scholarly journals Synoptic-Scale Dual Structure of Precipitable Water along the Eastern Pacific ITCZ

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (16) ◽  
pp. 6288-6304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guanghua Chen ◽  
Yukari N. Takayabu ◽  
Chie Yokoyama
Keyword(s):  
Vertical Structure ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Vertical Motion ◽  
Precipitable Water ◽  
Meridional Wind ◽  
Eastern Pacific ◽  
Boreal Summer ◽  
Synoptic Scale ◽  
The West ◽  
Dual Structure

Abstract Using 10-yr high-resolution satellite and reanalysis data, the synoptic-scale dual structure of precipitable water (PW), in which the southern and northern bands straddled at the ITCZ produce zonally propagating meridional dipoles, is observed over the eastern Pacific (EP) during boreal summer and fall. Composites indicate that the PW dipole, concurrent with the dipole-like filtered divergence, has a shift to the west of the anomalously cyclonic circulation. The vertical structure of filtered meridional wind is characterized by a wavenumber-1 baroclinic mode, and the vertical motion has two peaks situated at 850 and 300 hPa, respectively. To the east of the PW dipole, the shallow convection is embedded within the deep convection, forming a multilevel structure of meridional wind on the ITCZ equatorward side. To the west of the PW dipole, the deep convection tends to be suppressed because of the invasion of midlevel dry air advected by northerly flows. The generation and propagation of the dual PW band can be attributed to the divergence and advection terms related to specific humidity and three-dimensional wind. By comparison, the PW anomalies over the western North Pacific, only exhibiting a single band, coincide with the centers of synoptic disturbances with a barotropic vertical structure. Because of the weakening of lower-level divergence, the vertical motion, and the horizontal gradient of PW, the synoptic-scale PW signal is reduced significantly. The typical cases and statistics confirm that the strong meridional dipoles and westward-propagating disturbances are closely associated with the distortion and breakdown of ITCZ over the EP.

Vertical structure and frequencies of deep convection during active periods of the West and Central African monsoon season

2020 ◽  
Vol 141 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 615-626
Author(s):  
R. A. Balogun ◽  
Z. D. Adeyewa ◽  
E. A. Adefisan ◽  
E. C. Okogbue
Keyword(s):  
Vertical Structure ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
The West ◽  
African Monsoon

Explaining the Spatial Pattern of U.S. Extreme Daily Precipitation Change

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-54
Author(s):  
Martin Hoerling ◽  
Lesley Smith ◽  
Xiao-Wei Quan ◽  
Jon Eischeid ◽  
Joseph Barsugli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Daily Precipitation ◽  
Vertical Motion ◽  
Precipitable Water ◽  
Internal Variability ◽  
Atmospheric Model ◽  
Climate Change Signal ◽  
The West ◽  
Appreciable Change ◽  
Trend Pattern

AbstractObserved United States trends in the annual maximum 1-day precipitation (RX1day) over the last century consist of 15% - 25% increases over the East and 10% decreases over the Far West. This heterogeneous trend pattern departs from comparatively uniform observed increases in precipitable water over the contiguous U.S. Here we use an event attribution framework involving parallel sets of global atmospheric model experiments with and without climate change drivers to explain this spatially diverse pattern of extreme daily precipitation trends. We find that RX1day events in our model ensembles respond to observed historical climate change forcing differently across the U.S. with 5%-10% intensity increases over the East but no appreciable change over the West. This spatially diverse forced signal is broadly similar among three models used, and is positively correlated with the observed trend pattern. Our analysis of model and observations indicates the lack of appreciable RX1day signals over the West is likely due to dynamical effects of climate change forcing – via a wintertime atmospheric circulation anomaly that suppresses vertical motion over the West – largely cancelling thermodynamic effects of increased water vapor availability. The large magnitude of eastern U.S. RX1day increases is unlikely a symptom of a regional heightened sensitivity to climate change forcing. Instead, our ensemble simulations reveal considerable variability in RX1day trend magnitudes arising from internal atmospheric processes alone, and we argue that the remarkable observed increases over the East has most likely resulted from a superposition of strong internal variability with a moderate climate change signal. Implications for future changes in U.S. extreme daily precipitation are discussed.

A Dryline in Southeast Wyoming. Part I: Multiscale Analysis Using Observations and Modeling on 22 June 2010

2014 ◽  
Vol 142 (1) ◽  
pp. 268-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick C. Campbell ◽  
Bart Geerts ◽  
Philip T. Bergmaier
Keyword(s):  
Land Surface ◽  
Multiscale Analysis ◽  
Vertical Structure ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Weather Research And Forecasting ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Raman Lidar ◽  
Synoptic Scale ◽  
Boundary Layer Processes ◽  
Convection Initiation

Abstract A first observational and modeling study of a dryline and associated initiation of deep convection over the high plains of southeastern Wyoming is presented. Radar and station measurements show that the dryline is a well-defined convergent humidity boundary with a modest density (i.e., buoyancy) gradient. Its development, intensity, and movement are regulated by the terrain, diurnal land surface and boundary layer processes, and synoptic-scale evolution. At least one of the thunderstorms that emerged from the dryline became severe. Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) simulations accurately reproduce measured aspects of this dryline, as well as the timing and location of convection initiation. The WRF output is used further to characterize the dryline vertical and horizontal structures and to examine convection initiation processes. A dryline bulge over a local terrain ridge appears to be an essential ingredient in convection initiation on this day: just north of this bulge the surface convergence and buoyancy gradient are strongest, and deep convection is triggered. In this region especially, the WRF simulation produces horizontal convective rolls intersecting with the dryline, as well as small cyclonic vortices along the dryline. In fact, the primary storm cell initiates just downwind of one such vortex. Part II of this study describes the finescale vertical structure of this dryline using airborne Raman lidar data.

Variability in the Southerly Flow into the Eastern Pacific ITCZ*

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (12) ◽  
pp. 4400-4411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon P. de Szoeke ◽  
Christopher S. Bretherton
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Time Scales ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Meridional Wind ◽  
Eastern Pacific ◽  
Boreal Summer ◽  
East Pacific

Abstract During boreal summer and fall, there is a strong southerly boundary layer flow across the equator into the east Pacific intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). The modulation of this flow on synoptic to seasonal time scales is studied using an index of meridional pressure difference between the equator and the ITCZ along 95°W. Two complementary datasets from the East Pacific Investigation of Climate (EPIC) are used to study eastern Pacific variability. Daily measurements of sea level pressure (SLP) from Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TOA) array buoys from May to November 2001 provide temporal coverage, and eight flights by a C-130 aircraft during September to October 2001 document the associated modulation of lower tropospheric vertical structure. The principal mode of variability of the perturbation SLP along 95°W from 1°S to 12°N, derived by principal component analysis from either the eight flights (PC1C-130) or from daily TAO buoy observations (PC1), explains 77% of the meridional pressure gradient variability. The pressure anomalies at 1.6 km are similar to those at the surface. The time series of the first mode of the TAO observations shows that most of the variance is in the 2–7-day range. Low pressure at 12°N is associated with southerly and westerly surface wind anomalies, and enhanced precipitation in the ITCZ. The depth of ITCZ convection is more strongly correlated to meridional wind above the planetary boundary layer (PBL) than to meridional wind within the PBL. There is little correlation of PBL meridional flow across the equator with ITCZ convection. Regression of PC1C-130 against the 95°W cross sections observed by dropwinsondes released during the eight C-130 flights shows correlations of westerlies to positive PC1C-130 (low pressure at 12°N). Between the equator and 4°N, statistically significant northerlies just above the PBL at 1–2-km height and southerlies at 4 km are correlated with negative PC1C-130, having high SLP at 12°N, an anomalously weak meridional SLP gradient, and suppressed convection in the ITCZ. PC1 is bandpass filtered and correlated with reanalysis fields to identify the structures that modulate meridional pressure gradients along 95°W. Most of the variability at periods less than 15 days is related to easterly waves. Seasonal trends in PC1 during May–October 2001 reflect the seasonal evolution of the sea and land surface temperatures. After the seasonal trend is removed, a geostrophic westerly jet at 12°N—probably related to the Madden–Julian oscillation—dominates PC1 variability on time scales longer than 15 days.

scholarly journals What modulates the intensity of synoptic scale variability over the western North Pacific during boreal summer and fall?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Renguang Wu ◽  
Yuqi Wang ◽  
Xi Cao
Keyword(s):  
North Pacific ◽  
Western North Pacific ◽  
Eastern Pacific ◽  
Propagation Path ◽  
Boreal Summer ◽  
Synoptic Scale ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Background Fields ◽  
Sst Anomalies

AbstractThe present study investigates the factors that affect the year-to-year change in the intensity of synoptic scale variability (SSV) over the tropical western North Pacific (TWNP) during boreal summer and fall. It is found that the intensity of the TWNP SSV in summer is associated with the equatorial central-eastern Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies that modulates the background fields through a Rossby wave response both in the source region and along the propagation path of the synoptic scale disturbances. In fall, the intensity of the TWNP SSV is related to an SST anomaly pattern with opposite anomalies in the equatorial central Pacific and TWNP that modulates the background fields from the equatorial central Pacific to TWNP. However, the equatorial central Pacific SST anomalies alone fail to change the intensity of the TWNP SSV as the induced background field changes are limited to the equatorial central Pacific. It is shown that tropical western Pacific SST anomalies may induce notable changes in the intensity of the TWNP SSV. The relation of the TWNP SSV to the equatorial eastern Pacific SST is weak due to opposite SST anomalies in different types of years. Both seasonal mean and intraseasonal flows provide source of barotropic energy for the change in the intensity of the TWNP synoptic scale disturbances in summer. Seasonal mean flow has a main contribution to the barotropic energy conversion for the change in the intensity of the TWNP synoptic scale disturbances in fall.

TRMM-Observed Shallow versus Deep Convection in the Eastern Pacific Related to Large-Scale Circulations in Reanalysis Datasets

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (14) ◽  
pp. 5575-5592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chie Yokoyama ◽  
Edward J. Zipser ◽  
Chuntao Liu
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Vertical Structure ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Hadley Circulation ◽  
Eastern Pacific ◽  
Return Flow ◽  
Shallow Convection ◽  
Upper Troposphere ◽  
Radar Echo ◽  
Circulation Structure

Abstract Over the eastern Pacific, recent studies have shown that a shallow large-scale meridional circulation with its return flow just above the boundary layer coexists with a deep Hadley circulation. This study examines how the vertical structure of large-scale circulations is related to satellite-observed individual precipitation properties over the eastern Pacific in boreal autumn. Three reanalysis datasets are used to describe differences in their behavior. The results are compared among reanalyses and three distinctly different convection periods, which are defined according to their radar echo depths. Shallow and deep circulations are shown to often coexist for each of the three periods, resulting in the multicell circulation structure. Deep (shallow) circulations preferentially appear in the mostly deep (shallow) convection period of radar echo depths. Thus, depth of convection basically corresponds to which circulation branch is dominant. This anticipated relationship between the circulation structure and depths of convection is common in all three reanalyses. Notable differences among reanalyses are found in the mid- to upper troposphere in either the time-mean state or the composite analysis based on the convection periods. Reanalyses have large variations in characteristics associated with deep circulations such as the upper-tropospheric divergence and outflows and the midlevel inflows, which are consistent with their different profiles of latent heating in the mid- to upper troposphere. On the other hand, discrepancies in shallow circulations and shallow convection are also found, but they are not as large as those in deep ones.

The Anatomy of a Series of Cloud Bursts that Eclipsed the US Rainfall Record

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Deep Convection ◽  
Vertical Motion ◽  
Precipitable Water ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Streamwise Vorticity ◽  
Convective Storms ◽  
Low Level ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Right

Abstract A series of extreme cloudbursts occurred on 14 April 2018 over the northern slopes of the island of Kaua‘i. The storm inundated some areas with 1262 mm (∼50”) of rainfall in a 24-hr period, eclipsing the previous 24-hr US rainfall record of 1100 mm (42”) set in Texas in 1979. Three periods of intense rainfall are diagnosed through detailed analysis of National Weather Service operational and special data sets. On the synoptic scale, a slowly southeastward propagating trough aloft over a deep layer of low level moisture (>40 mm of total precipitable water) produced prolonged instability over Kaua‘i. Enhanced NE to E low level flow impacted Kaua‘i’s complex terrain, which includes steep north and eastward facing slopes and cirques. The resulting orographic lift initiated deep convection. The wind profile exhibited significant shear in the troposphere and streamwise vorticity within the convective storm inflow. Evidence suggests that large directional shear in the boundary layer, paired with enhanced orographic vertical motion, produced rotating updrafts within the convective storms. Mesoscale rotation is manifest in the radar data during the latter two periods and reflectivity cores are observed to propagate both to the left and to the right of the mean shear, which is characteristic of supercells. The observations suggest that the terrain configuration in combination with the windshear separates the area of updrafts from the downdraft section of the storm, resulting in almost continuous heavy rainfall over Waipā Garden.

scholarly journals Impacts of Vertical Structure of Large-Scale Vertical Motion in Tropical Climate: Moist Static Energy Framework

2016 ◽  
Vol 73 (11) ◽  
pp. 4427-4437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hien Xuan Bui ◽  
Jia-Yuh Yu ◽  
Chia Chou
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Vertical Structure ◽  
Model Simulation ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Vertical Motion ◽  
Tropical Climate ◽  
Moist Static Energy ◽  
Shallow Convection ◽  
Static Energy ◽  
Heavy Structure

Abstract Interactions between cumulus convection and its large-scale environment have been recognized as crucial to the understanding of tropical climate and its variability. In this study, the moist static energy (MSE) budget is employed to investigate the potential impact of the vertical structure of large-scale vertical motion in tropical climate based on results from both reanalysis data and model simulation. Two domains are selected over the western and eastern Pacific with vertical motion profiles that are dominated by top-heavy and bottom-heavy structures, respectively. The bottom-heavy structure is climatologically associated with more shallow convection, while the top-heavy structure is related to more deep convection. The column-integrated vertical MSE advection of top-heavy vertical motion is positive, while that of bottom-heavy vertical motion tends to be negative. Controlling factors responsible for the above vertical MSE advection contrast are discussed based on a simple decomposition of the MSE budget equation. It was found that the sign of vertical MSE advection is determined mainly by the vertical moisture transport, the magnitude of which is very sensitive to the structure of vertical motion. A top-heavy (bottom heavy) structure of vertical motion favors an export (import) of MSE and a positive (negative) value of the vertical MSE advection.

scholarly journals Vertical Structure of Spiral Shocks in a Corrugated Galactic Disc

1983 ◽  
Vol 100 ◽  
pp. 145-146
Author(s):  
A. H. Nelson ◽  
T. Matsuda ◽  
T. Johns
Keyword(s):  
Density Profile ◽  
Vertical Velocity ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Vertical Structure ◽  
Vertical Motion ◽  
Shock Structure ◽  
Galactic Disc ◽  
Gaussian Density ◽  
Abundant Evidence ◽  
Steady Shock

Numerical calculations of spiral shocks in the gas discs of galaxies (1,2,3) usually assume that the disc is flat, i.e. the gas motion is purely horizontal. However there is abundant evidence that the discs of galaxies are warped and corrugated (4,5,6) and it is therefore of interest to consider the effect of the consequent vertical motion on the structure of spiral shocks. If one uses the tightly wound spiral approximation to calculate the gas flow in a vertical cut around a circular orbit (i.e the ⊝ -z plane, see Nelson & Matsuda (7) for details), then for a gas disc with Gaussian density profile in the z-direction and initially zero vertical velocity a doubly periodic spiral potential modulation produces the steady shock structure shown in Fig. 1. The shock structure is independent of z, and only a very small vertical motion appears with anti-symmetry about the mid-plane.

scholarly journals Importance of seasonally resolved oceanic emissions for bromoform delivery from the tropical Indian Ocean and west Pacific to the stratosphere

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 11973-11990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alina Fiehn ◽  
Birgit Quack ◽  
Irene Stemmler ◽  
Franziska Ziska ◽  
Kirstin Krüger
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Summer Monsoon ◽  
Tropical Indian Ocean ◽  
Boreal Summer ◽  
Boreal Winter ◽  
The West ◽  
West Pacific ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
The Indian Ocean ◽  
Oceanic Emissions

Abstract. Oceanic very short-lived substances (VSLSs), such as bromoform (CHBr3), contribute to stratospheric halogen loading and, thus, to ozone depletion. However, the amount, timing, and region of bromine delivery to the stratosphere through one of the main entrance gates, the Indian summer monsoon circulation, are still uncertain. In this study, we created two bromoform emission inventories with monthly resolution for the tropical Indian Ocean and west Pacific based on new in situ bromoform measurements and novel ocean biogeochemistry modeling. The mass transport and atmospheric mixing ratios of bromoform were modeled for the year 2014 with the particle dispersion model FLEXPART driven by ERA-Interim reanalysis. We compare results between two emission scenarios: (1) monthly averaged and (2) annually averaged emissions. Both simulations reproduce the atmospheric distribution of bromoform from ship- and aircraft-based observations in the boundary layer and upper troposphere above the Indian Ocean reasonably well. Using monthly resolved emissions, the main oceanic source regions for the stratosphere include the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal in boreal summer and the tropical west Pacific Ocean in boreal winter. The main stratospheric injection in boreal summer occurs over the southern tip of India associated with the high local oceanic sources and strong convection of the summer monsoon. In boreal winter more bromoform is entrained over the west Pacific than over the Indian Ocean. The annually averaged stratospheric injection of bromoform is in the same range whether using monthly averaged or annually averaged emissions in our Lagrangian calculations. However, monthly averaged emissions result in the highest mixing ratios within the Asian monsoon anticyclone in boreal summer and above the central Indian Ocean in boreal winter, while annually averaged emissions display a maximum above the west Indian Ocean in boreal spring. In the Asian summer monsoon anticyclone bromoform atmospheric mixing ratios vary by up to 50 % between using monthly averaged and annually averaged oceanic emissions. Our results underline that the seasonal and regional stratospheric bromine injection from the tropical Indian Ocean and west Pacific critically depend on the seasonality and spatial distribution of the VSLS emissions.

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