Analysis of three echo-trainings of a rainstorm in the South China warm region

doi:10.1007/s11707-017-0651-2

Front. Earth Sci.

2018, Vol. 12

Issue (2) : 381-396 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-017-0651-2

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Analysis of three echo-trainings of a rainstorm in the South China warm region

Zhiying DING^1,²(

), Lei QIAN^1,^2,³, Xiangjun ZHAO^1,², Fan XIA^1,²

¹. Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
². College of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
³. Anhui Meteorological Observatory, Hefei 230061, China

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Abstract

A rainstorm which occurred between May 22 and 23, 2014 in Guangdong Province of the South China warm region was simulated by using the ARW-WRF model. Three “echo-trainings” over the rainstorm center were analyzed and the results of both the simulation and observational analysis showed that this rainstorm process was composed of three stages. In the first stage, gravity waves triggered the simultaneous but relatively independent formation of linear convection and convective cells, which moved toward the northeast through the rain center, thus creating the echo-training. In the second stage, with the formation of cold outflow, new convective cells were continuously created in the southwest and northwest of the rain area and then gradually moved to merge into the northeast rain area, thus forming a new echo-training. In the third stage, multiple rain bands above the rain area moved southeastward and passed through the strongest precipitation center, thus creating the third echo-training. The model simulation showed that a substantial warming appeared at 900 hPa before the convective initiation, leading to the formation of a stable layer below 900 hPa, which was the primary cause for the gravity waves that triggered the multiple convective cells. The multiple convective cells formed the convective line, following which new convection was formed from the cold outflow in its southwest and northwest directions. The new convection in the southwest maintained the rain band; however, the new convection in the northwest, combined with the rain band of the north, formed a large radar reflectivity area and consequently, a larger MCS.

Keywords convective line gravity wave echo-training back building

Corresponding Author(s): Zhiying DING

Just Accepted Date: 13 June 2017 Online First Date: 19 July 2017 Issue Date: 09 May 2018

Cite this article:

Zhiying DING,Lei QIAN,Xiangjun ZHAO, et al. Analysis of three echo-trainings of a rainstorm in the South China warm region[J]. Front. Earth Sci., 2018, 12(2): 381-396.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/10.1007/s11707-017-0651-2
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/Y2018/V12/I2/381

Fig.1 The distribution of 22-h accumulated surface precipitation from 18:00 on May 22 to 16:00 on May 23, 2014 (UTC) (color shades; unit: mm) derived from (a) the surface hourly rainfall data from conventional and automated stations and (b) the model simulation from the finest-resolution (1.5 km) domain. The black “X” marks represent the locations of the two radar stations in Guangzhou and Yangjiang. The black triangle represents the location of the Qingyuan Sounding Station. The red frames represent strong precipitation center areas in Fig. 5(a).

Fig.2 (a) 900 hPa equivalent potential temperature (contour lines; unit: K), (b) 500 hPa height field (solid lines; unit: dagpm) and wind field (wind barbs; unit: m·s⁻¹), (c) 200 hPa wind field (wind barbs; unit: m·s⁻¹) and divergence field (color shades; unit: 10⁻⁵s⁻¹), (d) 850 hPa low-level jet stream (wind barbs; unit: m·s⁻¹) and wind magnitude (color shades; unit: m·s⁻¹) at 00:00 on May 23 (UTC). Capital letters C and H represent 900 hPa cold and warm areas, respectively.

Fig.3 (a)–(f) observed, (g)–(l) simulated radar reflectivity (color shades, unit: dBZ) on May 22, 2014 (UTC). (a)–(f) represent 16:00, 16:30, 17:30, 18:00, 18:30, and 20:30, and (g)–(l) represent 18:00, 18:30, 19:00, 19:30, 20:00, and 21:30, respectively (Because the convective lines in the simulations appeared 2 h later than they did in the observations, so the time of the simulated figures was delayed 1?2 h compared with the observed figures to show the best match possible in observed and simulated results). The black dot marks represent the locations of the radar station in Guangzhou.

Tab.1 Parameterization schemes for the simulation

Fig.4 Sketch map of the triple nested grids.

Fig.5 (a) Change of the regional average precipitation of the strong precipitation center (113.2°E–114.2°E, 23.5°N–24°N) from 15:00 on May 22 to 18:00 on May 23 (UTC) (unit: mm) (the straight square columns represent the observed results, and the red line represents the simulated results). (b) The probability density functions of 22-h accumulated surface precipitation in rainfall area (110°E–116°E, 21°N–25°N) from 18:00 on May 22 to 16:00 on May 23, 2014 (UTC). The blue and red solid lines represent the observed and simulated results, respectively.

Fig.6 Observed radar reflectivity at the height of 3 km (color shades; unit: dBZ) between May 22 and May 23 (UTC). ((a)–(i) respectively, represent 17:00, 17:30, 18:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00, 03:42, 04:12, and 05:00. The black triangle represents the location of the observed maximum precipitation center, and letters A–J, respectively, represent the rain clusters passing the maximum precipitation center and its nearby area).

Fig.7 Simulated radar reflectivity on 700 hPa (color shades; unit: dBZ) between May 22 and May 23 (UTC) ((a)–(i), respectively, represent 18:00, 18:30, 19:00, 19:50, 22:00, 23:00, 01:00, 01:40, and 03:00. The black triangle represents the location of the simulated maximum precipitation center and letters A–I, respectively, represent the rain clusters passing the maximum precipitation center and its nearby area. The numbers 1 and 2 represent rain bands and the black dashed line represents the location of the inclined section shown in Fig. (13).

Fig.8 Simulated equivalent potential temperature on 500 hPa (contour lines; unit: K) and radar reflectivity on 700 hPa (color shades; unit: dBZ). The black dashed line represents the location of the inclined section shown in Fig. 9, the blue solid line represents the location of the inclined section shown in Fig. 13, and the red solid line represents the location of the new convective line. (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f) represent 17:10, 17:20, 18:00, 18:10, 18:20, and 18:50 (UTC), respectively.

Fig.9 Inclined vertical section of simulated equivalent potential temperature (contour lines; unit: K), radar reflectivity (color shades; unit: dBZ), and vertical circulation (arrows, vertical velocity was magnified by 10 times; unit: m·s^-¹) along the black dashed line shown in Fig. 8. (a) and (b) represent 16:40 and 18:00 (UTC), respectively.

Fig.10 (a) and (c) simulated vertical vorticity (solid lines; unit: 10^-³ s^-¹) and divergence on 900 hPa (dashed lines; unit: 10^-³ s^-¹), (b) and (d) vertical velocity (solid lines; unit: m·s^-¹) and disturbance potential temperature on 900 hPa (dashed lines; unit: K) along the black dashed line shown in Fig. 8. (a) and (b) represent 16:10 on May 22 (UTC), (c) and (d) represent 16:50 on May 22 (UTC). The red triangle represents the location of the 21st point.

Fig.11 (a) and (b) Inclined vertical section of equivalent potential temperature (contour lines; unit: K), vertical circulation (arrows; vertical velocity was magnified by 10 times; unit: ms^-¹) and relative humidity (color shades; unit: %) along the black dashed line shown in Fig. 8. (c) and (d) horizontal distribution of Ri on 900 hPa (color shades; contour lines marking the scope of 0<Ri<0.5; the black dashed line represents the location of the primary convective line). (a) and (c) represent 15:50, and (b) and (d) represent 16:10.

Fig.12 (a) Vertical profiles plotted on skew T-log P diagram of temperature (the black line) and dew point temperature (blue line) over Qingyuan sounding station at 18:00 on May 22 (UTC). (b) Time-space section of simulated radar reflectivity on 850 hPa (color shades; unit: dBZ) and divergence on 900 hPa (contour lines; unit: 10^-³ s^-¹) along the black dashed line shown in Fig. 8 between 16:10 and 18:30 on May 22 (UTC).

Fig.13 Simulated radar reflectivity (color shades, unit: dBZ) cross-sections along the black dashed line in Fig. 7(d) for (a) 20:00, (b) 20:30, (e) 20:00, and (f) 20:30 on May 22 (UTC) and along the blue solid line in Fig. 8 for (c) 18:10, (d) 18:20, (g) 18:10, and (h) 18:20 on May 22 (UTC). The divergent wind vertical circulation (stream lines, unit: m·s^-¹) is shown in (a)–(d) and the equivalent potential temperature (contour lines, unit: K) is shown in (e)–(h). Capital letters L and H represent low and high value centers of equivalent potential temperature, respectively. G and D represent the convective cells G and D in Fig. 7.

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