Indirect Effects of Binary Typhoons on an Extreme Rainfall Event in Henan Province, China From 19 to 21 July 2021. 3. Sensitivities to Microphysics Schemes

Abstract

AbstractPrevious numerical studies have focused on the direct impact of microphysics schemes on multiscale atmospheric systems that produce rainfall. However, the indirect impact of microphysics schemes on the key large‐scale circulation around areas of extreme rainfall has not yet been examined systematically. We used the ARW‐WRF (Advanced Research WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) Model) to simulate the extreme rainfall event in Henan province, China from 19 to 21 July 2021. Experiments were conducted to investigate the sensitivity of the simulation to the three popular double‐moment microphysics parameterizations: the Thompson, Morrison and WDM6 (WRF Double‐Moment 6‐Class Microphysics Schemes). We found significant sensitivity to the microphysics parameterization, with the maximum precipitation varying by up to 400 mm and the area‐averaged precipitation by 33 mm. The Thompson and Morrison microphysics schemes produced the largest amount of precipitation, whereas the WDM6 scheme produced the smallest amount of precipitation. The simulated southerly flow varied substantially between the different microphysics schemes. This is due to the ability of the microphysics schemes to produce latent heat, which enhances the southerly flow, leading to more intense precipitation. The higher the parameterized latent heat, the stronger and more obvious the southerly flow over southern Henan province, with the WDM6 scheme simulating a much weaker southerly flow and the Thompson scheme producing the strongest southerly flow. These results indicate that the indirect effects on the key circulation patterns can be just as sensitive to the formulation of the microphysics scheme as the direct effects on extreme rainfall. These results may help to improve the prediction of extreme rainfall events.