Universität zu Köln

Tridon, Frederic, Planche, Celine ORCID: 0000-0001-8007-623X, Mroz, Kamil, Banson, Sandra, Battaglia, Alessandro ORCID: 0000-0001-9243-3484, Van Baelen, Joel and Wobrock, Wolfram (2019). On the Realism of the Rain Microphysics Representation of a Squall Line in the WRF Model. Part I: Evaluation with Multifrequency Cloud Radar Doppler Spectra Observations. Mon. Weather Rev., 147 (8). S. 2787 - 2811. BOSTON: AMER METEOROLOGICAL SOC. ISSN 1520-0493

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

This study investigates how multifrequency cloud radar observations can be used to evaluate the representation of rain microphysics in the WRF Model using two bulk microphysics schemes. A squall line observed over Oklahoma on 12 June 2011 is used as a case study. A recently developed retrieval technique combining observations of two vertically pointing cloud radars provides quantitative description of the drop size distribution (DSD) properties of the transition and stratiform regions of the squall-line system. For the first time, the results of this multifrequency cloud radar retrieval are compared to more conventional retrievals from a nearby polarimetric radar, and a supplementary result of this work is that this new methodology provides a much more detailed description of the DSD vertical and temporal variations. While the extent and evolution of the squall line is well reproduced by the model, the 1-h low-reflectivity transition region is not. In the stratiform region, simulations with both schemes are able to reproduce the observed downdraft and the associated significative subsaturation below the melting level, but with a slight overestimation of the relative humidity. Under this subsaturated air, the simulated rain mixing ratio continuously decreases toward the ground, in agreement with the observations. Conversely, the profiles of the mean volume diameter and the concentration parameter of the DSDs are not well reproduced. These discrepancies pinpoint at an issue in the representation of rain microphysics. The companion paper, investigates the sources of the biases in the microphysics processes in the rain layer by performing numerical sensitivity studies.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Tridon, Frederic UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Planche, Celine UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0001-8007-623X UNSPECIFIED Mroz, Kamil UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Banson, Sandra UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Battaglia, Alessandro UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0001-9243-3484 UNSPECIFIED Van Baelen, Joel UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Wobrock, Wolfram UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-134103
DOI:	10.1175/MWR-D-18-0018.1
Journal or Publication Title:	Mon. Weather Rev.
Volume:	147
Number:	8
Page Range:	S. 2787 - 2811
Date:	2019
Publisher:	AMER METEOROLOGICAL SOC
Place of Publication:	BOSTON
ISSN:	1520-0493
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language SIZE DISTRIBUTION PARAMETERS; STRATIFORM PRECIPITATION; VERTICAL EVOLUTION; TRANSITION ZONE; WATER-VAPOR; IMPACT; REFLECTIVITY; RADIATION; DISTRIBUTIONS; SIMULATIONS Multiple languages Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Multiple languages
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/13410