scholarly journals Mechanisms for Diurnal Variability of Global Tropical Rainfall Observed from TRMM

2006 ◽  
Vol 19 (20) ◽  
pp. 5190-5226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Song Yang ◽  
Eric A. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Diurnal Cycle ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Rainfall Variability ◽  
Diurnal Variability ◽  
Tropical Rainfall ◽  
Seasonal Evolution ◽  
Dominant Feature ◽  
Diurnal Rainfall ◽  
Forcing Mechanisms

Abstract The behavior and various controls of diurnal variability in tropical–subtropical rainfall are investigated using Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation measurements retrieved from the three level-2 TRMM standard profile algorithms for the 1998 annual cycle. Results show that diurnal variability characteristics of precipitation are consistent for all three algorithms, providing assurance that TRMM retrievals are producing consistent estimates of rainfall variability. As anticipated, most ocean areas exhibit more rainfall at night, while over most land areas, rainfall peaks during daytime; however, important exceptions are noted. The dominant feature of the oceanic diurnal cycle is a rainfall maximum in late-evening–early-morning (LE–EM) hours, while over land the dominant maximum occurs in the mid- to late afternoon (MLA). In conjunction with these maxima are pronounced seasonal variations of the diurnal amplitudes. Amplitude analysis shows that the diurnal pattern and its seasonal evolution are closely related to the rainfall accumulation pattern and its seasonal evolution. In addition, the horizontal distribution of diurnal variability indicates that for oceanic rainfall, there is a secondary MLA maximum coexisting with the LE–EM maximum at latitudes dominated by large-scale convergence and deep convection. Analogously, there is a preponderancy for an LE–EM maximum over land coexisting with the stronger MLA maximum, although it is not evident that this secondary continental feature is closely associated with the large-scale circulation. Neither of the secondary maxima exhibit phase behavior that can be considered semidiurnal in nature. Diurnal rainfall variability over the ocean associated with large-scale convection is clearly an integral component of the general circulation. Phase analysis reveals differences in regional and seasonal features of the diurnal cycle, indicating that underlying forcing mechanisms differ from place to place. This is underscored by the appearance of secondary ocean maxima in the presence of large-scale convection, along with other important features. Among these, there are clear-cut differences between the diurnal variability of seasonal rainfall over the mid-Pacific and Indian Ocean Basins. The mid-Pacific exhibits double maxima in spring and winter but only LE–EM maxima in summer and autumn, while the Indian Ocean exhibits double maxima in spring and summer and only an LE–EM maximum in autumn and winter. There are also evident daytime maxima within the major large-scale marine stratocumulus regions off the west coasts of continents. The study concludes with a discussion concerning how the observational evidence either supports or repudiates possible forcing mechanisms that have been suggested to explain diurnal rainfall variability.

Investigating the Mechanisms of Diurnal Rainfall Variability Using a Regional Climate Model

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (20) ◽  
pp. 7232-7247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason P. Evans ◽  
Seth Westra
Keyword(s):  
Regional Climate Model ◽  
Diurnal Cycle ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Rainfall Variability ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Convective Precipitation ◽  
Regional Variability ◽  
Diurnal Variability ◽  
Diurnal Cycles

Abstract This study investigates the ability of a regional climate model (RCM) to simulate the diurnal cycle of precipitation over southeast Australia, to provide a basis for understanding the mechanisms that drive diurnal variability. When compared with 195 observation gauges, the RCM tends to simulate too many occurrences and too little intensity for precipitation events at the 3-hourly time scale. However, the overall precipitation amounts are well simulated and the diurnal variability in occurrences and intensities are generally well reproduced, particularly in spring and summer. In terms of precipitation amounts, the RCM overestimated the diurnal cycle during the warmer months but was reasonably accurate during winter. The timing of the maxima and minima was found to match the observed timings well. The spatial pattern of diurnal variability in the Weather Research and Forecasting model outputs was remarkably similar to the observed record, capturing many features of regional variability. The RCM diurnal cycle was dominated by the convective (subgrid scale) precipitation. In the RCM the diurnal cycle of convective precipitation over land corresponds well to atmospheric instability and thermally triggered convection over large areas, and also to the large-scale moisture convergence at 700 hPa along the east coast, with the strongest diurnal cycles present where these three mechanisms are in phase.

Response of Seasonal Simulations of a Regional Climate Model to High-Frequency Variability of Soil Moisture during the Summers of 1988 and 1993

2007 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 738-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Song Yang ◽  
S-H. Yoo ◽  
R. Yang ◽  
K. E. Mitchell ◽  
H. van den Dool ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Vapor ◽  
Diurnal Cycle ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Water Vapor Transport ◽  
Diurnal Variability ◽  
High Frequency Variability

Abstract This study employs the NCEP Eta Regional Climate Model to investigate the response of the model’s seasonal simulations of summer precipitation to high-frequency variability of soil moisture. Specifically, it focuses on the response of model precipitation and temperature over the U.S. Midwest and Southeast to imposed changes in the diurnal and synoptic variability of soil moisture in 1988 and 1993. High-frequency variability of soil moisture increases (decreases) precipitation in the 1988 drought (1993 flood) year in the central and southern-tier states, except along the Gulf Coast, but causes smaller changes in precipitation along the northern-tier states. The diurnal variability and synoptic variability of soil moisture produce similar patterns of precipitation change, indicating the importance of the diurnal cycle of land surface process. The increase (decrease) in precipitation is generally accompanied by a decrease (increase) in surface and lower-tropospheric temperatures, and the changes in precipitation and temperature are attributed to both the local effect of evaporation feedback and the remote influence of large-scale water vapor transport. The precipitation increase and temperature decrease in 1988 are accompanied by an increase in local evaporation and, more importantly, by an increase in the large-scale water vapor convergence into the Midwest and Southeast. Analogous but opposite-sign behavior occurs in 1993 (compared to 1988) in changes in precipitation, temperature, soil moisture, evaporation, and large-scale water vapor transport. Results also indicate that, in regions where the model simulates the diurnal cycle of soil moisture reasonably well, including this diurnal cycle in the simulations improves model performance. However, no notable improvement in model precipitation can be found in regions where the model fails to realistically simulate the diurnal variability of soil moisture.

Diurnal Cycle of Shallow and Deep Convection for a Tropical Land and an Ocean Environment and Its Relationship to Synoptic Wind Regimes

2006 ◽  
Vol 134 (10) ◽  
pp. 2688-2701 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Gustavo Pereira ◽  
Steven A. Rutledge
Keyword(s):  
Diurnal Cycle ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Shallow Convection ◽  
Wind Regime ◽  
Diurnal Variability ◽  
Synoptic Wind ◽  
Wind Regimes ◽  
Rain Rates

Abstract The characteristics of shallow and deep convection during the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission/Large-Scale Biosphere–Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (TRMM/LBA) and the Eastern Pacific Investigation of Climate Processes in the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere System (EPIC) are evaluated in this study. Using high-quality radar data collected during these two tropical field experiments, the reflectivity profiles, rain rates, fraction of convective area, and fraction of rainfall volume in each region are examined. This study focuses on the diurnal cycle of shallow and deep convection for the identified wind regimes in both regions. The easterly phase in TRMM/LBA and the northerly wind regime in EPIC were associated with the strongest convection, indicated by larger rain rates, higher reflectivities, and deeper convective cores compared to the westerly phase in TRMM/LBA and the southerly regime in EPIC. The diurnal cycle results indicated that convection initiates in the morning and peaks in the afternoon during TRMM/LBA, whereas in the east Pacific the diurnal cycle of convection is very dependent on the wind regime. Deep convection in the northerly regime peaks around midnight, nearly 6 h before its southerly regime counterpart. Moreover, the northerly regime of EPIC was dominated by convective rainfall, whereas the southerly regime was dominated by stratiform rainfall. The diurnal variability was more pronounced during TRMM/LBA than in EPIC. Shallow convection was associated with 10% and 3% of precipitation during TRMM/LBA and EPIC, respectively.

Simulation of the Diurnal Cycle in Tropical Rainfall and Circulation during Boreal Summer with a High-Resolution GCM

2010 ◽  
Vol 138 (9) ◽  
pp. 3434-3453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey J. Ploshay ◽  
Ngar-Cheung Lau
Keyword(s):  
Diurnal Cycle ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Boreal Summer ◽  
Tropical Rainfall ◽  
Early Afternoon ◽  
Seaward Migration

Abstract The simulation of the diurnal cycle (DC) of precipitation and surface wind pattern by a general circulation model (GCM) with a uniform horizontal resolution of 50 km over the global domain is evaluated. The model output is compared with observational counterparts based on datasets provided by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission and reanalysis products of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. The summertime diurnal characteristics over tropical regions in Asia, the Americas, and Africa are portrayed using the amplitude and phase of the first harmonic of the 24-h cycle, departures of data fields during selected hours from the daily mean, and differences between extreme phases of the DC. There is general agreement between the model and observations with respect to the large-scale land–sea contrasts in the DC. Maximum land precipitation, onshore flows, and landward migration of rainfall signals from the coasts occur in the afternoon, whereas peak maritime rainfall and offshore flows prevail in the morning. Seaward migration of precipitation is discernible over the western Bay of Bengal and South China Sea during nocturnal and morning hours. The evolution from low-intensity rainfall in the morning/early afternoon to heavier precipitation several hours later is also evident over selected continental sites. However, the observed incidence of rainfall with very high intensity in midafternoon is not reproduced in the model atmosphere. Although the model provides an adequate simulation of the daytime upslope and nighttime downslope winds in the vicinity of mountain ranges, valleys, and basins, there are notable discrepancies between model and observations in the DC of precipitation near some of these orographic features. The model does not reproduce the observed seaward migration of precipitation from the western coasts of Myanmar (Burma) and India, and from individual islands of the Indonesian Archipelago at nighttime.

The Diurnal Cycle of Rainfall and the Convectively Coupled Equatorial Waves over the Maritime Continent

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 3307-3331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoko Sakaeda ◽  
George Kiladis ◽  
Juliana Dias
Keyword(s):  
Diurnal Cycle ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Vertical Motion ◽  
Equatorial Waves ◽  
Maritime Continent ◽  
Moisture Profile ◽  
Convectively Coupled Equatorial Waves ◽  
Large Scale Disturbance ◽  
Diurnal Rainfall ◽  
Equatorial Rossby Waves

AbstractPrecipitation variability over the Maritime Continent is predominantly explained by its diurnal cycle and large-scale disturbances such as the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) and convectively coupled equatorial waves (CCEWs). To advance our understanding of their interactions and physical processes, this study uses satellite data to examine changes in the diurnal cycle of rainfall associated with the MJO and CCEWs over the Maritime Continent. We find that diurnal cycle modulations associated with the passage of any type of large-scale disturbance are closely tied to changes in rain types and land–sea diurnal propagation of rainfall. When the amplitude of the diurnal cycle increases over the islands, the phase of the diurnal cycle is delayed by a few hours as clouds are more organized and rainfall from stratiform-anvil clouds increases. Enhanced amplitude of the diurnal cycle can alter the speed of land–sea diurnal propagation of rainfall, which then influences the timing of diurnal rainfall over coastal regions. These changes in the diurnal cycle occur asymmetrically across the island terrain associated with the MJO and equatorial Rossby waves, while such asymmetric modulations are not observed for other waves. Geographical and wave dependencies of the diurnal cycle are linked to differences in large-scale lower tropospheric wind, vertical motion, and moisture profile perturbations, which are in turn tied to differences in cloud population evolution. The results of this study highlight the importance of further improving our understanding of the sensitivity of cloud populations to varying large-scale phenomena.

Intraseasonal Variability in Diurnal Rainfall over New Guinea and the Surrounding Oceans during Austral Summer

2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 2852-2868 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroki Ichikawa ◽  
Tetsuzo Yasunari
Keyword(s):  
Diurnal Cycle ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Intraseasonal Variability ◽  
Phase Speed ◽  
New Guinea ◽  
Space Structure ◽  
Local Circulation ◽  
Large Scale Circulation ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Diurnal Rainfall

Abstract High-resolution Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) rainfall data for six wet seasons (December–March) were used to investigate the time and space structure of the diurnal cycle of rainfall over and around New Guinea, a major island of the Maritime Continent. The diurnal cycle shows a systematic modulation associated with intraseasonal variability in the large-scale circulation pattern, with regimes associated with low-level easterlies or westerlies over the island. Lower-tropospheric easterly (westerly) wind components correspond to periods of inactive (active) convection over the islands that are associated with the passage of intraseasonal atmospheric disturbances such as the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO). A striking feature is the diurnal rainfall that develops over the central mountain ranges in the evening and propagates toward the southwest (northeast) of the island with an inferred phase speed of about 2–3 m s−1 under low-level easterly (westerly) flow. In the case of the easterly regime, diurnal rainfall is strongly concentrated over the southwestern part of the island, inhibited from spreading offshore southwest of New Guinea. Under the westerly regime, in contrast, the rainfall area spread far and wide along the low-level westerlies from the island toward the Pacific Ocean. Significant offshore rainfall propagation extending from the island appears during the night over the north-northeastern coast and moves with a phase speed of about 7–8 m s−1, reaching the open ocean the following day. Possible processes for controlling the variability in diurnal rainfall through the interaction between large-scale circulation and previously denoted complex local circulation over the island are discussed.

scholarly journals Influence of Subseasonal Variability on the Diurnal Cycle of Precipitation on a Mountainous Island: The Case of New Caledonia

2019 ◽  
Vol 148 (1) ◽  
pp. 333-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damien Specq ◽  
Gilles Bellon ◽  
Alexandre Peltier ◽  
Jérôme Lefèvre ◽  
Christophe Menkes
Keyword(s):  
Diurnal Cycle ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
Austral Summer ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Diurnal Variability ◽  
Synoptic Wind ◽  
Diurnal Cycle Of Precipitation ◽  
Wind Regimes

Abstract The relationship between the large-scale intraseasonal variability, synoptic wind regimes, and the local daily variability of precipitation over the main island of New Caledonia (southwest tropical Pacific) is investigated with a focus on the austral summer wet season (November–April). The average diurnal cycle of precipitation over the island is characterized by a sharp afternoon maximum around 1600 local time, with significant differences between the windward east coast, the leeward west coast, and the mountain range. The afternoon peak is related to the afternoon sea-breeze circulation and to the diurnal cycle of convection over land. In general, its magnitude follows the same evolution as the daily mean. In agreement with past studies, a clear modulation of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) on both the diurnal cycle of precipitation and the probability of occurrence of four robust wind regimes can be identified in the New Caledonia region during the wet season. From the evidence that there is a qualitative correspondence between the effects of both the MJO phases and the wind regimes on features in the diurnal cycle of precipitation, a simple model is proposed to inspect the MJO forcing mediated by wind regimes on the diurnal variability of rain. The complete decomposition of the MJO impact shows that the modulation of diurnal cycle by the MJO relies on complex interactions between the MJO and synoptic winds that involve both large-scale MJO convective anomalies and MJO-induced modification of wind patterns.

scholarly journals Diurnal Cycle of Summer Precipitation over Subtropical East Asia in CAM5

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
pp. 3159-3172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weihua Yuan ◽  
Rucong Yu ◽  
Minghua Zhang ◽  
Wuyin Lin ◽  
Jian Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
Diurnal Cycle ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Early Morning ◽  
Convective Precipitation ◽  
Total Rainfall ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Resolution Model ◽  
Diurnal Rainfall ◽  
Stratiform Rainfall

Abstract The simulations of summertime diurnal cycle of precipitation and low-level winds by the Community Atmosphere Model, version 5, are evaluated over subtropical East Asia. The evaluation reveals the physical cause of the observed diurnal rainfall variation in East Asia and points to the source of model strengths and weaknesses. Two model versions with horizontal resolutions of 2.8° and 0.5° are used. The models can reproduce the diurnal phase of large-scale winds over East Asia, with an enhanced low-level southwesterly in early morning. Correspondingly, models successfully simulated the diurnal variation of stratiform rainfall with a maximum in early morning. However, the simulated convective rainfall occurs at local noontime, earlier than observations and with larger amplitude (normalized by the daily mean). As a result, models simulated a weaker diurnal cycle in total rainfall over the western plain of China due to an out-of-phase cancellation between convective and stratiform rainfalls and a noontime maximum of total rainfall over the eastern plain of China. Over the East China Sea, models simulated the early-morning maximum of convective precipitation and, together with the correct phase of the stratiform rainfall, they captured the diurnal cycle of total precipitation. The superposition of the stratiform and convective rainfalls also explains the observed diurnal cycle in total rainfall in East Asia. Relative to the coarse-resolution model, the high-resolution model simulated slight improvement in diurnal rainfall amplitudes, due to the larger amplitude of stratiform rainfall. The two models, however, suffer from the same major biases in rainfall diurnal cycles due to the convection parameterization.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Warm-Season Diurnal Variability over East Asia in Recent Reanalyses JRA-55, ERA-Interim, NCEP CFSR, and NASA MERRA

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (14) ◽  
pp. 5517-5537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guixing Chen ◽  
Toshiki Iwasaki ◽  
Huiling Qin ◽  
Weiming Sha
Keyword(s):  
Diurnal Variation ◽  
East Asia ◽  
Diurnal Cycle ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Rain Gauge ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Diurnal Variability ◽  
Diurnal Amplitude ◽  
Rms Error

Abstract Four recent reanalyses—the 55-yr Japanese Reanalysis Project (JRA-55), Interim ECWMF Re-Analysis (ERA-I), NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR), and NASA Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA)—are assessed to clarify their quality in representing the diurnal cycle over East Asia. They are found to present similar patterns/structure and summer progress of the mean wind diurnal cycle, whereas they exhibit some differences in diurnal amplitude, particularly for the low-level meridional wind. An evaluation with intense soundings suggests that the amplitude difference mainly results from the diurnal variation of mean bias that differs among reanalyses. The root-mean-square (RMS) error is found to have a diurnal variation more evident in CFSR and MERRA than that in JRA-55 and ERA-I, which strongly affects the representation of the varying diurnal amplitude at the peak hours of RMS error. Compared with satellite-derived rainfall, the four reanalyses are shown to reproduce well the rainfall diurnal cycle over East Asia in terms of large-scale terrain contrast, summer progress, and interannual variability. JRA-55 even presents a long-term increase of morning rainfall percentage over the east China plain over the past four decades, consistent with rain gauge observations. The four reanalyses exhibit some considerable discrepancies at regional scale; JRA-55 gives the best capture of the rainfall diurnal cycle over the Tibetan Plateau and the eastward propagation to the eastern lees. These results suggest that new reanalyses are potentially applicable for studying the large-scale diurnal variability over East Asia, whereas their different preferences, especially at regional scale, should be of concern in data application.

scholarly journals The Diurnal Variability of Precipitating Cloud Populations during DYNAMO

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 1307-1326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoko Sakaeda ◽  
Scott W. Powell ◽  
Juliana Dias ◽  
George N. Kiladis
Keyword(s):  
Diurnal Cycle ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Surface Fluxes ◽  
Diurnal Variability ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Morning Peak ◽  
Diurnal Rainfall ◽  
Sst Warming ◽  
The Indian Ocean ◽  
Convective Cells

Abstract This study uses high-resolution rainfall estimates from the S-Polka radar during the DYNAMO field campaign to examine variability of the diurnal cycle of rainfall associated with MJO convection over the Indian Ocean. Two types of diurnal rainfall peaks were found: 1) a late afternoon rainfall peak associated with the diurnal peak in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and surface fluxes and 2) an early to late morning rainfall peak associated with increased low-tropospheric moisture. Both peaks appear during the MJO suppressed phase, which tends to have stronger SST warming in the afternoon, while the morning peak is dominant during the MJO enhanced phase. The morning peak occurs on average at 0000–0300 LST during the MJO suppressed phase, while it is delayed until 0400–0800 LST during the MJO enhanced phase. This delay partly results from an increased upscale growth of deep convection to broader stratiform rain regions during the MJO enhanced phase. During the MJO suppressed phase, rainfall is dominated by deep and isolated convective cells that are short-lived and peak in association with either the afternoon SST warming or nocturnal moisture increase. This study demonstrates that knowledge of the evolution of cloud and rain types is critical to explaining the diurnal cycle of rainfall and its variability. Some insights into the role of the complex interactions between radiation, moisture, and clouds in driving the diurnal cycle of rainfall are also discussed.

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