Vapor Content Research Articles

Atmospheric recycling of volatiles by pebble-accreting planets

ABSTRACT Planets, embedded in their natal discs, harbour hot envelopes. When pebbles are accreted by these planets, the contained volatile components may sublimate, enriching the envelope and potentially changing its thermodynamical properties. However, the envelopes of embedded planets actively exchange material with the disc, which would limit the buildup of a vapour-rich atmosphere. To properly investigate these processes, we have developed a new phase change module to treat the sublimation process with hydrodynamical simulations. Combined with the recently developed multidust fluid approach, we conduct 2D self-consistent hydrodynamic simulations to study how pebble sublimation influences the water content of super-Earths and sub-Neptunes. We find the extent and the amount of vapour that a planet is able to hold on to is determined by the relative size of the sublimation front and the atmosphere. When the sublimation front lies far inside the atmosphere, vapour tends to be locked deep in the atmosphere and keeps accumulating through a positive feedback mechanism. On the other hand, when the sublimation front exceeds the (bound) atmosphere, the ice component of incoming pebbles can be fully recycled and the vapour content reaches a low, steady value. Low disc temperature, small planet mass, and high pebble flux (omitting accretion heating by pebbles) render the planet atmosphere vapour-rich while the reverse changes render it vapour-poor. The phase change module introduced here can in future studies also be employed to model the chemical composition of the gas in the vicinity of accreting planets and around snowlines.

Changes in atmospheric moisture transport over tropical South America: an analysis under a climate change scenario

Warming induced by increased greenhouse gas emissions is intensifying the global water cycle and increasing the water vapor content of the global atmosphere. However, there is a lack of scientific literature assessing how regional atmospheric moisture transport and recycling will change in a warming climate. This work analyzes the projections of atmospheric moisture transport and recycling over tropical South America by the end of the twenty-first century (2070–2100) under a climate change scenario (RCP8.5). We used the Dynamic Recycling Model to estimate atmospheric moisture contributions to the region considering input data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts ERA5 reanalysis and 11 models included in the Fifth Phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. Projected increases of precipitable water in tropical South America are linked with increased evaporation from the oceans. However, those projections also indicate (1) reductions in the precipitation contributed by the main atmospheric moisture sources to the continental regions of tropical South America, (2) reductions of total precipitation, and (3) reductions of recycled precipitation over the region. The largest reductions of precipitation recycling are projected over the southern Amazon during the dry-to-wet transition season (about 31%) and the northern Amazon during its dry season (about 25%). This is particularly relevant since the southern Amazon has experienced the occurrence of longer dry seasons during the recent decades and has been highlighted as a hotspot of climate change.

Analysis of the effect of the 2021 Semeru eruption on water vapor content and atmospheric particles using GNSS and remote sensing

Mount Semeru, an active volcano in East Java, Indonesia, erupted on December 4, 2021, following extreme rainfall that caused an avalanche of hot pyroclastic flows and lava. The tropospheric conditions and dominant particle components in the atmosphere can be monitored using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology and remote sensing satellites. GNSS signal propagation delay in Precise Point Positioning (PPP) processing can be used to determine Zenith Tropospheric Delay (ZTD) and Precipitable Water Vapor (PWV) variables so that atmospheric conditions can be generated. In addition, by using remote sensing satellite data, it is possible to obtain rainfall data with high temporal resolution as well as the dominant particle and gas content values during eruptions. During the eruption period, the high value of PWV was dominated by the high intensity of precipitation during the rainy season. High rainfall before the eruption caused activity inside the mountain to increase, which occurred in avalanche type eruption. Apart from that, the atmosphere around Semeru was also dominated by SO2 content, which spreaded for tens of kilometers. SO2 content began to be detected significantly by remote sensing sensors on December 7, 2021. In this study, deformation and atmospheric monitoring were also carried out using low-cost GNSS at the Semeru Monitoring Station on September 9–15, 2022. The results of the ZTD and ZWD values show the dominance of the wet component, which is directly proportional to rainfall activity in this period.

Constraints on the Ratio between Tropical Land and Ocean Precipitation Derived from a Conceptual Water Balance Model

Abstract Which processes control the mean amounts of precipitation received by tropical land and ocean? Do large-scale constraints exist on the ratio between the two? We address these questions using a conceptual box model based on water balance equations. With empirical but physically motivated parameterizations of the water balance components, we construct a set of coupled differential equations that describe the dynamical behavior of the water vapor content over land and ocean as well as the land’s soil moisture content. For a closed model configuration with one ocean and one land box, we compute equilibrium solutions across the parameter space and analyze their sensitivity to parameter choices. The precipitation ratio χ, defined as the ratio between mean land and ocean precipitation rates, quantifies the land–sea precipitation contrast. We find that χ is bounded between zero and one as long as the presence of land does not affect the relationship between water vapor path and precipitation. However, for the tested parameter values, 95% of the obtained χ values are even larger than 0.75. The sensitivity analysis reveals that χ is primarily controlled by the efficiency of atmospheric moisture transport rather than by land surface parameters. We further investigate under which conditions precipitation enhancement over land (χ > 1) would be possible. An open model configuration with an island between two ocean boxes and nonzero external advection into the domain can yield χ values larger than one, but only for a small subset of parameter choices, characterized by small land fractions and a sufficiently large moisture influx through the windward boundary.

Mathematical Simulation of Honeycomb Weathering via Moisture Transport and Salt Deposition

Honeycomb weathering is a common phenomenon found on various rock surfaces all around the world. However, honeycomb formation mechanisms are still poorly understood. In this study, we propose a model describing moisture transport within the sandstone and erosion resulting from salt deposition during evaporation of moisture off the rock surface. The moisture transport model is based on the non-linear diffusion equation, where the volumetric moisture content is a combined parameter accounting for the moisture and gas (vapor) content. The moisture transport model accounts for the several-orders-of-magnitude decrease in moisture diffusivity, observed during drying. It was assumed that erosion occurs when the evaporation front is located close to the rock surface. The depth of erosion is proportional to the moisture flow rate through the drying surface. The ABAQUS finite-element software suite was used for numerical solution of the non-linear diffusion equation. The iterative scheme of erosion simulation for different drying cycles was implemented using the Python programming language. Computations were conducted in the 2D setting for the square model with dimensions of 50 mm × 50 mm. Simulation results demonstrate the possibility of obtaining various landform shapes (honeycombs, tafoni) by varying only the value of the distribution of moisture content at the bottom side, simulating the rate of internal wetting of rock.

Influence of different ignition delay times on the pressure rise rate in hybrid mixture explosions in the 20-L sphere

For the development of a standardized method for measuring the explosion safety characteristics of combustible hybrid dust/vapor mixtures, the influence of the ignition delay time needs to be investigated. The ignition delay time, defined as the time between the injection of dust and the activation of the ignition source, is related to the turbulence of the mixture and thus to the pressure rise rate. The ignition source for pure vapors, however, has to be activated in a quiescent atmosphere according to the standards. Nevertheless, when measuring the explosion safety characteristics of hybrid mixtures, it is important that the dust be in suspension around the igniter. Like pure dust/air mixtures, hybrid dust/vapor/air mixtures need to be ignited in a turbulent atmosphere to keep the dust in suspension.This work will therefore investigate the influence of ignition delay times on the severity of hybrid explosions. It was generally found that at shorter ignition delay times, (dp/dt)ex increased due to higher turbulence and decreases as the dust sinks to the bottom of the 20 L-sphere. This effect is more pronounced for hybrid mixtures with higher vapor content compared to dust content.

Aerosol Indirect Effects on Water Vapor in the UTLS of Typhoon Saomai (2006)

AbstractThe evolution of landfalling Typhoon Saomai (2006) is simulated using the Weather Research and Forecasting model with spectral bin microphysics scheme, showing tropical cyclone (TC) could vertically transport water vapor from troposphere to upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). Three aerosol sensitivity experiments are conducted to explore the indirect effects of aerosol served as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) on overshooting convection (OTC) and water vapor content in UTLS, namely MAR (maritime), MIX (semi‐continental) and CON (continental). Results revealed that CON simulation with high initial aerosol concentration showing invigorated convection at the periphery of the TC, which interfered with the reformation of TC eyewall, leading to TC weakening finally. In addition, CON simulated the least water content in UTLS through suppressing the number of convection overshooting the tropopause level. Most overshooting events take place during TC developing stage in the eyewall region before landfall. Higher levels of CCN concentration could lead to decreased number of OTC in TC, consistently reduced the water vapor content in UTLS. CON and MIX experiments simulated respectively 21.9% (16.2%) and 9.96% (1.5%) less OTC (water vapor content in UTLS) than MAR simulation. Water vapor content in UTLS is affected by the interaction of OTC and ice‐phase microphysics. The interesting point is that the CCN sensitivity experiments show that water vapor content in UTLS of a TC is sensitive to the CCN concentration in the boundary layer.

Occurrence Form of Potassium Vapor in Sinter and Its Effect on Reduction Degradation Indexes

In this study, potassium vapor was prepared by using potassium carbonate (K2CO3) and activated carbon (C) reagents to simulate the actual situation of adsorbing potassium vapor from the sinter in the blast furnace. The potassium-rich sinter was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS). The effects of potassium vapor content on the enrichment ratio, adsorption rate, and low-temperature reduction degradation index (RDI+3.15mm) of sinter have been studied. The results show that with the increase of potassium vapor content, the enrichment ratio of potassium in the sinter increases, and the adsorption rate of potassium in the sinter increases first and then decreases, which was opposite to the trend of the low-temperature reductive degradation index of the sinter. When the potassium vapor content was increased by 50 times, the enrichment ratio and low-temperature reduction powder of the sinter are the highest, which were 2576% and 85.3%, respectively, and the adsorption rate of the sinter was the lowest, which is 51.5%. Meanwhile, potassium vapor changes from physical adsorption K2CO3 to chemical adsorption KFeO2 as the potassium vapor content increases. In addition, the transformation of the occurrence form of potassium vapor in the sinter during the rising process has also been clarified.

Real-time mass detection of trace water vapor frosting on a cryogenic surface based on quartz crystal Microbalance (QCM) sensor

Trace water vapor remaining in a large-scale cryogenic wind tunnel may form an extremely thin frost layer on the scaled model, significantly affecting the aerodynamic characteristics and degrading the data quality. Developing a high-precision detection method for trace water vapor frosting can be very helpful in revealing the underlying mechanisms. In this work, utilizing the relationship between deposited mass and frequency variation of Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM), an ultra-sensitive (nanogram level) mass sensor for cryogenic and flow conditions was developed. Furthermore, after investigating the effects of different parameters (flow velocity, pressure, temperature and mass) on frequency, the real-time mass detection of trace water vapor frosting under cryogenic and flow conditions was achieved for the first time. The results show that the effect of flow velocity or pressure on frequency is almost negligible compared to that of temperature or mass. Although temperature (from 290 K to 140 K) has a significant effect on frequency, by using the relationship between the measurement surface and the reference surface, the separate effect of mass on frequency can be obtained and the real-time mass detection is achieved. The calculated total deposited mass by trace water vapor frosting is about 4.64 μg/cm2 when the water vapor content, lowest surface temperature, pressure, velocity and frosting time are 186.5 ppb, 140 K, 0.1 MPa(G), 1.0 m/s, 160 min, respectively. This self-designed device and the analysis results of this work can be used as a reference for the quantitative measurement of trace water frosting as well as the phase change process of other trace substances in cryogenic and flow environments.

Experimental Investigation of Removal of SO3 from Flue Gas with Modified Fly Ash Adsorbents.

The removal of nonconventional pollutants in coal-fired power plants, such as SO3, has been receiving more and more attention. However, due to its unique nature, it is difficult to remove SO3 effectively with the widely used wet flue gas desulfurization systems. Nowadays, dry-sorbent injection technology has become a promising method for SO3 emission control in coal-fired power plants. The removal characteristics of SO3 from flue gas with modified fly ash adsorbents were investigated in a fixed-bed reactor. Factors affecting the adsorption efficiency of SO3 were studied, including modification method, modified fly ash adsorbent particle size, reaction temperature, and flue gas component. Combined with adsorbent characterization analysis, the adsorption kinetics of SO3 by modified fly ash adsorbents were carried out with four different adsorption kinetics models. The results show that the SO3 adsorption efficiency of the fly ash samples increases after modification; the best SO3 removal performance of fly ash was achieved when 1.5 mol/L NaOH solution was used, with the highest SO3 adsorption efficiency of up to 98.3%. The modified fly ash adsorbent particle size, water vapor content, and the addition of NO have little effect on the adsorption efficiency of SO3. As the reaction temperature increases from 250 to 450 °C, the SO3 adsorption efficiency first increases and then decreases, with an optimal reaction temperature of 350 °C. The addition of SO2 would compete with SO3 for adsorption and inhibit the uptake of SO3 by the adsorbent. Adsorption kinetics data show that external mass transfer and chemical adsorption are the main critical mechanisms affecting the adsorption efficiency of the modified fly ash adsorbent in the SO3 removal process compared to internal diffusion.

Study on the mechanism and reaction characteristics of metal-supported phosphogypsum as oxygen carrier in a chemical looping gasification application

This study aimed to explore the chemical looping gasification (CLG) reaction characteristics of the metal-supported composite phosphogypsum (PG) oxygen carriers (OCs) and the thermodynamic mechanism. The FactSage 7.1 thermodynamic simulation was used to explore the oxygen release and H2S removal mechanisms. The experimental results showed that the syngas yield of CLG with PG-CuFe2O4 was more than that with PG–Fe2O320/CuO40 or PG–Fe2O330/CuO30 OC at 1023 K when the water vapor content was 0.3. Furthermore, the maximum syngas yield of the CO selectivity was 70.3% and of the CO2 selectivity was 23.8%. The H2/CO value was 0.78, and the highest carbon conversion efficiency was 91.9% in PG-CuFe2O4 at the gasification temperature of 1073 K. The metal-supported PG composite oxygen carrier was proved not only as an oxygen carrier to participate in the preparation of syngas but also as a catalyst to catalyze coal gasification reactions. Furthermore, both the experimental results and FactSage 7.1 thermodynamic analysis revealed that the trapping mechanism of H2S by composite OCs was as follows: CuO first lost lattice oxygen as an oxygen carrier to generate Cu2O, which, in turn, reacted with H2S to generate Cu2S. This study provided efficient guidance and reference for OC design in CLG.

The sources of extreme precipitation predictability; the case of the ‘Wet’ Red Sea Trough

Extreme precipitation events inflict detrimental socio-economic impacts in the Eastern Mediterranean. These are mainly associated with Mediterranean cyclones or the ‘Wet’ Red Sea Trough (WRST). The region's weather forecasters consider the second challenging to forecast, even just a few days in advance. Here, we study the dynamic and thermodynamic factors influencing the intrinsic predictability of WRST events. With this aim, we combine insights from traditional atmospheric analysis techniques, Lagrangian air-parcel backward trajectories, and dynamical systems theory. The latter describes atmospheric states via their local dimension (d) and inverse persistence (θ), which inform us of the intrinsic predictability of the atmosphere in phase space. We compare WRST events of low (upper decile of d and θ) with high (lower decile of d and θ) predictability. We argue that low-predictability events display a significantly different atmospheric pattern. Moreover, the low-predictability events show significantly higher daily precipitation rates, more extensive spatial spread, and greater precipitation variability among events than more predictable ones. On average, low predictability events are initiated by two distinct moisture sources with different water vapor content. We conclude that the dynamical systems framework may become a valuable tool to improve the forecast of extreme precipitation events associated with the WRST by providing a priori information on their intrinsic predictability. We foresee successfully implementing such a framework for other extreme weather events and regions.

Study of the interaction between NH3 and NO in the reduction zone of air-staged ammonia combustion under high moisture atmosphere

NH3 is used as a hydrogen-rich fuel, and the water vapor content produced by combustion can reach 30%. However, high NOx emission is one of the main problems restricting its application. The air-staged combustion is an effective low-NOx combustion strategy, subdividing the combustion process into three typical sections: the main combustion zone, the reduction zone, and the burnout zone. Fully utilizing the reaction between NH3 and NO in the reduction zone is expected to achieve an effective control of NOx emission. This research aims to explore the reduction ability of the residual NH3 on NO reduction in the reduction zone under high moisture atmosphere formed by ammonia combustion. An isothermal flow reactor was used to study the kinetic characteristics of the NH3/NO reaction under no-oxygen or residual low-oxygen condition in a wide temperature range (1073–1773K) and a high water vapor content range (0–50%). Additionally, three chemical kinetic models were used in simulations. The results showed that oxygen significantly changes the effect of water vapor on the NH3/NO reaction. In the absence of oxygen, water vapor has less effect on NH3/NO reaction at lower temperatures (<1500K). In the presence of oxygen, the increase of water vapor content leads to a significant shift of the reaction temperature window to higher temperatures and a decrease of the maximum NO reduction efficiency. Finally, the remarks about using residual NH3 to complete NOx removal in ammonia combustion were discussed.

Satellite observations of smoke–cloud–radiation interactions over the Amazon rainforest

Abstract. The Amazon rainforest routinely experiences intense and long-lived biomass burning events that result in smoke plumes that cover vast regions. The spatial and temporal extent of the plumes and the complex pathways through which they interact with the atmosphere have proved challenging to measure for purposes of gaining a representative understanding of smoke impacts on the Amazonian atmosphere. In this study, we use multiple collocated satellite sensors on board AQUA and TERRA platforms to study the underlying smoke–cloud–radiation interactions during the diurnal cycle. An 18-year time series for both morning and afternoon overpasses is constructed, providing collocated measurements of aerosol optical depth (AOD; column-integrated aerosol extinction), cloud properties, top-of-atmosphere radiative fluxes, precipitation, and column water vapour content from independent sources. The long-term time series reduces the impact of interannual variability and provides robust evidence that smoke significantly modifies the Amazonian atmosphere. Low loadings of smoke (AOD ≤ 0.4) enhance convective activity, cloudiness, and precipitation, but higher loadings (AOD &gt; 0.4) strongly suppress afternoon convection and promote low-level cloud occurrence. Accumulated precipitation increases with convective activity but remains elevated under high smoke loadings, suggesting fewer but more intense convective cells. Contrasting morning and afternoon cloud responses to smoke are observed, in line with recent simulations. Observations of top-of-atmosphere radiative fluxes support the findings and show that the response of low-level cloud properties and cirrus coverage to smoke results in a pronounced and consistent increase in top-of-atmosphere outgoing radiation (cooling) of up to 50 W m−2 for an AOD perturbation of +1.0. The results demonstrate that smoke strongly modifies the atmosphere over the Amazon via widespread changes to the cloud field properties. Rapid adjustments work alongside instantaneous radiative effects to drive a stronger cooling effect from smoke than previously thought, whilst contrasting morning and afternoon responses of liquid and ice water paths highlight a potential method for constraining aerosol impacts on climate. Increased drought susceptibility, land use change, and deforestation will have important and widespread impacts on the region over the coming decades. Based on this analysis, we anticipate that further increases in anthropogenic fire activity will associated with an overall reduction in regional precipitation and a negative forcing (cooling) on the Earth's energy budget.

Energy efficiency improvement for industrial boilers through a flue-gas condensing heat recovery system with nonlinear MPC approach

Recovering waste heat from boiler’s exhaust flue gas has proven to be an effective way to improve energy efficiency in industrial boilers. Generally, a hydraulic design based on Condensing heat exchangers (CHXs) that boosts startup efficiency by increasing feed-water temperature and condensation rate in the CHX is suggested. In this paper, an innovative coupled CHX and heat accumulation system is presented. A detailed 1-D reference model of the system is formulated and validated by experimental data. Although the mentioned innovative heat recovery system alone is able to enhance the boiler’s efficiency, the optimal performance extremely depends on the way it is operated. Furthermore, accurately estimating and predicting the condensation heat of the CHX is crucial for enhancing efficiency, yet the task is challenging due to the vapor content’s phase change in the flue gas. To address these issues, a Nonlinear Model Predictive Controller (NMPC) is implemented, which utilizes a constrained optimal observer to handle the system’s hybrid behavior. The performance of the proposed NMPC is evaluated against Linear MPC and conventional PID control. Results show that the proposed approach provides 48 [kg/h] saving in fuel consumption, which is about 6% more than the heuristic approach and 3.5% more than linear MPC technique.

Comparative study of bin and bulk microphysical schemes in simulating a heavy snowfall event that occurred in Beijing during the 2022 Winter Olympic Games

A heavy snowfall event that struck Beijing during February 12-13, 2022, affected some of the training sessions and events of the Winter Olympic Games. This heavy snowfall event was simulated using the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting Model with both the two-moment bulk scheme (BULK) and the spectral bin microphysics scheme (BIN), and the differences in surface precipitation, radar reflectivity, and cloud microphysics processes were compared and analyzed. It was found that surface precipitation was dominated by solid precipitation particles. The 24-h accumulated precipitation of the BULK simulation was larger than that of the BIN simulation, but both were smaller than that observed. The BIN simulation was closer to the observations in terms of the trends of variation in precipitation rate and radar reflectivity during the period of heavy precipitation. The maximum and minimum vertical velocities of the BIN simulation were notably higher than those of the BULK simulation, and the water vapor content of the BIN scheme at the heights of the −10 to −20°C levels and above the −38°C level was substantially higher than that of the BULK scheme. The contents of cloud water and snow simulated by the BIN scheme were much higher than those simulated by the BULK scheme. The nucleation of ice crystals in the middle and high layers of the BULK scheme was obvious, whereas such a process was not evident in the BIN scheme. The net production rate of ice crystals and snow simulated by the BULK scheme was stronger near the surface than that simulated by the BIN scheme, and a second peak in the conversion rate existed at heights very close to the surface below 1 km, which might account for the greater intensity of precipitation in the BULK scheme. The latent heat simulated by the BULK scheme was larger (smaller) than that simulated by the BIN scheme below (above) the height of 2 km.

Effect of water vapour on the interface reaction between carbon brick and molten iron in blast furnace hearth

ABSTRACT In the production process of blast furnace, the damage of cooler and tuyere sleeve and some operation problems often lead to ponding in the hearth. Steam will not only oxidize carbon bricks, but also lead to the falling off of solidification layer, which poses a great threat to the longevity of the hearth. By studying the influence of water vapour content change, the influence mechanism of water vapour on the interface between carbon brick and molten iron in blast furnace hearth is revealed. The results show that the entry of water vapour will isolate the molten iron and carbon brick, and oxidize in contact with the carbon brick, increase the ceramic phase, dissolve into the molten iron, destroy the carbon brick structure at the iron carbon interface, produce spalling, accelerate the destruction and falling off of the solidification layer, so as to reduce the service life of the blast furnace.

Potensi Kulit Ubi Kayu (Manihot Esculenta) di Kecamatan Koto Xl Tarusan sebagai Sumber Karbon untuk Material Maju

The purpose of this research is the optimal carbonization temperature, to obtain economical, environmentally friendly and quality carbon from cassava peel waste. Cassava peel carbon is synthesized through a carbonization process. The method used to manufacture carbon from cassava peel is by calcining it in a furnace at various temperatures of 250℃, 350℃, and 450 for 1 hour. The carbon obtained was tested for ash content, vapor content and bound carbon. In this study, the standard used to determine the characteristics of the carbon produced is the Indonesian National Standard (SNI 06-3730-1995). The results showed that the optimal carbonization temperature for cassava peel carbon was 250℃, where the ash content was 7.14%, the vapor content was 5.32% and the bound carbon was 87.54%. Based on these results, it can be concluded that cassava peel waste can be used as carbon that meets the Indonesian National Standard (SNI 06-3730-1995).

Potensi Kulit Kacang Tanah (Arachis hypogaea) Sebagai Sumber Karbon Untuk Material Maju

Carbon material is one example of the development of advanced materials. Carbon is the result of the decomposition of an organic compound through an imperfect carbonization process. Carbon can be utilized from organic waste materials containing cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and starch. The composition of peanut shells is 65.7% cellulose, the high content of cellulose in peanut shells makes it a potential carbon source. The method used for the manufacture of peanut shell carbon is calcination at various temperatures of 250 0C, 300 0C, 350 0C and 400 0C. Carbon proximate analysis was carried out by testing the ash content, vapor content and bound carbon content. In this study the standard used is SNI 06-3730-1995. The results of the analysis showed that the ash content increased with increasing calcination temperature, while the vapor content decreased with increasing calcination temperature. The carbon content obtained decreases with increasing calcination temperature. The optimum condition of peanut shell carbon close to SNI 06-3730-1995 was obtained at carbon with a calcination temperature of 250 0C, 5.10% and a vapor content of 7.41% and a bound carbon content of 87.49%.

Multiscale Processes Leading to Heavy Precipitation in the Eastern Nepal Himalayas

Abstract The processes underlying heavy rainfall in the higher elevations of the Himalayas are still not well known despite their importance. Here, we examine the detailed process causing a heavy rainfall event, observed by our rain gauge network in the Rolwaling valley, eastern Nepal Himalayas, using ERA5 and a regional cloud-resolving numerical simulation. Heavy precipitation (112 mm day−1) was observed on 8 July 2019 at Dongang (2790 m above sea level). Most of the precipitation (81 mm) occurred during 1900–2300 local time (LT). The synoptic-scale environment is characterized by a monsoon low pressure system (LPS) over northeastern India. The LPS lifted moisture upward from the lower troposphere and then horizontally transported it into the eastern Nepal Himalayas within the middle troposphere, increasing the content of the water vapor around Dongang. A mesoscale convective system passed over Dongang around the time of the intense precipitation. The numerical simulation showed that surface heat fluxes prevailed under the middle tropospheric (∼500 hPa) southeasterly flow associated with the LPS around a mountain ridge on the upwind side of Dongang until 1900 LT, enhancing convective instability. Topographic lifting led to the release of the enhanced instability, which triggered the development of a mesoscale precipitation system. The southeasterly flow pushed the precipitation system northward, which then passed over Dongang during 2000–2200 LT, resulting in heavy precipitation. Thus, we conclude that the heavy precipitation came from the multiscale processes such as three-dimensional moisture transport driven by the LPS and the diurnal variation in heat fluxes from the land surface. Significance Statement Precipitation in the Himalayas is closely related to the hydrological cycle, floods, and landslide disasters in South Asia. Thus, elucidating the features of precipitation in the Himalayas is important. This study explored multiscale processes leading to a heavy precipitation event that was observed on 8 July 2019 at Dongang in the Rolwaling valley of the eastern Nepal Himalayas. We identified new processes producing heavy precipitation in the Himalayas: the three-dimensional synoptic-scale moisture transport driven by a monsoon low pressure system and the effect of the diurnal variation in heat fluxes from the land surface on the development and movement of a mesoscale precipitation system causing heavy precipitation. These findings broaden our understanding of heavy precipitation in the Himalayas.