Torrential rainfall responses to radiation and ice clouds over Jiang-Huai Valley, China in July 2007

Abstract

The effects of radiation and ice clouds on a torrential rainfall event of Jiang-Huai Valley over China are investigated through a series of two-dimensional sensitivity cloud-resolving model experiments. The model is integrated with an imposed large-scale vertical velocity and zonal wind constructed from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)/Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS) from 2 to 9 July 2007, while the control experiment is compared with two sensitivity experiments that exclude radiation and ice clouds, respectively. The exclusion of ice clouds decreases model domain mean surface rain rate through the weakened mean net condensation and the mean hydrometeor change from loss to gain during the life span of the rainfall event. The sensitivity of the mean rain rate to radiation occurs only in the later period of the rainfall event and is less than that to ice clouds. The reduction in the mean rain rate caused by the elimination of radiation is associated with the decreases in the mean net condensation and latent heat, which corresponds to the strengthened mean local atmospheric cooling.