vorticity is limited due to the declination of moist isentropic surfaces. and a theory of development based on z-coordinate and p-coordinate was then proposed.According to this theory,whether the atmosphere is moist-symmetrically stable or unstable,or convective stable or unstable,the reduction of convective stability,the increase of the vertical shear of horizontal wind or moist baroclinity may result in the increase of vertical vorticity,so long as the moist isentropic surface is slantwise.The larger the declination of the moist isentropic surface,the more vigorous the develop- ment of vertical vorticity.In a region with a monsoon front to the north and the warm and moist air to the south,or by the north of the front,the moist isentropes are very steep.The is the region most favorable for development of vorticities and formation of torrential rain. For a case of persistent torrential rain occurring in the middle and lower reaches of the Changjiang and Huaihe Rivers in June 11-15,1991,moist potential vorticity analysis,especially the isobaric analysis of its vertical and horizontal components,i.e.MPV1 and MPV2,respectively,is effective for identifying synoptic systems not only in middle and high latitudes,but also in low lati- tudes and in the lower troposphere.It can serve as a powerful tool for the diagnosis and prediction of torrential rain.

MOIST POTENTIAL VORTICITY DIAGNOSIS OF A MEIYU FRONTAL HEAVY RAIN PROCESS SIMULATION DURING SUMMER,1991

In this paper,the heavy rain process from June 30 to July 2,1991,has been simulated by MM4. and three-dimensional moist potential vorticity distribution of the simulation results has been calculated.It is shown that moist potential vorticity is an important physical variable to reveal heavy rain structure and dynamic mechanisms.Negative moist potential vorticity corresponds to the Meiyu front-wind shear line system and the negative center corresponds to the heavy rain center.Negative moist potential vorticity mainly attributes to the effects of meridional baroclinic term and convective unstable term.The former is favourable to the maintenance of zonal precipitation and the latter is the mechanism of the heavy rain center propagating along the rain belt.The heavy rain is contributed by the cooperative effects of conditional convective instability,baroclinic instability and upper air inertial instability.

Physical Mechanism of Formation of the Bimodal Structure in the Meiyu Front System

The bimodal structure of the Meiyu front system is readdressed after Zhou et al.（2005）. The physical mechanism of the formation of the bimodal distribution is discussed. The bimodal structure of the Melyu front system considerably results from atmospheric moisture gradients, though atmospheric temperature gradients are also not negligible. According to the definition of equivalent potential temperature, and by scale analysis, we find that atmospheric equivalent potential temperature gradients, which could be regarded as an indicator of the Meiyu front system, could be mainly attributed to the variations of atmospheric potential temperature gradients with a scaling factor of 1 and moisture gradients multiplied by a scaling factor of an order of about 2.5 × 10^3, which means that small variations of atmospheric moisture gradients could lead to large variations of equivalent potential temperature gradients, and thus large variations of the Meiyu front system. Quantitative diagnostics with a mesoscale simulation data in the vicinity of the Meiyu front system show that moisture gradients contribute to equivalent potential temperature gradients more than potential temperature gradients.

Synoptic Characteristics of Heavy Rainfall Events in Pre-monsoon Season in South China

Persistent heavy rainfall events in South China can be divided into pre-and post-monsoon-onset events according to the onset of the South China Sea Summer Monsoon. In this study, daily rainfall data from 174 stations in South China and daily NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data are used to investigate pre-monsoon-onset events. The synoptic characteristics of pre-monsoon-onset heavy rainfall events are examined in detail. It is found that 21 heavy rainfall cases happened in the pre-monsoon period between 1961 and 2005. Among them, more than 60% of the events happened under a saddle pattern circulation. Using a case study, the role of the saddle field is investigated and slantwise vorticity development （SVD） theory is applied to diagnose the mechanisms for heavy rainfall development. It is found that a low-level saddle field and low-level jets result in the accumulation of warm moist air in the lower troposphere over South China and provide the necessary unstable conditions for heavy rainfall development. The existence of a saddle field plays an important role in maintaining these unstable conditions. The slantwise movement of the isentropic surface over South China can increase local vorticity and lead to strong vertical motion, which then triggers heavy rainfall.

ISENTROPIC POTENTIAL VORTICITY ANALYSIS ON THE MESOSCALE CYCLONE DEVELOPMENT IN A TORRENTIAL RAIN PROCESS

The mesoscale model MM4 is used to simulate the torrential rain associated with Meiyu front occurring on 5—6 July.1991 in the Changjiang-Huaihe Basin.Based on the outputs of the model, the cause of the mesoscale cyclogenesis on the lower troposphere is investigated in terms of the potential vorticity principle.The results show that because of the favorable pattern of moist isentropic surface,the absolute vorticity increases when cold air with high moist potential vorticity value rapidly slides down southwards along the moist isentropic surface,and then causes the cyclonic vortex development.

A Diagnostic Case Study on the Comparison Between the Frontal and Non-Frontal Convective Systems

Two major mesoscale convective clusters of different characters occurred during the heavy rainfall event in Guangxi Region and Guangdong Province on 20 June 2005,and they are preliminarily identified as a frontal mesoscale convective system（MCS1;a frontal cloud cluster） and a non-frontal MCS（MCS2;a warm sector cloud cluster）.Comparative analyses on their convective intensity,maintenance mechanism, and moist potential vorticity（MPV） structure were further performed.The convective intensity analysis suggests that the ascending motion in both the frontal MCS1 and the warm sector MCS2 was strong,so it is hard to conclude whether the intensity of the frontal convective cluster was stronger than that of the nonfrontal convective cluster,and their difference in precipitation might result from differences in their moisture conditions.The comparative analysis of the maintenance mechanisms of matured MCS1 and MCS2 show that in MCS1 there were strong northerly inflows at middle and upper levels,and the convection was mainly maintained through convective-symmetric instability;while in MCS2,the water vapor was abundant,and the convection was maintained by moist convective instability.The structural analysis of MPV indicates that（1） the two clusters were both potentially symmetric unstable at middle and low levels;（2） there were interactions between the cold/dry air and the warm/wet air in the frontal MCS1,and the interactions between the upper- and low-level jets in the warm sector MCS2;（3） the high- and low-level jets and moisture condition nearby the convective clusters exerted different impacts on the two types of convective systems, respectively.

Mesoscale Diagnosis of a Torrential Rainfall Caused by a Tropical Depression

On August 5, 2001, Shanghai was struck by a torrential rainfall due to thepassage of a tropical depression (TD). The rainfall intensity has been the strongest in recent 50years. In this paper, a set of mesoscale re-analyses data and the planetary boundary layerobservation from a wind profiler are used to understand the possible mechanism of such a heavy rain.Results show that the outburst of a southerly jet in the lower atmosphere triggered the explosivedevelopment of cyclonically vertical vorticity in the region with steep potential temperaturesurfaces in front of the TD; while the cyclonic vorticity increased notably at higher levels due tpthe small atmospheric vertical stability of westerly currents in the vicinity of Shanghai. Thesimultaneous sharp development of cyclonic vorticity at different levels should be the main causefor the torrential rainfall.