Abstract
Using the CloudSat data for the Sichuan Basin vortices (SBVs) from June to August (2007–2016) and dividing the data based on whether the SBVs moved eastward, the cloud, precipitation, and thermal structural characteristics of the SVBs were comprehensively analyzed to cultivate a deeper understanding of these vortices. The results show that a direct correlation between vortex structure and precipitation intensity. The variations in radar reflectivity are completely opposite vertical distribution above and below a height of 5 km. The proportion of deep convective clouds is more than 30% of the total vortex depth, and the distribution differences are reflected by the middle and lower clouds. This occurs because stratiform precipitation commonly takes place in the Sichuan Basin. When an SBV moves eastward, the proportion of convective precipitation increases with increasing vortex enhancement. The distribution differences of ice particle parameters embody the effective precipitation mechanisms of sowing and supplying. The locations of intense vortices are indicative of the locations of rainfall centers. The instantaneous precipitation rate increases as the vortex center moves southward. There is a warm central region with a temperature of over 0 °C within 200 km of the vortex center for both type I and type III in the radial direction. The wet region appears below the warm region, and the vertical scope of the wet center is less than 4 km. The ranges and intensities of both the warm and wet centers increase gradually with the eastward development of the SBV.
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Data availability
(1) The CloudSat data can be downloaded from the link ftp://ftp.cloudsat.cira.colostate.edu/. (2) The ECMWF reanalysis data with a horizontal resolution of 0.75° × 0.75° can be downloaded from the link https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu/cdsapp#!/search?type=dataset. (3) The hourly precipitation product of the CMORPH integrated with the automatic station of China are from the China Meteorological Administration; the Southwest China Vortex Yearbook (2014–2017) data are from the Chengdu Institute of Plateau Meteorological, China Meteorology. These datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 91937301), the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program (Nos. 2019QZKK0105 and 2019QZKK0103), and the Scientific and Technological Research Program of the China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co. Ltd. (No. KYY2020066 (20–22)).
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Xiang, S., Li, Y. & Peng, J. Analyzing the structural characteristics of the Sichuan basin vortex based on CloudSat satellite data. Meteorol Atmos Phys 134, 74 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-022-00905-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-022-00905-6