The horizontal vorticity equation used in this study was obtained using the equations of motion in the pressure coordinate system without considering friction, to reveal its relationship with vertical shear. By diagnostically analyzing each term in the horizontal vorticity equation during a squall line process that occurred on 19 June 2010, we found that the non-thermal wind term had a negative contribution to the local change of upward movement in the low-level atmosphere, and that its impact changed gradually from negative to positive with altitude, which could influence upward movement in the mid-and upper-level atmosphere greatly. The contribution of upward vertical transport to vertical movement was the largest in the low-level atmosphere, but had negative contribution to the upper-level atmosphere. These features were most evident in the development stage of the squall line. Based on analysis of convection cells along a squall line, we found that in the process of cell development diabatic heating caused the subsidence of constant potential temperature surface and non-geostrophic motion, which then triggered strong convergence of horizontal acceleration in the mid-level atmosphere and divergence of horizontal acceleration in the upper-level atmosphere. These changes of horizontal wind field could cause a counterclockwise increment of the horizontal vorticity around the warm cell, which then generated an increase of upward movement. This was the main reason why the non-thermal wind term had the largest contribution to the strengthening of upward movement in the mid-and upper-level atmosphere. The vertical transport of large value of horizontal vorticity was the key to trigger convection in this squall line process.
Statistical studies were conducted on the southwest vortex(SWV) during the summers of 2000–13 using high-resolution reanalysis data with a horizontal resolution of 0.5°× 0.5°. A total of 578 SWVs were detected, with a maximum interannual frequency of 55. The variation of the interannual frequency featured a period of around six years. The most active period of SWVs was early July and the maximum occurrence of SWVs appeared in early morning(0200–0800 Beijing Standard Time(BST)). Most of the SWVs were short-lived, with only 66 cases(11.4%) lasting for more than 24 h. In addition, the moving tracks and three-dimensional shape of long-lived(≥ 36 h) SWVs are also presented. For those SWVs that lasted for more than 12 h, four types of SWVs(Types I–IV) were identified using a new method, and the results indicated that the dynamical and thermodynamical conditions before the formation of SWVs are effective indicators of the subsequent evolution of the vortex and associated severe weathers. Moreover, a further level of classification was also constructed for Type II SWVs, which accounted for the largest proportion out of Types I–IV, and the results indicated that the lifespan, radius and maximum 6-h precipitation were all closely related to the intensity of precipitation before the formation of SWVs.
FU Shen-MingZHANG Jing-PingSUN Jian-HuaSHEN Xin-Yong
利用2007—2011年夏季TBB(black body temperature)资料筛选出夏季青藏高原地区特征比较稳定的带状MCSs加以归类,结合NCEP资料及后向轨迹模型对其成因进行逐类探讨。结果表明,特征稳定的带状MCSs共有37例,可以按形状分为三类:北凸型、南界型和纬向型,其中北凸型发生得最多,纬向型最少。整个夏季有接近30%的时间,特别是在7月有近50%的时间都出现这种稳定的带状MCSs。高层南亚高压以及高空急流和低层500 hPa切变线辐合及其南侧的高温高湿是带状MCSs生成的主要原因。500 hPa上,纬向型带状MCSs一般发生在高原南北两侧较平直的东、西风气流中;北凸型发生时,高原北部为平直的西风气流,孟湾为较强的槽,高原东、南部受西南偏南气流影响;南界型时高原一般为西北气流,南侧有较强的孟湾气旋控制。围绕高原有4个水汽的辐散源地,带状MCSs对流区的水汽主要通过高原南侧和高原东南部的辐散源地进入对流区。
A new scheme that separates convective-stratiform rainfall is developed using threshold values of liquid water path(LWP) and ice water path(IWP).These cloud contents can be predicted with radiances at the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit(AMSU) channels(23.8,31.4,89,and 150 GHz) through linear regression models.The scheme is demonstrated by an analysis of a two-dimensional cloud resolving model simulation that is imposed by a forcing derived from the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment(TOGA COARE).The rainfall is considered convective if associated LWP is larger than 1.91 mm or IWP is larger than1.70 mm.Otherwise,the rainfall is stratiform.The analysis of surface rainfall budget demonstrates that this new scheme is physically meaningful.
RegCM4.3, a high-resolution regional climate model, which includes five kinds of aerosols(dust, sea salt,sulfate, black carbon and organic carbon), is employed to simulate the East Asian summer monsoon(EASM) from 1995 to 2010 and the simulation data are used to study the possible impact of natural and anthropogenic aerosols on EASM.The results show that the regional climate model can well simulate the EASM and the spatial and temporal distribution of aerosols. The EASM index is reduced by about 5% by the natural and anthropogenic aerosols and the monsoon onset time is also delayed by about a pentad except for Southeast China. The aerosols heat the middle atmosphere through absorbing solar radiation and the air column expands in Southeast China and its offshore areas. As a result, the geopotential height decreases and a cyclonic circulation anomaly is generated in the lower atmosphere. Northerly wind located in the west of cyclonic circulation weakens the low-level southerly wind in the EASM region. Negative surface radiative forcing due to aerosols causes downward motion and an indirect meridional circulation is formed with the low-level northerly wind and high-level southerly wind anomaly in the north of 25° N in the monsoon area, which weakens the vertical circulation of EASM. The summer precipitation of the monsoon region is significantly reduced,especially in North and Southwest China where the value of moisture flux divergence increases.
The present work provides a novel method for calculating vertical velocity based on continuity equations in a pressure coordinate system.The method overcomes the disadvantage of accumulation of calculating errors of horizontal divergence in current kinematics methods during the integration for calculating vertical velocity,and consequently avoids its subsequent correction.In addition,through modifications of the continuity equations,it shows that the vorticity of the vertical shear vector(VVSV) is proportional to-ω,the vertical velocity in p coordinates.Furthermore,if the change of ω in the horizontal direction is neglected,the vorticity of the horizontal vorticity vector is proportional to-ω.When ω is under a fluctuating state in the vertical direction,the updraft occurs when the vector of horizontal vorticity rotates counterclockwise;the downdraft occurs when rotating clockwise.The validation result indicates that the present method is generally better than the vertical velocity calculated by the ω equation using the wet Q-vector divergence as a forcing term,and the vertical velocity calculated by utilizing the kinematics method is followed by the O'Brien method for correction.The plus-minus sign of the vertical velocity obtained with this method is not correlated with the intensity of d BZ,but the absolute error increases when d BZ is >=40.This method demonstrates that it is a good reflection of the direction of the vertical velocity.
