scholarly journals A Simple Multicloud Parameterization for Convectively Coupled Tropical Waves. Part I: Linear Analysis

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 1308-1323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boualem Khouider ◽  
Andrew J. Majda
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Convective Available Potential Energy ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Kelvin Waves ◽  
Dynamical Analysis ◽  
Convective Precipitation ◽  
Convective Heating ◽  
Cumulus Clouds

Abstract Recent observational analysis reveals the central role of three multicloud types, congestus, stratiform, and deep convective cumulus clouds, in the dynamics of large-scale convectively coupled Kelvin waves, westward-propagating two-day waves, and the Madden–Julian oscillation. A systematic model convective parameterization highlighting the dynamic role of the three cloud types is developed here through two baroclinic modes of vertical structure: a deep convective heating mode and a second mode with low-level heating and cooling corresponding respectively to congestus and stratiform clouds. A systematic moisture equation is developed where the lower troposphere moisture increases through detrainment of shallow cumulus clouds, evaporation of stratiform rain, and moisture convergence and decreases through deep convective precipitation. A nonlinear switch is developed that favors either deep or congestus convection depending on the relative dryness of the troposphere; in particular, a dry troposphere with large convective available potential energy (CAPE) has no deep convection and only congestus clouds. The properties of the multicloud model parameterization are tested by linearized analysis in a two-dimensional setup with no rotation with constant sea surface temperature. In particular, the present study reveals new mechanisms for the large-scale instability of moist gravity waves with features resembling observed convectively coupled Kelvin waves in realistic parameter regimes without any effect of wind-induced surface heat exchange (WISHE). A detailed dynamical analysis for the linear waves is given herein and idealized nonlinear numerical simulations are reported in a companion paper. A maximum congestus heating leads during the dry phase of the wave. It is followed by an increase of the boundary layer θe, that is, CAPE, and lower troposphere moistening that precondition the upper troposphere for the next deep convective episode. In turn, deep convection consumes CAPE and removes moisture, thus yielding the dry episode.

A Simple Multicloud Parameterization for Convectively Coupled Tropical Waves. Part II: Nonlinear Simulations

2007 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 381-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boualem Khouider ◽  
Andrew J. Majda
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Warm Pool ◽  
Convective Precipitation ◽  
Convective Heating ◽  
Walker Cell ◽  
Wave Trains ◽  
Coupled Wave

Abstract Observations in the Tropics point to the important role of three cloud types, congestus, stratiform, and deep convective clouds, besides ubiquitous shallow boundary layer clouds for both the climatology and large-scale organized anomalies such as convectively coupled Kelvin waves, two-day waves, and the Madden–Julian oscillation. Recently, the authors have developed a systematic model convective parameterization highlighting the dynamic role of the three cloud types through two baroclinic modes of vertical structure: a deep convective heating mode and a second mode with lower troposphere heating and cooling corresponding respectively to congestus and stratiform clouds. The model includes both a systematic moisture equation where the lower troposphere moisture increases through detrainment of shallow cumulus clouds, evaporation of stratiform rain, and moisture convergence and decreases through deep convective precipitation and also a nonlinear switch that favors either deep or congestus convection depending on whether the lower middle troposphere is moist or dry. Here these model convective parameterizations are applied to a 40 000-km periodic equatorial ring without rotation, with a background sea surface temperature (SST) gradient and realistic radiative cooling mimicking a tropical warm pool. Both the emerging “Walker cell” climatology and the convectively coupled wave fluctuations are analyzed here while various parameters in the model are varied. The model exhibits weak congestus moisture coupled waves outside the warm pool in a turbulent bath that intermittently amplify in the warm pool generating convectively coupled moist gravity wave trains propagating at speeds ranging from 15 to 20 m s−1 over the warm pool, while retaining a classical Walker cell in the mean climatology. The envelope of the deep convective events in these convectively coupled wave trains often exhibits large-scale organization with a slower propagation speed of 3–5 m s−1 over the warm pool and adjacent region. Occasional much rarer intermittent deep convection also occurs outside the warm pool. The realistic parameter regimes in the multicloud model are identified as those with linearized growth rates for large scale instabilities roughly in the range of 0.5 K day−1.

scholarly journals An Initiation Process of Tropical Depression-type Disturbances under the Influence of Upper-level Troughs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuya Hamaguchi ◽  
Yukari N. Takayabu
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Convective Available Potential Energy ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Convective Heating ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Tropical Depression ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Extratropical Forcing

AbstractIn this study, the statistical relationship between tropical upper-tropospheric troughs (TUTTs) and the initiation of summertime tropical-depression type disturbances (TDDs) over the western and central North Pacific is investigated. By applying a spatiotemporal filter to the 34-year record of brightness temperature and using JRA-55 reanalysis products, TDD-event initiations are detected and classified as trough-related (TR) or non-trough-related (non-TR). The conventional understanding is that TDDs originate primarily in the lower-troposphere; our results refine this view by revealing that approximately 30% of TDDs in the 10°N-20°N latitude ranges are generated under the influence of TUTTs. Lead-lag composite analysis of both TR- and non-TR-TDDs clarifies that TR-TDDs occur under relatively dry and less convergent large-scale conditions in the lower-troposphere. This result suggests that TR-TDDs can form in a relatively unfavorable low-level environment. The three-dimensional structure of the wave activity flux reveals southward and downward propagation of wave energy in the upper troposphere that converges at the mid-troposphere around the region where TR-TDDs occur, suggesting the existence of extratropical forcing. Further, the role of dynamic forcing associated with the TUTT on the TR-TDD-initiation is analyzed using the quasi-geostrophic omega equation. The result reveals that moistening in the mid-to-upper troposphere takes place in association with the sustained dynamical ascent at the southeast side of the TUTT, which precedes the occurrence of deep convective heating. Along with a higher convective available potential energy due to the destabilizing effect of TUTTs, the moistening in the mid-to-upper troposphere also helps to prepare the environment favorable to TDDs initiation.

Interaction of Tropical Deep Convection with the Large-Scale Circulation in the MJO

2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 1837-1853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Tromeur ◽  
William B. Rossow
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Surface Fluxes ◽  
Convective Heating ◽  
Large Scale Circulation ◽  
Tropical Deep Convection ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Cloud Regimes

Abstract To better understand the interaction between tropical deep convection and the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), tropical cloud regimes are defined by cluster analysis of International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) cloud-top pressure—optical thickness joint distributions from the D1 dataset covering 21.5 yr. An MJO index based solely on upper-level wind anomalies is used to study variations of the tropical cloud regimes. The MJO index shows that MJO events are present almost all the time; instead of the MJO event being associated with “on or off” deep convection, it is associated with weaker or stronger mesoscale organization of deep convection. Atmospheric winds and humidity from NCEP–NCAR reanalysis 1 are used to characterize the large-scale dynamics of the MJO; the results show that the large-scale motions initiate an MJO event by moistening the lower troposphere by horizontal advection. Increasingly strong convection transports moisture into the upper troposphere, suggesting a reinforcement of the convection itself. The change of convection organization shown by the cloud regimes indicates a strong interaction between the large-scale circulation and deep convection. The analysis is extended to the complete atmospheric diabatic heating by precipitation, radiation, and surface fluxes. The wave organizes stronger convective heating of the tropical atmosphere, which results in stronger winds, while there is only a passive response of the surface, directly linked to cloud radiative effects. Overall, the results suggest that an MJO event is an amplification of large-scale wave motions by stronger convective heating, which results from a dynamic reorganization of scattered deep convection into more intense mesoscale systems.

Role of Vertical Structure of Convective Heating in MJO Simulation in NCAR CAM5.3

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (18) ◽  
pp. 7423-7439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guyu Cao ◽  
Guang J. Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Vertical Structure ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Spectral Power ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
Convective Heating ◽  
Shallow Convection ◽  
Heating Profile

Abstract Observational studies suggest that the vertical structure of diabatic heating is important to MJO development. In particular, the lack of a top-heavy heating profile was believed to be responsible for poor MJO simulations in global climate models. In this work, the role of the vertical heating profile in MJO simulation is investigated by modifying the convective heating profile to different shapes, from top-heavy heating to bottom cooling, to mimic mesoscale heating in the NCAR Community Atmosphere Model, version 5.3 (CAM5.3). Results suggest that incorporating a mesoscale stratiform heating structure can significantly improve the MJO simulation. By artificially adding stratiform-like heating and cooling in the experiments, many observed features of MJO are reproduced, including clear eastward propagation, a westward-tilted vertical structure of MJO-scale anomalies of dynamic and thermodynamic fields, and strong 20–80-day spectral power. Further analysis shows an abundance of shallow convection ahead of MJO deep convection, confirming the role of shallow convection in preconditioning the atmosphere by moistening the lower troposphere ahead of deep convection during the MJO life cycle. Additional experiments show that lower-level cooling contributes more to improving the MJO simulation. All these features are lacking in the control simulation, suggesting that the mesoscale stratiform heating, especially its lower-level cooling component, is important to MJO simulation.

scholarly journals Synoptic Circulation and Land Surface Influences on Convection in the Midwest U.S. “Corn Belt” during the Summers of 1999 and 2000. Part II: Role of Vegetation Boundaries

2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (15) ◽  
pp. 3617-3641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Carleton ◽  
David J. Travis ◽  
Jimmy O. Adegoke ◽  
David L. Arnold ◽  
Steve Curran
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Free Convection ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Convective Available Potential Energy ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Convective Precipitation ◽  
Corn Belt ◽  
Seasonal Forecasts

Abstract In Part I of this observational study inquiring into the relative influences of “top down” synoptic atmospheric conditions and “bottom up” land surface mesoscale conditions in deep convection for the humid lowlands of the Midwest U.S. Central Corn Belt (CCB), the composite atmospheric environments for afternoon and evening periods of convection (CV) versus no convection (NC) were determined for two recent summers (1999 and 2000) having contrasting precipitation patterns and amounts. A close spatial correspondence was noted between composite synoptic features representing baroclinity and upward vertical motion with the observed precipitation on CV days when the “background” (i.e., free atmosphere) wind speed exceeded approximately 10 m s−1 at 500 hPa (i.e., “stronger flow”). However, on CV days when wind speeds were <∼10 m s−1 (i.e., “weaker flow”), areas of increased precipitation can be associated with synoptic composites that are not so different from those for corresponding NC days. From these observations, the presence of a land surface mesoscale influence on deep convection and precipitation is inferred that is better expressed on weaker flow days. Climatically, a likely candidate for enhancing low-level moisture convergence to promote deep convection are the quasi-permanent vegetation boundaries (QPVBs) between the two major land use and land cover (LULC) types of crop and forest that characterize much of the CCB. Accordingly, in this paper the role of these boundaries on summer precipitation variations for the CCB is extracted in two complementary ways: 1) for contrasting flow day types in the summers 1999 and 2000, by determining the spatially and temporally aggregated land surface influence on deep convection from composites of thermodynamic variables [e.g., surface lifted index (SLI), level of free convection (LFC), and lifted condensation level (LCL)] that are obtained from mapped data of the 6-h NCEP–NCAR reanalyses (NNR), and 0000 UTC rawinsonde ascents; and 2) for summer seasons 1995–2001, from the statistical associations of satellite-retrieved LULC boundary attributes (i.e., length and width) and precipitation at high spatial resolutions. For the 1999 and 2000 summers (item 1 above), thermodynamic composites determined for V(500) categories having minimal differences in synoptic meteorological fields on CV minus NC (CV − NC) days (i.e., weaker flow), show statistically significant increases in atmospheric moisture (e.g., greater precipitable water; lower LCL and LFC) and static instability [e.g., positive convective available potential energy (CAPE)] compared to NC days. Moreover, CV days for both weaker and stronger background flow have associated subregional-scale thermodynamic patterns indicating free convection at the earth’s surface, supported by a synoptic pattern of at least weakly upward motion of air in the midtroposphere in contrast to NC days. The possibility that aerodynamic contrasts along QPVBs readily permit air to be lofted above the LFC when the lower atmosphere is moist, thereby assisting or enhancing deep convection on CV days, is supported by the multiyear analysis (item 2 above). In early summer when LULC boundaries are most evident, precipitation on weaker flow days is significantly greater within 20 km of boundaries than farther away, but there is no statistical difference on stronger flow days. Statistical relationships between boundary mean attributes and mean precipitation change sign between early summer (positive) and late summer (negative), in accord with shifts in the satellite-retrieved maximum radiances from forest to crop areas. These phenological changes appear related, primarily, to contrasting soil moisture and implied evapotranspiration differences. Incorporating LULC boundary locations and phenological status into reliable forecast fields of lower-to-midtropospheric humidity and wind speed should lead to improved short-term predictions of convective precipitation in the Corn Belt and also, potentially, better climate seasonal forecasts.

scholarly journals Effects of Coupling a Stochastic Convective Parameterization with Zhang-McFarlane Scheme on Precipitation Simulation in the DOE E3SMv1 Atmosphere Model

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Wang ◽  
Guang J. Zhang ◽  
Shaocheng Xie ◽  
Wuyin Lin ◽  
George C. Craig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Rainfall Intensity ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Convective Available Potential Energy ◽  
Precipitation Amount ◽  
Convective Precipitation ◽  
Moderate Increase ◽  
Light Rain ◽  
Precipitation Simulation ◽  
Atmosphere Model

Abstract. A stochastic deep convection parameterization is implemented into the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) Atmosphere Model version 1 (EAMv1). This study evaluates its performance on the precipitation simulation. Compared to the default model, the probability distribution function (PDF) of rainfall intensity in the new simulation is greatly improved. Especially, the well-known problem of too much light rain and too little heavy rain is alleviated over the tropics. As a result, the contribution from different rain rates to the total precipitation amount is shifted toward heavier rain. The less frequent occurrence of convection contributes to the suppressed light rain, while both more intense large-scale and convective precipitation contribute to the enhanced heavy total rain. The synoptic and intraseasonal variabilities of precipitation are enhanced as well to be closer to observations. A sensitivity of the rainfall intensity PDF to the model vertical resolution is identified and explained in terms of the relationships between convective precipitation and convective available potential energy (CAPE) and between large-scale precipitation and resolved-scale upward moisture flux. The annual mean precipitation is largely unchanged with the use of the stochastic scheme except over the tropical western Pacific, where a moderate increase in precipitation represents a slight improvement. The responses of precipitation and its extremes to climate warming are similar with or without the stochastic deep convection scheme.

scholarly journals Global climatology and trends in convective environments from ERA5 and rawinsonde data

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mateusz Taszarek ◽  
John T. Allen ◽  
Mattia Marchio ◽  
Harold E. Brooks
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Convective Available Potential Energy ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
Convective Precipitation ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Rawinsonde Data

AbstractGlobally, thunderstorms are responsible for a significant fraction of rainfall, and in the mid-latitudes often produce extreme weather, including large hail, tornadoes and damaging winds. Despite this importance, how the global frequency of thunderstorms and their accompanying hazards has changed over the past 4 decades remains unclear. Large-scale diagnostics applied to global climate models have suggested that the frequency of thunderstorms and their intensity is likely to increase in the future. Here, we show that according to ERA5 convective available potential energy (CAPE) and convective precipitation (CP) have decreased over the tropics and subtropics with simultaneous increases in 0–6 km wind shear (BS06). Conversely, rawinsonde observations paint a different picture across the mid-latitudes with increasing CAPE and significant decreases to BS06. Differing trends and disagreement between ERA5 and rawinsondes observed over some regions suggest that results should be interpreted with caution, especially for CAPE and CP across tropics where uncertainty is the highest and reliable long-term rawinsonde observations are missing.

scholarly journals A Unified Convection Scheme (UNICON). Part I: Formulation

2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (11) ◽  
pp. 3902-3930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sungsu Park
Keyword(s):  
Deep Convection ◽  
Convective Available Potential Energy ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Vertical Transport ◽  
Convective Precipitation ◽  
Cold Pool ◽  
Quasi Equilibrium ◽  
Convection Scheme ◽  
Time Step ◽  
Turbulent Eddies

Abstract The author develops a unified convection scheme (UNICON) that parameterizes relative (i.e., with respect to the grid-mean vertical flow) subgrid vertical transport by nonlocal asymmetric turbulent eddies. UNICON is a process-based model of subgrid convective plumes and mesoscale organized flow without relying on any quasi-equilibrium assumptions such as convective available potential energy (CAPE) or convective inhibition (CIN) closures. In combination with a relative subgrid vertical transport scheme by local symmetric turbulent eddies and a grid-scale advection scheme, UNICON simulates vertical transport of water species and conservative scalars without double counting at any horizontal resolution. UNICON simulates all dry–moist, forced–free, and shallow–deep convection within a single framework in a seamless, consistent, and unified way. It diagnoses the vertical profiles of the macrophysics (fractional area, plume radius, and number density) as well as the microphysics (production and evaporation rates of convective precipitation) and the dynamics (mass flux and vertical velocity) of multiple convective updraft and downdraft plumes. UNICON also prognoses subgrid cold pool and mesoscale organized flow within the planetary boundary layer (PBL) that is forced by evaporation of convective precipitation and accompanying convective downdrafts but damped by surface flux and entrainment at the PBL top. The combined subgrid parameterization of diagnostic convective updraft and downdraft plumes, prognostic subgrid mesoscale organized flow, and the feedback among them remedies the weakness of conventional quasi-steady diagnostic plume models—the lack of plume memory across the time step—allowing UNICON to successfully simulate various transitional phenomena associated with convection (e.g., the diurnal cycle of precipitation and the Madden–Julian oscillation).

scholarly journals Tropical temperature variability and Kelvin-wave activity in the UTLS from GPS RO measurements

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 793-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Scherllin-Pirscher ◽  
William J. Randel ◽  
Joowan Kim
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Wave Activity ◽  
Kelvin Waves ◽  
Temperature Variability ◽  
Stationary Waves ◽  
Kelvin Wave ◽  
Quasi Biennial Oscillation ◽  
Tropical Tropopause ◽  
Tropopause Region

Abstract. Tropical temperature variability over 10–30 km and associated Kelvin-wave activity are investigated using GPS radio occultation (RO) data from January 2002 to December 2014. RO data are a powerful tool for quantifying tropical temperature oscillations with short vertical wavelengths due to their high vertical resolution and high accuracy and precision. Gridded temperatures from GPS RO show the strongest variability in the tropical tropopause region (on average 3 K2). Large-scale zonal variability is dominated by transient sub-seasonal waves (2 K2), and about half of sub-seasonal variance is explained by eastward-traveling Kelvin waves with periods of 4 to 30 days (1 K2). Quasi-stationary waves associated with the annual cycle and interannual variability contribute about a third (1 K2) to total resolved zonal variance. Sub-seasonal waves, including Kelvin waves, are highly transient in time. Above 20 km, Kelvin waves are strongly modulated by the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in stratospheric zonal winds, with enhanced wave activity during the westerly shear phase of the QBO. In the tropical tropopause region, however, peaks of Kelvin-wave activity are irregularly distributed in time. Several peaks coincide with maxima of zonal variance in tropospheric deep convection, but other episodes are not evidently related. Further investigations of convective forcing and atmospheric background conditions are needed to better understand variability near the tropopause.

scholarly journals Parameter Modulation of Madden-Julian Oscillation Behaviors in BCC_CSM1.2: The Key Role of Moisture-Shallow Convection Feedback

Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Huang ◽  
Hong-Li Ren ◽  
Xiangwen Liu ◽  
Pengfei Ren ◽  
Yuntao Wei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Latin Hypercube Sampling ◽  
Heavy Precipitation ◽  
Convective Precipitation ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
Madden Julian Oscillation ◽  
Shallow Convection ◽  
Climate System Model ◽  
New Strategy

To reveal key parameter-related physical mechanisms in simulating Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), seven physical parameters in the convection and cloud parameterization schemes of Beijing Climate Center Climate System Model (BCC_CSM1.2) are perturbed with Latin hypercube sampling method. A new strategy is proposed to select runs with good and poor MJO simulations among 85 generated ones. Outputs and parameter values from good and poor simulations are composited separately for comparison. Among the seven chosen parameters, a decreased value of precipitation efficiency for shallow convection, higher values of relative humidity threshold for low stable clouds and evaporation efficiency for deep convective precipitation are crucial to simulate a better MJO. Changes of the three parameters act together to suppress heavy precipitation and increase the frequency of light rainfall over the Indo-Pacific region, supplying more moisture in low and middle troposphere. As a result of a wetter lower troposphere ahead of the MJO main convection, the low-level moisture preconditioning along with the leading shallow convection tends to be enhanced, favorable for MJO’s further development and eastward propagation. The MJO’s further propagation across the Maritime Continent (MC) in good simulations is accompanied with more land precipitation dominated by shallow convection. Therefore, the above-mentioned three parameters are found to be crucial parameters out of the seven ones for MJO simulation, providing an inspiration for better MJO simulation and prediction with this model. This work is valuable as it highlights the key role of moisture-shallow convection feedback in the MJO dynamics.

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