A Two-Dimensional Numerical Study on Diurnal Cycle of Mountain Lee Precipitation

Abstract

Simple numerical experiments using a two-dimensional model were conducted to investigate the diurnal variation of water vapor in the lee of a mountain range, which strongly affects nighttime precipitation. In the daytime, moisture increases around the convergence zone in the lee of the mountain were formed by thermally induced local circulations in moderate ambient wind. Then, a region of enhanced precipitable water vapor (PWV) was formed. The region of enhanced PWV was transported to the lee side of the mountain by the ambient wind and finally reached the plain during the night. The convective instability in the lower troposphere and the possibility of deep convection were controlled by the advection of water vapor in the lee of the mountain, especially by the position of the enhanced PWV region. As a result, the diurnal cycle of the convective instability showed a phase difference between the mountainous region and the plain. The profile of equivalent potential temperature tended to be unstable in the lee of the mountain at night and contributed to the production of nighttime precipitation. The propagation speed of the enhanced PWV region was roughly determined by the ambient wind speed. Some sensitivity experiments using bulk microphysics have suggested that the propagation speed of the enhanced PWV region is insensitive to the occurrence of a deep convection. The enhanced PWV region generated over a wider mountain range tends to travel farther, retaining its magnitude even until night. The water vapor transport process presented in this study agrees well with the actual diurnal variations of rainfall observed in many regions over land.