Evaluation of scale-aware convection schemes at the kilometer-scale resolution

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Zhang ◽  
Jian-Wen Bao ◽  
Baode Chen
Keyword(s):  
Deep Convection ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Great Effort ◽  
Moist Convection ◽  
Direct Evaluation ◽  
Deep Moist Convection ◽  
Convection Schemes

<p>Numerical weather predictions (NWP) models are increasingly run using kilometer-scale horizontal grid spacing at which convection is partially resolved and the use of a subgrid convection parameterization scheme is still required. Traditionally, subgrid deep convection has been represented by mass flux-based convection parameterizations based on the ensemble-mean closure concept. Recently, a great effort has been made to develop scale-aware subgrid convection schemes that can be used in kilometer-scale NWP models. However, direct evaluation of these schemes is rarely done using coarse-grained large-eddy simulation (LES).</p><p>In this study, an idealized LES of deep moist convection is performed to assess the performance of three widely-used scale-aware subgrid convection schemes in the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model that is run at 3-km horizontal resolution. It is found that the simulations using the three schemes not only differ from each other but also do not converge to the coarse-grained LES, indicating that further investigation is required as to what “scale-awareness” means in theory and practice.</p>

scholarly journals Evaluation and Comparison of Two Deep Convection Parameterization Schemes at Convection-Permitting Resolution

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Zhang ◽  
Jian-Wen Bao ◽  
Baode Chen ◽  
Wei Huang
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Model ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Forecast Model ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Moist Convection ◽  
Parameterization Schemes ◽  
Deep Moist Convection ◽  
Convection Parameterization ◽  
Process Level

AbstractCoarse-grained results from a large-eddy simulation (LES) using the Weather Research and Forecast Model (WRF) were compared in this study with the WRF simulations at a typical convection-permitting horizontal grid spacing of 3 km for an idealized case of deep moist convection. The purpose of this comparison is to identify major differences at the subgrid process level between two widely-used deep convection parameterization schemes in the WRF model. It is shown that there are considerable differences in subgrid process representations between the two schemes due to different parameterization formulations and underlying assumptions. The two schemes not only differ in trigger function, subgrid cloud model, and closure assumptions but also disagree with the coarse-grained LES results in terms of vertical mass flux profiles. Thus, it is difficult to discern which scheme is more advantageous over the other at the subgrid process level. The conclusions from this study highlight the importance of establishing benchmarks using observations and LES to develop and evaluate convection parameterization schemes suitable for models at convection-permitting resolution.

Numerical Simulations of Interactions between Gravity Waves and Deep Moist Convection

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 1480-1496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary A. Eitzen ◽  
David A. Randall
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Velocity Versus ◽  
Moist Convection ◽  
Vertical Grid ◽  
Wave Energy Flux ◽  
Deep Moist Convection ◽  
Vertically Propagating ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
The Waves

Abstract This study uses a numerical model to simulate deep convection both in the Tropics over the ocean and the midlatitudes over land. The vertical grid that was used extends into the stratosphere, allowing for the simultaneous examination of the convection and the vertically propagating gravity waves that it generates. A large number of trajectories are used to evaluate the behavior of tracers in the troposphere, and it is found that the tracers can be segregated into different types based upon their position in a diagram of normalized vertical velocity versus displacement. Conditional sampling is also used to identify updrafts in the troposphere and calculate their contribution to the kinetic energy budget of the troposphere. In addition, Fourier analysis is used to characterize the waves in the stratosphere; it was found that the waves simulated in this study have similarities to those observed and simulated by other researchers. Finally, this study examines the wave energy flux as a means to provide a link between the tropospheric behavior of the convection and the strength of the waves in the stratosphere.

Evaluating the conservation of energy variables in simulations of deep moist convection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Peters ◽  
Daniel R. Chavas
Keyword(s):  
Heat Capacity ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Squall Line ◽  
Moist Convection ◽  
Conservation Of Energy ◽  
Deep Moist Convection ◽  
Static Energy ◽  
Hydrostatic Balance ◽  
Latent Heats

AbstractIt is often assumed in parcel theory calculations, numerical models, and cumulus parameterizations that moist static energy (MSE) is adiabatically conserved. However, the adiabatic conservation of MSE is only approximate because of the assumption of hydrostatic balance. Two alternative variables are evaluated here: MSE −IB and MSE +KE, wherein IB is the path integral of buoyancy (B) and KE is kinetic energy. Both of these variables relax the hydrostatic assumption and are more precisely conserved than MSE. This article quantifies the errors that result from assuming that the aforementioned variables are conserved in large eddy simulations (LES) of both disorganized and organized deep convection. Results show that both MSE −IB and MSE +KE better predict quantities along trajectories than MSE alone. MSE −IB is better conserved in isolated deep convection, whereas MSE −IB and MSE +KE perform comparably in squall line simulations. These results are explained by differences between the pressure perturbation behavior of squall lines and isolated convection. Errors in updraft B diagnoses are universally minimized when MSE−IB is assumed to be adiabatically conserved, but only when moisture dependencies of heat capacity and temperature dependency of latent heating are accounted for. When less accurate latent heat and heat capacity formulae were used, MSE−IB yielded poorer B predictions than MSE due to compensating errors. Our results suggest that various applications would benefit from using either MSE −IB or MSE +KE instead of MSE with properly formulated heat capacities and latent heats.

scholarly journals Size-Resolved Evaluation of Simulated Deep Tropical Convection

2018 ◽  
Vol 146 (7) ◽  
pp. 2161-2182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Senf ◽  
Daniel Klocke ◽  
Matthias Brueck
Keyword(s):  
Deep Convection ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Power Laws ◽  
Moist Convection ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Western Atlantic ◽  
Spatial Coupling ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Realistic Representation ◽  
Deep Moist Convection

Abstract Deep moist convection is an inherently multiscale phenomenon with organization processes coupling convective elements to larger-scale structures. A realistic representation of the tropical dynamics demands a simulation framework that is capable of representing physical processes across a wide range of scales. Therefore, storm-resolving numerical simulations at 2.4 km have been performed covering the tropical Atlantic and neighboring parts for 2 months. The simulated cloud fields are combined with infrared geostationary satellite observations, and their realism is assessed with the help of object-based evaluation methods. It is shown that the simulations are able to develop a well-defined intertropical convergence zone. However, marine convective activity measured by the cold cloud coverage is considerably underestimated, especially for the winter season and the western Atlantic. The spatial coupling across the resolved scales leads to simulated cloud number size distributions that follow power laws similar to the observations, with slopes steeper in winter than summer and slopes steeper over ocean than over land. The simulated slopes are, however, too steep, indicating too many small and too few large tropical cloud cells. It is also discussed that the number of larger cells is less influenced by multiday variability of environmental conditions. Despite the identified deficits, the analyzed simulations highlight the great potential of this modeling framework for process-based studies of tropical deep convection.

scholarly journals Comparison of the Vertical Distributions of Cloud Properties from Idealized Extratropical Deep Convection Simulations Using Various Horizontal Resolutions

2018 ◽  
Vol 146 (3) ◽  
pp. 833-851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Huang ◽  
J.-W. Bao ◽  
Xu Zhang ◽  
Baode Chen
Keyword(s):  
Deep Convection ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Coarse Graining ◽  
Vertical Flux ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Moist Static Energy ◽  
Grid Spacing ◽  
Eddy Simulation ◽  
Cloud Properties ◽  
Static Energy

ABSTRACT The authors coarse-grained and analyzed the output from a large-eddy simulation (LES) of an idealized extratropical supercell storm using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model with various horizontal resolutions (200 m, 400 m, 1 km, and 3 km). The coarse-grained physical properties of the simulated convection were compared with explicit WRF simulations of the same storm at the same resolution of coarse-graining. The differences between the explicit simulations and the coarse-grained LES output increased as the horizontal grid spacing in the explicit simulation coarsened. The vertical transport of the moist static energy and total hydrometeor mixing ratio in the explicit simulations converged to the LES solution at the 200-m grid spacing. Based on the analysis of the coarse-grained subgrid vertical flux of the moist static energy, the authors confirmed that the nondimensional subgrid vertical flux of the moist static energy varied with the subgrid fractional cloudiness according to a function of fractional cloudiness, regardless of the box size. The subgrid mass flux could not account for most of the total subgrid vertical flux of the moist static energy because the eddy-transport component associated with the internal structural inhomogeneity of convective clouds was of a comparable magnitude. This study highlights the ongoing challenge in developing scale-aware parameterizations of subgrid convection.

scholarly journals Uncertainties in atmospheric chemistry modelling due to convection parameterisations and subsequent scavenging

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1931-1951 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Tost ◽  
M. G. Lawrence ◽  
C. Brühl ◽  
P. Jöckel ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Model Simulation ◽  
Chemical Reactivity ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Trace Gases ◽  
Convective Transport ◽  
Moist Convection ◽  
Tracer Transport ◽  
Convection Schemes ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Moist convection in global modelling contributes significantly to the transport of energy, momentum, water and trace gases and aerosols within the troposphere. Since convective clouds are on a scale too small to be resolved in a global model their effects have to be parameterised. However, the whole process of moist convection and especially its parameterisations are associated with uncertainties. In contrast to previous studies on the impact of convection on trace gases, which had commonly neglected the convective transport for some or all compounds, we investigate this issue by examining simulations with five different convection schemes. This permits an uncertainty analysis due to the process formulation, without the inconsistencies inherent in entirely neglecting deep convection or convective tracer transport for one or more tracers. Both the simulated mass fluxes and tracer distributions are analysed. Investigating the distributions of compounds with different characteristics, e.g., lifetime, chemical reactivity, solubility and source distributions, some differences can be attributed directly to the transport of these compounds, whereas others are more related to indirect effects, such as the transport of precursors, chemical reactivity in certain regions, and sink processes. The model simulation data are compared with the average regional profiles of several measurement campaigns, and in detail with two campaigns in fall and winter 2005 in Suriname and Australia, respectively. The shorter-lived a compound is, the larger the differences and consequently the uncertainty due to the convection parameterisation are, as long as it is not completely controlled by local production that is independent of convection and its impacts (e.g. water vapour changes). Whereas for long-lived compounds like CO or O3 the mean differences between the simulations are less than 25%), differences for short-lived compounds reach up to ±100% with different convection schemes. A rating of an overall "best" performing scheme is difficult, since the optimal performance depends on the region and compound.

A Lagrangian Perspective on Parameterizing Deep Convection

2019 ◽  
Vol 147 (11) ◽  
pp. 4127-4149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ron McTaggart-Cowan ◽  
Paul A. Vaillancourt ◽  
Ayrton Zadra ◽  
Leo Separovic ◽  
Shawn Corvec ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Models ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Convective Precipitation ◽  
Moist Convection ◽  
Gray Zone ◽  
Convective Initiation ◽  
Intermittent Behavior ◽  
Cloud Properties ◽  
Deep Moist Convection

Abstract The parameterization of deep moist convection as a subgrid-scale process in numerical models of the atmosphere is required at resolutions that extend well into the convective “gray zone,” the range of grid spacings over which such convection is partially resolved. However, as model resolution approaches the gray zone, the assumptions upon which most existing convective parameterizations are based begin to break down. We focus here on one aspect of this problem that emerges as the temporal and spatial scales of the model become similar to those of deep convection itself. The common practice of static tendency application over a prescribed adjustment period leads to logical inconsistencies at resolutions approaching the gray zone, while more frequent refreshment of the convective calculations can lead to undesirable intermittent behavior. A proposed parcel-based treatment of convective initiation introduces memory into the system in a manner that is consistent with the underlying physical principles of convective triggering, thus reducing the prevalence of unrealistic gradients in convective activity in an operational model running with a 10 km grid spacing. The subsequent introduction of a framework that considers convective clouds as persistent objects, each possessing unique attributes that describe physically relevant cloud properties, appears to improve convective precipitation patterns by depicting realistic cloud memory, movement, and decay. Combined, this Lagrangian view of convection addresses one aspect of the convective gray zone problem and lays a foundation for more realistic treatments of the convective life cycle in parameterization schemes.

A High-Resolution Modeling Study of the 24 May 2002 Dryline Case during IHOP. Part I: Numerical Simulation and General Evolution of the Dryline and Convection

2006 ◽  
Vol 134 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Xue ◽  
William J. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Boundary Layer ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Companion Paper ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Initial Condition ◽  
Moist Convection ◽  
Convective Initiation ◽  
Deep Moist Convection ◽  
Localized Forcing

Abstract Results from a high-resolution numerical simulation of the 24 May 2002 dryline convective initiation (CI) case are presented. The simulation uses a 400 km × 700 km domain with a 1-km horizontal resolution grid nested inside a 3-km domain and starts from an assimilated initial condition at 1800 UTC. Routine as well as special upper-air and surface observations collected during the International H2O Project (IHOP_2002) are assimilated into the initial condition. The initiation of convective storms at around 2015 UTC along a section of the dryline south of the Texas panhandle is correctly predicted, as is the noninitiation of convection at a cold-front–dryline intersection (triple point) located farther north. The timing and location of predicted CI are accurate to within 20 min and 25 km, respectively. The general evolution of the predicted convective line up to 6 h of model time also verifies well. Mesoscale convergence associated with the confluent flow around the dryline is shown to produce an upward moisture bulge, while surface heating and boundary layer mixing are responsible for the general deepening of the boundary layer. These processes produce favorable conditions for convection but the actual triggering of deep moist convection at specific locations along the dryline depends on localized forcing. Interaction of the primary dryline convergence boundary with horizontal convective rolls on its west side provides such localized forcing, while convective eddies on the immediate east side are suppressed by a downward mesoscale dryline circulation. A companion paper analyzes in detail the exact processes of convective initiation along this dryline.

scholarly journals A Five-Year Radar-Based Climatology of Tropopause Folds and Deep Convection over Wales, United Kingdom

2013 ◽  
Vol 141 (5) ◽  
pp. 1693-1707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bogdan Antonescu ◽  
Geraint Vaughan ◽  
David M. Schultz
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Moist Convection ◽  
Isolated Cells ◽  
Very High Frequency ◽  
High Resolution Data ◽  
Convective Storms ◽  
Deep Moist Convection ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Western Side

AbstractA five-year (2006–10) radar-based climatology of tropopause folds and convective storms was constructed for Wales, United Kingdom, to determine how deep, moist convection is modulated by tropopause folds. Based on the continuous, high-resolution data from a very high frequency (VHF) wind-profiling radar located at Capel Dewi, Wales, 183 tropopause folds were identified. Tropopause folds were most frequent in January with a secondary maximum in July. Based on data from the U.K. weather radar network, a climatology of 685 convective storms was developed. The occurrence of convective storms was relatively high year-round except for an abrupt minimum in February–April. Multicellular lines (43.5%) were the most common morphology with a maximum in October, followed by isolated cells (33.1%) with a maximum in May–September, and nonlinear clusters (23.4%) with a maximum in November–January. Convective storms were associated with 104 (56.8%) of the tropopause folds identified in this study, with the association strongest in December. Of the 55 tropopause folds observed on the eastern side of an upper-level trough, 37 (67.3%) were associated with convective storms, most commonly in the form of multicellular lines. Of the 128 tropopause folds observed on the western side of an upper-level trough, 42 (32.8%) were associated with convective storms, most commonly isolated cells. These results suggest that more organized storms tend to form in environments favorable for synoptic-scale ascent.

Rapid Filamentation Zones in Intense Tropical Cyclones

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 325-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Rozoff ◽  
Wayne H. Schubert ◽  
Brian D. McNoldy ◽  
James P. Kossin
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Cyclone ◽  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Coherent Structures ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Relative Vorticity ◽  
Moist Convection ◽  
Vortex Interaction ◽  
Tangential Wind ◽  
Stratiform Precipitation ◽  
Deep Moist Convection

Abstract Intense tropical cyclones often possess relatively little convection around their cores. In radar composites, this surrounding region is usually echo-free or contains light stratiform precipitation. While subsidence is typically quite pronounced in this region, it is not the only mechanism suppressing convection. Another possible mechanism leading to weak-echo moats is presented in this paper. The basic idea is that the strain-dominated flow surrounding an intense vortex core creates an unfavorable environment for sustained deep, moist convection. Strain-dominated regions of a tropical cyclone can be distinguished from rotation-dominated regions by the sign of S21 + S22 − ζ2, where S1 = ux − υy and S2 = υx + uy are the rates of strain and ζ = υx − uy is the relative vorticity. Within the radius of maximum tangential wind, the flow tends to be rotation-dominated (ζ2 > S21 + S22), so that coherent structures, such as mesovortices, can survive for long periods of time. Outside the radius of maximum tangential wind, the flow tends to be strain-dominated (S21 + S22 > ζ2), resulting in filaments of anomalous vorticity. In the regions of strain-dominated flow the filamentation time is defined as τfil = 2(S21 + S22 − ζ2)−1/2. In a tropical cyclone, an approximately 30-km-wide annular region can exist just outside the radius of maximum tangential wind, where τfil is less than 30 min and even as small as 5 min. This region is defined as the rapid filamentation zone. Since the time scale for deep moist convective overturning is approximately 30 min, deep convection can be significantly distorted and even suppressed in the rapid filamentation zone. A nondivergent barotropic model illustrates the effects of rapid filamentation zones in category 1–5 hurricanes and demonstrates the evolution of such zones during binary vortex interaction and mesovortex formation from a thin annular ring of enhanced vorticity.

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