Comprehensive Evaluations of Mesoscale Convective Systems Simulated in Convection-permitting WRF Model during the MC3E Field Experiment Journal Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) are an important component of our; hydrologic cycle as they produce prolific rainfall in the tropics and; mid-latitudes. Recent advancements in high-resolution modeling show; promise in representing MCSs in regional climate simulations. However,; how well do these models represent the complex interactions between; convective dynamics and microphysics in MCSs remain unknown. In this; study, we take advantage of observations collected during the; Midlatitude Continental Convective Cloud (MC3E) experiment to evaluate; multi-scale aspects of MCSs in convection-permitting WRF model. We; conducted three sets of month-long simulations with Morrison and P3; (1-ice and 2-ice categories) microphysics, respectively, at 1.8 km; grid-spacing over the Southern Great Plains. MCSs in observations and; simulations were tracked using a newly developed FLEXTRKR algorithm.; About 15-20 MCSs were identified in the simulations, consistent with; observations. All three simulations underestimate observed monthly total; precipitation which are primarily from MCSs, suggesting the biases might; be caused by large-scale forcings rather than microphysics. All; simulated MCSs overestimate convective area and precipitation amount but; underestimate stratiform rain area and precipitation. Simulated MCS; convective updraft intensities are comparable with radar retrievals for; moderate depths of convective cores, but are too strong for deep cores.; The two P3 simulations have smaller mean ice mass aloft but more; frequent heavy convective rain rate at the surface than the simulation; with Morrison, agreeing better with observations (Figure 1). Simulated; stratiform area ice mass in the upper troposphere are generally larger; than radar retrievals, but the P3 2-ice category has relatively smaller; bias. We will also use polarimetric radar 3-D rain water retrieval to; further evaluate the vertical evolution of rainfall to explain; differences in simulated surface precipitation.

publication date

  • January 9, 2019

has restriction

  • closed

Date in CU Experts

  • January 31, 2023 9:41 AM

Full Author List

  • Tian J; Feng Z; Fan J; Gustafson W; Wang D; Giangrande S; Bharadwaj N; Hardin J; Riihimaki L

author count

  • 9

Other Profiles