Latent Heating Profiles Research Articles

Effect of Single and Double Moment Microphysics Schemes and Change in Cloud Condensation Nuclei, Latent Heating Rate Structure Associated with Severe Convective System over Korean Peninsula

To investigate the impact of advanced microphysics schemes using single and double moment (WSM6/WDM6) schemes, numerical simulations are conducted using Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model for a severe mesoscale convective system (MCS) formed over the Korean Peninsula. Spatial rainfall distribution and pattern correlation linked with the convective system are improved in the WDM6 simulation. During the developing stage of the system, the distribution of total hydrometeors is larger in WDM6 compared to WSM6. Along with the mixing ratio of hydrometeors (cloud, rain, graupel, snow, and ice), the number concentration of cloud and rainwater are also predictable in WDM6. To understand the differences in the vertical representation of cloud hydrometeors between the schemes, rain number concentration (Nr) from WSM6 is also computed using particle density to compare with the Nr readily available in WDM6. Varied vertical distribution and large differences in rain number concentration and rain particle mass is evident between the schemes. Inclusion of the number concentration of rain and cloud, CCN, along with the mixing ratio of different hydrometers has improved the storm morphology in WDM6. Furthermore, the latent heating (LH) profiles of six major phase transformation processes (condensation, evaporation, freezing, melting, deposition, and sublimation) are also computed from microphysical production terms to deeply study the storm vertical structure. The main differences in condensation and evaporation terms are evident between the simulations due to the varied treatment of warm rain processes and the inclusion of CCN activation in WDM6. To investigate cloud–aerosol interactions, numerical simulation is conducted by increasing the CCN (aerosol) concentration in WDM6, which simulated comparatively improved pattern correlation for rainfall simulation along with intense hydrometer distribution. It can be inferred that the change in aerosol increased the LH of evaporation and freezing and affected the warming and cooling processes, cloud vertical distribution, and subsequent rainfall. Relatively, the WDM6 simulated latent heating profile distribution is more consistent with the ERA5 computed moisture source and sink terms due to the improved formulation of warm rain processes.

Diurnal Cycle of Tropospheric Winds over West Sumatra and Its Variability Associated with Various Climate and Weather Modes

The typical diurnal variability of tropospheric winds over West Sumatra and their changes associated with El Niño Southern Oscillation, Quasi-Biennial Oscillation, Madden–Julian Oscillations and convectively coupled Kelvin waves during the extended boreal winter season are investigated based on nineteen years of observations from Equatorial Atmosphere Radar in Kototabang, Indonesia. Sub-diurnal wind variability is assessed based on the amplitude and phase of the diurnal (24 h) and semidiurnal (12 h) modes.The results show that composite diurnal variability is dominated by cloud-induced circulation and thermal tides. Although these sub-diurnal modes do not change the daily mean wind direction, they modulate velocities throughout the day. Typical diurnal evolution of the vertical wind component is consistent with changes in the latent heating profiles associated with the evolution of a cloud field from cumulus before noon to deep convection in the afternoon and stratiform clouds in the evening. El Niño Southern Oscillation and Quasi-Biennial Oscillation affect the mean tropospheric winds, throughout the troposphere and above 250 hPa, respectively, but do not affect sub-diurnal amplitudes. Eastward propagating Madden–Julian Oscillations and convectively coupled Kelvin waves impact both the mean and sub-diurnal tropospheric wind variability. Both horizontal and vertical winds show the largest variability in the lower and mid troposphere (below 400 hPa). The observed variability in the vertical wind component highlights that large-scale phenomena interact with both the local evolution and progression of a cloud field through dynamical feedback.

Impact of Explicitly Parameterized Mid-to-Low Level Latent Heating on the Simulation of a Squall Line in South China

Organized mesoscale convective systems (MCSs), such as squall lines, are often poorly forecasted in numerical weather prediction models. In this study, experiments are performed to show that the vertical distribution of latent heating (LH) plays an important role in organizing a trailing-stratiform (TS) squall line over South China. We investigated the impact of modifying the altitude of LH peaking around 2–5 km on the squall line. It is found that increasing LH peaking at a lower vertical level (around 2–3 km) is crucial for the simulation of the TS squall line by influencing the evolution of the front-to-rear tilted upward flow and its associated mesoscale rear-to-front flow below. The influence of different LH profiles on the structure of the simulated squall line is explained using the Rotunno–Klemp–Weisman (RKW) theory considering the effects of different heights of the vertical wind center. Stronger LH at lower heights results in a vertical wind core centered lower in the convection region. Behind the core, at the mid-to-low level, is a region of descending negative horizontal vorticity. Such negative vorticity region favors a descending flow below it. When this mesoscale flow with low equivalent potential temperature (θe) descends and catches up with the convection at near-surface, it enhances both the strength and moving speed of the convection system. Results of this study highlight the sensitivities of the MCS structure to the vertical distribution of the thermodynamical field besides traditional cold pool aspects and provide insights for the study of squall line through shear convection interaction.

Latent heating profiles from GOES-16 and its impacts on precipitation forecasts

Abstract. Latent heating (LH) is an important factor in both weather forecasting and climate analysis, being the essential factor affecting both the intensity and structure of convective systems. Yet, inferring LH rates from our current observing systems is challenging at best. For climate studies, LH has been retrieved from the precipitation radar on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) using model simulations in a lookup table (LUT) that relates instantaneous radar data to corresponding heating profiles. These radars, first on TRMM and then the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM), provide a continuous record of LH. However, the temporal resolution is too coarse to have significant impacts on forecast models. In operational forecast models such as High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR), convection is initiated from LH derived from ground-based radars. Despite the high spatial and temporal resolution of ground-based radars, their data are only available over well-observed land areas. This study develops a method to derive LH from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-16 (GOES-16) in near-real time. Even though the visible and infrared channels on the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) provide mostly cloud top information, rapid changes in cloud top visible and infrared properties, when formulated as an LUT similar to those used by the TRMM and GPM radars, can successfully be used to derive LH profiles for convective regions based on model simulations with a convective classification scheme and channel 14 (11.2 µm) brightness temperatures. Convective regions detected by GOES-16 are assigned LH profiles from a predefined LUT, and they are compared with LH used by the HRRR model and one of the dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR) products, the Goddard convective–stratiform heating (CSH). LH obtained from GOES-16 shows similar magnitude to LH derived from the Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) and CSH, and the vertical distribution of LH is also very similar with CSH. A three-month analysis of total LH from convective clouds from GOES-16 and NEXRAD shows good correlation between the two products. Finally, LH profiles from GOES-16 and NEXRAD are applied to WRF simulations for convective initiation, and their results are compared to investigate their impacts on precipitation forecasts. Results show that LH from GOES-16 has similar impacts to NEXRAD in terms of improving the forecast. While only a proof of concept, this study demonstrates the potential of using LH derived from GOES-16 for convective initialization.

Differences in Satellite‐Based Latent Heating Profiles Between the 2015/2016 Disruption and Westerly Phase of the Quasi‐Biennial Oscillation

AbstractLatent heating (LH) profiles from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and the Global Precipitation Measurement mission (GPM) were employed to examine the LH distribution during the quasi‐biennial oscillation (QBO) disruption in the 2015/2016 Northern Hemispheric (NH) winter. We used the LH anomalies from the observation era climatology to compensate for the discontinuity between the TRMM and GPM LH. The difference in the LH anomalies (LHd) between the 2015/2016 winter and the typical winter coinciding with the westerly QBO phase revealed that deeper convective systems in the 2015/2016 winter shifted to the equator, releasing more latent heat relative to the convective systems in the winters coinciding with the westerly QBO phase. Comparison of the LHds calculated for each winter of 1998–2019 shows that the changes in the convective systems in the 2015/2016 winter were statistically exceptional among the changes in other winters. Inside the convective systems, stronger latent heat release and more frequent occurrences of deep convective and deep‐stratiform rain cells made up the total LHd during the 2015/2016 winter. Specifically, convective rain cells mainly derived the LHd of the convective systems in the 2015/2016 winter, except in February 2016. The results suggest that the LH increase from the typical winter with the westerly QBO phase may be considered an unusual equatorial wave source during the 2015/2016 QBO disruption. The signatures of the LHd profiles in the 10°S–10°N zonal band are sourced from the abnormal convective systems that were shifted from the western Pacific to the central‐to‐eastern Pacific.

Simulation of Latent Heating Rate From the Microphysical Process Associated With Mesoscale Convective System Over Korean Peninsula

AbstractTo investigate the structure of latent heating rate during different stages of mesoscale convective system (MCS) over the Korean Peninsula, a four nested domain Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulation with two‐way nesting method has performed. Advanced physics options from the Korean Integrated model physics are considered for simulation. Latent heating rate associated with condensation, evaporation, deposition, sublimation, freezing and melting process is computed based on different microphysical process using WRF double moment (WDM6) microphysics scheme. During the development/mature stage of the convective system, the warming associated with latent heat release by condensation is dominant below 400 hPa, and deposition above 500 hPa. The maximum contribution of warming processes from condensation, cloud nucleation, graupel accretion, and ice, snow deposition is evident. Cooling processes from rain, cloud evaporation followed by graupel, and snow melting are also noticed. Major updrafts associated with ascent of air parcel and large hydrometeor distribution is apparent along with downdrafts in the lower levels. In the dissipating stage, the cooling due to latent heat absorption by evaporation below 600 hPa and melting around 600 hPa are dominant. Contribution from cooling processes is dominant with major downdraft motion in the lower levels corresponding to the hydrometeor fall velocity. Dominant positive (negative) total latent heating provided (restrained) the energy for convection during developing and dissipating stages of system. Varied distribution of total cloud hydrometeors in different stages is apparent. Consistency between cloud hydrometeors, net heating rates, major upward (downward) motion and corresponding rainfall in developing (dissipating) stages of MCS is noticed. Model simulated latent heating (WDM6) profiles are consistent with computed moisture source and sink terms (ERA5).

Global Mesoscale Convective System Latent Heating Characteristics from GPM Retrievals and an MCS Tracking Dataset

AbstractThe distribution of latent heating released by mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) plays a crucial role in global energy and water cycles. To investigate the characteristics of MCS latent heating, five years (2014–19) of Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Ku-band Precipitation Radar observations and latent heating retrievals are combined with a newly developed global high-resolution (~10 km, hourly) MCS tracking dataset. The results suggest that midlatitude MCSs are shallower and have a lower maximum precipitation rate than tropical MCSs. However, MCSs occurring in the midlatitudes have larger precipitation areas and higher stratiform rain volume fraction, in agreement with previous studies. With substantial spatial and seasonal variability, MCS latent heating profiles are top-heavier in the middle and high latitudes than those in the tropics. Larger magnitudes of latent heating in the stratiform regions are found over the ocean than over land, which is the case for both the tropics and midlatitudes. The larger magnitude is related to a larger precipitating area/volume rather than a higher storm height or more intense convective core typically associated with land systems. A majority of midlatitude MCSs have a relatively high (>70%) stratiform fraction while this is not the case for tropical MCSs, suggesting that midlatitude MCSs tend to produce more stratiform rain while tropical MCSs are more convective. Importantly, the results of this study indicate that storm intensity, latent heating, and rainfall are different metrics of MCSs that can provide multiple constraints to inform development of convection parameterizations in global models.

Global evidence of aerosol-induced invigoration in marine cumulus clouds

Abstract. Aerosol–cloud–precipitation interactions can lead to a myriad of responses within shallow cumulus clouds, including an invigoration response, whereby aerosol loading results in a higher rain rate, more turbulence, and deepening of the cloud layer. However few global studies have found direct evidence that invigoration occurs. The few satellite-based studies that report evidence for such effects generally focus on only the deepening response. Here, we show evidence of invigoration beyond a deepening response by investigating the effects of aerosol loading on the latent heating and vertical motion profiles of warm rain. Using latent heating and vertical motion profiles derived from CloudSat radar observations, we show precipitating cumulus clouds in unstable, polluted environments exhibit a marked increase in precipitation formation rates and cloud top entrainment rates. However, invigoration is only discernible when the stability of the boundary layer is explicitly accounted for in the analysis. Without this environmental constraint, the mean polluted and pristine cloud responses are indiscernible from each other due to offsetting cloud responses in stable and unstable environments. Invigoration, or suppression depending on the environment, may induce possible feedbacks in both stable and unstable conditions that could subdue or enhance these effects, respectively. The strength of the invigoration response is found to additionally depend on cloud organization defined here by the size of the warm rain system. These results suggest that warm cloud parameterizations must account for not only the possibility of aerosol-induced cloud invigoration, but also the dependence of this invigorated state on the environment and the organization of the rain system.

Intraseasonal variation of rainfall characteristics and latent heating profiles during southwest and northeast monsoon seasons over the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal

Intraseasonal variation of rainfall characteristics and latent heating profiles during southwest and northeast monsoon seasons over the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal

Realistic Simulation of Tropical Atmospheric Gravity Waves Using Radar-Observed Precipitation Rate and Echo Top Height.

Gravity waves (GWs) generated by tropical convection are important for the simulation of large‐scale atmospheric circulations, for example, the quasi‐biennial oscillation (QBO), and small‐scale phenomena like clear‐air turbulence. However, the simulation of these waves still poses a challenge due to the inaccurate representation of convection, and the high computational costs of global, cloud‐resolving models. Methods combining models with observations are needed to gain the necessary knowledge on GW generation, propagation, and dissipation so that we may encode this knowledge into fast parameterized physics for global weather and climate simulation or turbulence forecasting. We present a new method suitable for rapid simulation of realistic convective GWs. Here, we associate the profile of latent heating with two parameters: precipitation rate and cloud top height. Full‐physics cloud‐resolving WRF simulations are used to develop a lookup table for converting instantaneous radar precipitation rates and echo top measurements into a high‐resolution, time‐dependent latent heating field. The heating field from these simulations is then used to force an idealized dry version of the WRF model. We validate the method by comparing simulated precipitation rates and cloud tops with scanning radar observations and by comparing the GW field in the idealized simulations to satellite measurements. Our results suggest that including variable cloud top height in the derivation of the latent heating profiles leads to better representation of the GWs compared to using only the precipitation rate. The improvement is especially noticeable with respect to wave amplitudes. This improved representation also affects the forcing of GWs on large‐scale circulation.

GPM Satellite Radar Observations of Precipitation Mechanisms in Atmospheric Rivers

Abstract Despite numerous studies documenting the importance of atmospheric rivers (AR) to the global water cycle and regional precipitation, the evolution of their water vapor fluxes has been difficult to investigate given the challenges of observing and modeling precipitation processes within ARs over the ocean. This study uses satellite-based radar reflectivity profiles from the Global Precipitation Measurement Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (GPM-DPR), combined with kinematic and thermodynamic conditions in the vicinity of the precipitation diagnosed from the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis, to evaluate the characteristics and dynamical origins of precipitation in ARs over the northeast Pacific Ocean. Transects of 192 ARs between 2014 and 2018 are examined. Both stratiform and convective precipitation were abundant in these GPM transects and the precipitation was most often generated by forced ascent in the vicinity of a cold front in frontogenetic environments. Conditioning composite vertical profiles of reflectivity and latent heating from GPM-DPR on frontogenesis near the moist-neutral low-level jet demonstrated the importance of frontally forced precipitation on atmospheric heating tendencies. A case study of a high-impact landfalling AR is analyzed using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model, which showed how the precipitation processes and subsequent latent heat release offshore strongly influenced AR evolution. Although these precipitation mechanisms are present in global-scale models, the difficulty that coarse-resolution models have in accurately representing resultant precipitation likely translates to uncertainty in forecasting heating tendencies, their feedbacks on AR evolution, and ultimately the impacts of ARs upon landfall in the western United States.

PRECIPITATION AND LATENT HEATING PROPERTIES OF TROPICAL CYCLONE IN THE NORTHWEST PACIFIC MEASURED BY GPM DPR AND HIMAWARI-8

Abstract. Using observations from the GPM Tropical Cyclone Overpass Dataset and Himawari-8, this study statistically analyses the tropical cyclones (above Typhoon categories) in the Northwest Pacific during the tropical cyclone (TC) frequent period (from May to October) of 2014–2018. Moreover, a case (Super Typhoon “Mangkhut”) was analysed in detail. This study uses a semi-manual method to identify three life cycle stages of tropical cyclones: developing stage, mature stage, and dissipating stage. The statistical results show that the distribution of precipitation and latent heat varies with positions and the tropical cyclone has the maximum precipitation (11.62 mm/h) at the mature stage along with the maximum convection ratio (22.97%) at the developing stage. It is most obvious that the release of latent heat in the upper cloud at developing stage and in the lower cloud at mature stage. The latent heat profile of convective precipitation presents a “bottom-heavy” structural, and the stratiform precipitation has a “top-heavy” latent heat profile. The proportion of stratiform precipitation to total precipitation (74.31%) is the largest, but the average precipitation of the stratiform (4.12 mm/h) is lower than the average precipitation of convective clouds (10.55 mm/h). The average particle radius of the stratiform precipitation is 1.13 mm, while the average precipitation particle radius of the convective cloud precipitation is 1.79 mm. Based on these statistical results, this paper briefly analyses the characteristics of cloud precipitation microphysical mechanisms in three life cycle stages. Besides, the latent heating profile distribution found in this study are related to the vertical variation of precipitation rate, which are different in terms of the type of precipitation cloud.

Expanding the Goddard CSH Algorithm for GPM: New Extratropical Retrievals.

The Goddard Convective-Stratiform Heating (CSH) algorithm has been used to retrieve latent heating (LH) associated with clouds and cloud systems in support of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. The CSH algorithm required the use of a cloud-resolving model (CRM) to simulate LH profiles to build look-up tables (LUTs). However, the current LUTs in the CSH algorithm are not suitable for retrieving LH profiles at high latitudes or winter conditions that are needed for GPM. The NASA Unified-Weather Research and Forecasting (NU-WRF) model is used to simulate three eastern continental US (CONUS) synoptic winter and three western coastal/offshore events. The relationship between LH structures (or profiles) and other precipitation properties (radar reflectivity, freezing level height, echo-top height, maximum radar reflectivity height and surface precipitation rate) is examined, and a new classification system is adopted with varying ranges for each of these precipitation properties to create LUTs representing high latitude/winter conditions. The performance of the new LUTs is examined using a self-consistency check for one CONUS and one West Coast offshore event by comparing LH profiles retrieved from the LUTs using model-simulated precipitation properties with those originally simulated by the model. The results of the self-consistency check validate the new classification and LUTs. High latitude retrievals from the new LUTs are merged with those from the CSH algorithm to retrieve LH profiles over the GPM domain using precipitation properties retrieved from the GPM combined algorithm.

The Cloudy Nature of Tropical Rains

AbstractFour years of CloudSat cloud and precipitation observations are combined with CALIPSO lidar, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) radiance, and Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) precipitation data to document the cloud properties of precipitation confined to latitudes between 30°N and 30°S. The relations between two different cloud top heights (CTHs) and precipitation are examined. The maximum CTH observed in the column is one measure (referred to as the highest CTH, HCTH) and the second is the minimum CTH within the same raining column, interpreted to be the tops of the rain‐bearing clouds in the column (referred to as the raining cloud top height, RCTH). Although a broad relation between rain intensity and CTH is shown to exist, especially for shallower warm clouds, the HCTH of the deepest, raining clouds in the tropics is shown to be a poor indicator of precipitation intensity. The implication of the difference between HCTH and RCTH is that for all but the deepest convection, the height of raining clouds is significantly overestimated from observing systems that cannot see below upper cloud layers. The vertical profile of CTHs is shown to be distinctly bimodal with RCTH profiles having a large maximum associated with shallow precipitating clouds, whereas the HCTH distribution has its maximum in the upper troposphere. The influence of this vertical profile information on radiative and latent heating profiles results in a nonnegligible shift in latent heating from an upper level maximum to a more bimodal profile reflecting the increased contribution of shallow raining clouds.

On the role of precipitation latent heating in modulating the strength and width of the Hadley circulation

The latent heat released in the clouds over the tropics plays a vital role in driving the Hadley circulation (HC). The present study discusses the influence of latent heating (LH) on the HC parameters viz., centre, strength and total width by using precipitation LH profiles derived from the space-borne observations of the Precipitation Radar (PR) onboard Tropical Rain Measuring Mission (TRMM) and meridional stream function (MSF) derived from ECMWF-Interim reanalysis. The latitude of peak latent heating, width of the latent heating distribution and the total LH released within the ascending limb of the HC are estimated and their influence on the HC centre, strength and width is quantified, for the first time. The present results show that the latitude of peak LH significantly influences the position of the HC centre with correlation coefficient of ~ 0.90. This high correlation between these two quantities seems to be due to their co-variability with the apparent motion of the Sun across the latitudes. The intensity of the HC in the NH as well as SH shows high correlation with the latitude of peak LH with coefficients − 0.85 and − 0.78, respectively. These results indicate that farther the latitude of peak LH from the equator in the summer hemisphere, stronger is the HC intensity in the winter hemisphere. The present analysis also reveals that the total LH released within the ascending limb of HC substantially influence the total width of the HC, with correlation coefficient ~ 0.52, as compared to the other two LH parameters. This observation can be attributed to the fact that the HC is sensitive to the latent heat release in the mid-tropospheric levels in the tropics. An attempt is also made to investigate the degree of variability of these parameters after deseasonalization and results are discussed in the light of present understanding. The significance of the present study lies in providing the observational evidence for the influence of latent heating on the HC strength/width variability, quantitatively, for the first time using TRMM observations of precipitation latent heating.

Global Character of Latent Heat Release in Oceanic Warm Rain Systems

AbstractWarm rain plays an important role in Earth's water and energy cycles. Little is known, however, about the global character of latent heat release from warm rain regimes owing to a lack of satellite observations with sufficient sensitivity to this often light, sometimes isolated, precipitation. The Wisconsin Algorithm for Latent heating and Rainfall Using Satellites (WALSRUS) utilizes CloudSat's W‐band Cloud Profiling Radar to estimate vertical profiles of latent heating, surface rainfall rate, and related processes across all oceanic warm rain regimes. This study examines a 4‐year climatology of monthly mean WALRUS estimates to document the global character of latent heating in oceanic warm rain and quantify the sensitivity of underlying condensation and evaporation processes to bulk properties of the large‐scale environment. Warm rain is found to make up 9.2% of oceanic global rainfall and 13.9% of oceanic tropical rainfall. Convective warm rain contributes 36% of rain accumulation and 50% of column latent heating even though its occurrence frequency is only 11%. Net pressure‐weighted column‐integrated latent heating from warm rain condensation averages 0.15 K day−1 of atmospheric heating, with nearly equal contribution from convective and shallow warm rain. While warm rain is found throughout the globe, the Intertropical Convergence Zone is a notable warm rain hot spot peaking near 1 K day−1. The mean height of the maximum condensation in warm rain is 1.5 ± 0.6 km and found to be generally invariant to atmospheric stability. On the other hand, the depth of the entrainment cooling layer decreases with increasing inversion strength.

The uncertainties of residual diagnosis of atmospheric diabatic heating from ERA40 and NCEP reanalysis over Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau (TP), a giant elevated landscape, plays a key role in modulating the Asian summer monsoon via dynamic, thermodynamic, and mechanical lifting mechanisms. The spatial and temporal distribution of atmospheric diabatic heating (DH) is vitally important to understand the coupling of energy and moisture between the land surface and the atmosphere over TP. In this study, the residual diagnosis of DH from ERA40 and NCEP reanalysis, in combination with the precipitation and latent heating (LH) results from Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Precipitation Radar (TRMM PR) are investigated to reveal the uncertainties in DH over TP. Significant discrepancies of column integrated DH (CDH) between ERA40 and NCEP are found in the southern slope area of TP in summer. The CDH from ERA40 is much stronger than NCEP at high altitudes on the southern slope of TP. The area with strong ERA40 atmospheric heating extends from lower altitudes to higher altitudes exceeding 4000 m isohypse. However, in the heating diagnosis of NCEP, strong atmospheric heating is only located at altitudes lower than 4000 m isohypse. These differences are evident in DH at both the ground layer and 400–500 hPa layer, revealing a significant contribution from LH because sensible heating (SH) peaks at near-surface atmosphere and LH peaks at low to middle atmosphere. As an indicator of LH, the precipitation in southern TP estimated by ERA40 is strong (>10 mm/d) in the 25°–30°N area from April to October. The precipitation observations from TRMM PR and the diagnosis from NCEP diagnosis do not agree about this phenomenon. Instead, the precipitation detected by TRMM PR is mainly located in the area to the south of 25°N. The spatial pattern of overestimated precipitation by ERA40 mostly matches the DH overestimation. Based on the vertical cross-section of DH and the atmospheric circulation along 92.5°E, strong positive ERA40 DH (>4 K/d) over the high altitudes of southern TP (~25°–30°N) extends from surface to high troposphere (~300 hPa) vertically in summer. This fact indicates there is strong latent heating released from deep convective rains in those areas which makes a contribution to DH that is comparable with SH. The associated NCEP DH in the same area can reach only the low troposphere (~700 hPa) and the maximum heating generally is located in the near-surface atmosphere. This conclusion implies that in NCEP diagnosis, only shallow and weak rains can occur in this area and the surface SH dominates DH here. Even at the south edge of main body of TP (to north of 30°N), ERA40 DH in summer can be as high as 6–9 K/d and extend from the surface to ~350 hPa isobaric surface, while the associated NCEP DH is only less than 4 K/d. The diagnosis of vertical velocity and horizontal divergence at the 200 hPa layer from ERA40 is also stronger that from NCEP. The mean vertical profiles of ERA40 DH in summer show positive heating through the surface to 200 hPa and maximum value at 700 (500) hPa on the south (southwest) slope of TP. The shape agrees well with that of the TRMM LH profile, but the value of ERA40 DH is about 2–3 times that of TRMM LH. The NCEP DH profiles show a different shape with peaks at the near-surface layer indicating more contribution from surface SH than from LH, but its amplitude is relatively closer to TRMM LH. We hypothesize that the uncertainties of the vertical structure of precipitation and the associated LH in the southern slope area of TP are the main obstacles preventing us from understanding the real mechanisms of TP-atmosphere interaction.

A Retrieval of Tropical Latent Heating Using the 3D Structure of Precipitation Features

AbstractRadar-based latent heating retrievals typically apply a lookup table (LUT) derived from model output to surface rain amounts and rain type to determine the vertical structure of heating. In this study, a method has been developed that uses the size characteristics of precipitating systems (i.e., area and mean echo-top height) instead of rain amount to estimate latent heating profiles from radar observations. This technique [named the convective–stratiform area (CSA) algorithm] leverages the relationship between the organization of convective systems and the structure of latent heating profiles and avoids pitfalls associated with retrieving accurate rainfall information from radars and models. The CSA LUTs are based on a high-resolution regional model simulation over the equatorial Indian Ocean. The CSA LUTs show that convective latent heating increases in magnitude and height as area and echo-top heights grow, with a congestus signature of midlevel cooling for less vertically extensive convective systems. Stratiform latent heating varies weakly in vertical structure, but its magnitude is strongly linked to area and mean echo-top heights. The CSA LUT was applied to radar observations collected during the DYNAMO/Cooperative Indian Ocean Experiment on Intraseasonal Variability in the Year 2011 (CINDY2011)/ARM MJO Investigation Experiment (AMIE) field campaign, and the CSA heating retrieval was generally consistent with other measures of heating profiles. The impact of resolution and spatial mismatch between the model and radar grids is addressed, and unrealistic latent heating profiles in the stratiform LUT, namely, a low-level heating peak, an elevated melting layer, and net column cooling, were identified. These issues highlight the need for accurate convective–stratiform separations and improvement in PBL and microphysical parameterizations.

The vertical structure of the eastern Pacific ITCZs and associated circulation using the TRMM Precipitation Radar and in situ data

AbstractThe atmospheric circulation associated with the eastern Pacific single and double ITCZs, particularly its vertical structure, is little known due to the sparce observations. Using precipitation profiles from the Tropical Rainfall Measure Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar, with approximations to the liquid water and energy budget equations, we estimated vertical profiles of latent heating and vertical velocity in the far eastern Pacific (95°W–85°W) ITCZs in the 800–730 hPa layer. We combined this with Eastern Pacific Investigation of Climate campaign (EPIC2001) and other in situ data to produce a preliminary characterization of the meridional‐vertical circulation. We found evidence of a double‐cell structure in boreal fall between the ITCZ and the equator, with both shallow and upper level peaks in vertical velocity. In spring, the flow poleward of the two ITCZs has a single‐cell structure, although around the equator it shows some hints of the double cells. Reanalysis and satellite‐based data are shown to be unreliable for describing the vertical structure of the circulation.

The microphysical contributions to and evolution of latent heating profiles in two MC3E MCSs

AbstractThe shapes and magnitudes of latent heating profiles have been shown to be different within the convective and stratiform regions of mesoscale convective systems (MCSs). Properly representing these distinctions has significant implications for the atmospheric responses to latent heating on various scales. This study details (1) the microphysical process contributions to latent heating profiles within MCS convective, stratiform, and anvil regions and (2) the time evolution of these profiles throughout the MCS lifetime, using cloud‐resolving model simulations. Simulations of two MCS events that occurred during the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) are conducted. Several features of the simulated MCSs are compared to a suite of observations obtained during the MC3E field campaign, and it is concluded that the simulations reasonably reproduce the MCS events. The simulations show that condensation and deposition are the primary contributors to MCS latent warming, as compared to riming and nucleation processes. In terms of MCS latent cooling, sublimation, melting, and evaporation all play significant roles. It is evident that throughout the MCS lifecycle, convective regions demonstrate an approximately linear decrease in the magnitudes of latent heating rates, while latent heating within stratiform regions is associated with transitions between MCS flow regimes. Such information regarding the temporal evolution of latent heating within convective and stratiform MCS regions could be useful in developing parameterizations representing convective organization.