Abstract
The seasonal and diurnal variations of cloud systems are profoundly affected by the large-scale and local environments. In this study, a one-year-long simulation was conducted using a two-dimensional cloud-resolving model over the Eastern Tibetan Plateau (ETP) and two subregions of Eastern China: Southern East China and Central East China. Deep convective clouds (DCCs) rarely occur in the cold season over ETP, whereas DCCs appear in Eastern China throughout the year, and the ETP DCCs are approximately 20%–30% shallower than those over Eastern China. Most strong rainfall events (precipitation intensity, PI> 2.5 mm h−1) in Eastern China are related to warm-season DCCs with ice cloud processes. Because of the high elevation of the ETP, the warm-season freezing level is lower than in Eastern China, providing favorable conditions for ice cloud processes. DCCs are responsible for the diurnal variations of warm-season rainfall in all three regions. Warm-season DCCs over the ETP have the greatest total cloud water content and frequency in the afternoon, resulting in an afternoon rainfall peak. In addition, rainfall events in the ETP also exhibit a nocturnal peak in spring, summer, and autumn due to DCCs. Strong surface heat fluxes around noon can trigger or promote DCCs in spring, summer, and autumn over the ETP but produce only cumulus clouds in winter due to the cold and dry environment.
摘要
云降水系统的季节和日变化特征深受大尺度环流和局地环境的影响. 本研究使用一个二维云分辨模式对中国中东部、 南部和青藏高原东部地区的云降水过程进行了为期一年的模拟. 在青藏高原东部, 深对流系统在冬季很少发生, 而在中国东部地区深对流系统能够在所有季节发生. 模拟结果显示, 青藏高原东部深对流云的厚度比中国东部地区的深对流云厚度浅薄20%-30%. 在中国东部地区, 大部分强降雨事件(降雨强度大于2.5 mm h-1)与暖季具有冷云过程的深对流云系相关. 由于海拔高度比较高, 青藏高原东部暖季的零度层高度远低于中国东部地区的零度层高度, 这为冰相微物理过程提供了有利的条件. 深对流云降水是这三个区域暖季降水日变化的重要影响因素之一. 青藏高原东部暖季深对流云系统在午后具有最大总云水含量以及发生频率, 并造成一个午后的降雨峰值. 此外, 模拟还显示在青藏高原东部发生在春季、 夏季和秋季的夜间降水峰值也与深对流云相关. 在青藏高原东部, 春季、 夏季和秋季中午前后强烈的地表热通量能够触发深对流云或促进深对流云的发展, 而由于青藏高原冬季干冷的环境条件, 午后的地表热通量一般只能触发非降水的浅对流.
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Acknowledgements
This study was supported under the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2017YFA0604001) and National Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 42075067, 41875071, and 41705118), the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research (STEP) program (Grant No. 2019QZKK0105), Key research and Development Program of Anhui Province (Grant No. 202004b11020012), China Scholarship Council, the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (Grant No. BK20170945), the Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Meteorology and Ecological Environment of Hebei Province and the National Center of Meteorology, Abu Dhabi, UAE under the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science.
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Article Highlights
• The Tibetan Plateau (TP) experiences more significant seasonal and diurnal variations of cloud and precipitation than East China.
• Deep convection in the TP causes the rainfall noon and nighttime peaks in the warm season, while it rarely occurs in the cold season.
• Surface heat fluxes at noon in the eastern TP can promote deep convective clouds in the warm season and result in cumulus in winter.
This paper is a contribution to the special issue on Third Pole Atmospheric Physics, Chemistry, and Hydrology.
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Chen, J., Wu, X., Lu, C. et al. Seasonal and Diurnal Variations of Cloud Systems over the Eastern Tibetan Plateau and East China: A Cloud-resolving Model Study. Adv. Atmos. Sci. 39, 1034–1049 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-021-0391-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-021-0391-9