Characteristics of Summer Convective Systems Initiated over the Tibetan Plateau. Part I: Origin, Track, Development, and Precipitation

2008 ◽  
Vol 47 (10) ◽  
pp. 2679-2695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Yaodong ◽  
Wang Yun ◽  
Song Yang ◽  
Hu Liang ◽  
Gao Shouting ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission ◽  
Convective System ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Eastern Area ◽  
Convective Systems ◽  
Late Night ◽  
Basic Characteristics

Abstract Summer convective systems (CSs) initiated over the Tibetan Plateau identified by the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) deep convection database and associated Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation for 1998–2001 have been analyzed for their basic characteristics in terms of initiation, distribution, trajectory, development, life cycle, convective intensity, and precipitation. Summer convective systems have a dominant center over the Hengduan Mountain and a secondary center over the Yaluzangbu River Valley. Precipitation associated with these CSs contributes more than 60% of total precipitation over the central-eastern area of the Tibetan Plateau and 30%–40% over the adjacent region to its southeast. The average CS life cycle is about 36 h; 85% of CSs disappear within 60 h of their initiation. About 50% of CSs do not move out of the Tibetan region, with the remainder split into eastward- and southward-moving components. These CSs moving out the Tibetan Plateau are generally larger, have longer life spans, and produce more rainfall than those staying inside the region. Convective system occurrences and associated rainfall present robust diurnal variations. The midafternoon maximum of CS initiation and associated rainfall over the plateau is mainly induced by solar heating linked to the unique Tibetan geography. The delayed afternoon–late night peak of rainfall from CSs propagating out of this region is a combined outcome of multiple mechanisms working together. Results suggest that interactions of summer Tibetan CSs with the orientation of the unique Tibetan geography and the surrounding atmospheric circulations are important for the development, intensification, propagation, and life span of these CSs.

scholarly journals Deep Convective System Evolution over Africa and the Tropical Atlantic

2007 ◽  
Vol 20 (20) ◽  
pp. 5041-5060 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna M. Futyan ◽  
Anthony D. Del Genio
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Thermal Flux ◽  
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission ◽  
System Size ◽  
Convective System ◽  
System Evolution ◽  
Convective Systems ◽  
Life Cycle Stages ◽  
Satellite Radar

Abstract In the tropical African and neighboring Atlantic region there is a strong contrast in the properties of deep convection between land and ocean. Here, satellite radar observations are used to produce a composite picture of the life cycle of convection in these two regions. Estimates of the broadband thermal flux from the geostationary Meteosat-8 satellite are used to identify and track organized convective systems over their life cycle. The evolution of the system size and vertical extent are used to define five life cycle stages (warm and cold developing, mature, cold and warm dissipating), providing the basis for the composite analysis of the system evolution. The tracked systems are matched to overpasses of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite, and a composite picture of the evolution of various radar and lightning characteristics is built up. The results suggest a fundamental difference in the convective life cycle between land and ocean. African storms evolve from convectively active systems with frequent lightning in their developing stages to more stratiform conditions as they dissipate. Over the Atlantic, the convective fraction remains essentially constant into the dissipating stages, and lightning occurrence peaks late in the life cycle. This behavior is consistent with differences in convective sustainability in land and ocean regions as proposed in previous studies. The area expansion rate during the developing stages of convection is used to provide an estimate of the intensity of convection. Reasonable correlations are found between this index and the convective system lifetime, size, and depth.

scholarly journals Characteristics of Deep Convective Systems and Initiation during Warm Seasons over China and Its Vicinity

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 4289
Author(s):  
Yang Li ◽  
Yubao Liu ◽  
Yun Chen ◽  
Baojun Chen ◽  
Xin Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
South China ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Statistical Characteristics ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Spatiotemporal Resolution ◽  
Convective Systems ◽  
Seasonal And Diurnal Variations ◽  
Deep Convective Systems ◽  
Guizhou Plateau

The spatiotemporal statistical characteristics of warm-season deep convective systems, particularly deep convective systems initiation (DCSI), over China and its vicinity are investigated using Himawari-8 geostationary satellite measurements collected during April-September from 2016 to 2020. Based on a satellite brightness temperature multiple-threshold convection identification and tracking method, a total of 47593 deep convective systems with lifetimes of at least 3 h were identified in the region. There are three outstanding local maxima in the region, located in the southwestern, central and eastern Tibetan Plateau and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, followed by a region of high convective activities in South China. Most convective systems are developed over the Tibetan Plateau, predominantly eastward-moving, while those developed in Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and South China mostly move westward and southwestward. The DSCI occurrences become extremely active after the onset of the summer monsoon and tend to reach a maximum in July and August, with a diurnal peak at 11–13 LST in response to the enhanced solar heating and monsoon flows. Several DCSI hotspots are identified in the regions of inland mountains, tropical islands and coastal mountains during daytime, but in basins, plains and coastal areas during nighttime. DCSI over land and oceans exhibits significantly different sub-seasonal and diurnal variations. Oceanic DCSI has an ambiguous diurnal variation, although its sub-seasonal variation is similar to that over land. It is demonstrated that the high spatiotemporal resolution satellite dataset provides rich information for understanding the convective systems over China and vicinity, particularly the complex terrain and oceans where radar observations are sparse or none, which will help to improve the convective systems and initiation nowcasting.

scholarly journals Backward Adaptive Brightness Temperature Threshold Technique (BAB3T): A Methodology to Determine Extreme Convective Initiation Regions Using Satellite Infrared Imagery

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 337
Author(s):  
Maite Cancelada ◽  
Paola Salio ◽  
Daniel Vila ◽  
Stephen W. Nesbitt ◽  
Luciano Vidal
Keyword(s):  
Brightness Temperature ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Convective System ◽  
Temperature Threshold ◽  
Lightning Flash ◽  
Convective Initiation ◽  
Convective Storms ◽  
Convective Systems ◽  
Diurnal Cycles ◽  
Backward Tracking

Thunderstorms in southeastern South America (SESA) stand out in satellite observations as being among the strongest on Earth in terms of satellite-based convective proxies, such as lightning flash rate per storm, the prevalence for extremely tall, wide convective cores and broad stratiform regions. Accurately quantifying when and where strong convection is initiated presents great interest in operational forecasting and convective system process studies due to the relationship between convective storms and severe weather phenomena. This paper generates a novel methodology to determine convective initiation (CI) signatures associated with extreme convective systems, including extreme events. Based on the well-established area-overlapping technique, an adaptive brightness temperature threshold for identification and backward tracking with infrared data is introduced in order to better identify areas of deep convection associated with and embedded within larger cloud clusters. This is particularly important over SESA because ground-based weather radar observations are currently limited to particular areas. Extreme rain precipitation features (ERPFs) from Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission are examined to quantify the full satellite-observed life cycle of extreme convective events, although this technique allows examination of other intense convection proxies such as the identification of overshooting tops. CI annual and diurnal cycles are analyzed and distinctive behaviors are observed for different regions over SESA. It is found that near principal mountain barriers, a bimodal diurnal CI distribution is observed denoting the existence of multiple CI triggers, while convective initiation over flat terrain has a maximum frequency in the afternoon.

scholarly journals Statistical Characteristics of Mesoscale Convective Systems Initiated over the Tibetan Plateau in Summer by Fengyun Satellite and Precipitation Estimates

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1652
Author(s):  
Xidi Zhang ◽  
Wenqiang Shen ◽  
Xiaoyong Zhuge ◽  
Shunan Yang ◽  
Yun Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Mesoscale Convective Systems ◽  
Statistical Characteristics ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Convective Systems ◽  
Lower Cloud ◽  
Mesoscale Convective ◽  
Precipitation Estimates ◽  
High Level

In order to investigate the key characteristics of mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) initiated over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) in recent years and the main differences in circulation and environmental factors between different types of MCSs, an automatic MCS identification and tracking method was applied based on the data from China’s Fengyun satellite and precipitation estimates. In total, 8820 MCSs were found to have been initiated over the TP during the summers from 2013 to 2019, and a total of 9.3% of them were able to move eastward out of the TP (EO). The number of MCSs showed a monthly variation, with a maximum in July and a minimum in June, while most EOs occurred in June. Compared with other types of MCSs, EOs usually had a lower cloud-top temperature, a greater rainfall intensity, a longer life duration, more rapid development, larger areas of rainfall and convective clouds, longer tracks and a wider influence range, indicating that EOs are more vigorous than the other types of MCSs. The movement of MCSs is mainly due to the mid- to high-level dynamic conditions, and moisture is an essential factor in their development and maintenance.

How Were the Eastward-Moving Heavy Rainfall Events from the Tibetan Plateau to the Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River Enhanced?

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 607-620
Author(s):  
Yang Zhao ◽  
Deliang Chen ◽  
Yi Deng ◽  
Seok-Woo Son ◽  
Xiang Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Yangtze River ◽  
Heavy Rainfall ◽  
Diabatic Heating ◽  
Convective Motion ◽  
Convective System ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
The Yangtze River ◽  
Rainfall Events ◽  
Heavy Rainfall Events

AbstractThis study investigates eastward-moving summer heavy rainfall events in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River (LRYR), which are associated with the Tibetan Plateau (TP) vortices. On the basis of rainfall data from gauges and additional atmospheric data from ERA-Interim, the dynamic and thermodynamic effects of moisture transport and diabatic heating are estimated to determine the physical mechanisms that support the eastward-moving heavy rainfall events. As the rainband moves eastward, it is accompanied by anomalous cyclonic circulation in the upper and middle troposphere and enhanced vertical motion throughout the troposphere. In particular, the rainfall region is located in the fore of the upper-level trough, which is ideal for baroclinic organization of the convective system and further development of the eastward-moving vortex. The large atmospheric apparent heat source (Q1) also contributes for lifting the lower-level air into the upper atmosphere and for enhancing the low-level convective motion and convergence during the heavy rainfall process. Piecewise potential vorticity inversion further verifies the crucial role that the diabatic heating played in developing the anomalous geopotential height favorable for the enhanced rainfall. The combined action of the dynamic and thermodynamic processes, as well as the rich moisture supply from the seas, synergistically sustained and enhanced the eastward-moving rainfall.

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