Process-tracking model for snow particle formation based on bulk microphysics
Abstract
The microphysics module in the Japan Meteorological Agency Non-Hydrostatic Model (JMA-NHM) has been partly renewed to extend its function for tracking physical properties of solid hydrometeors by adding new prognostic variables to represent contributions of microphysical processes, such as riming, water vapor deposition, and so on, to the total mass of ice particles. This improvement will enhance potentials of a bulk microphysics model for its applications to prediction of hydrometeor characteristics in connection with cloud remote-sensing and snow disaster prevention.
The new model has been tested by performing numerical simulations under idealized and realistic atmospheric conditions. In two-dimensional simulations addressing orographic snow clouds, the model successfully reproduces statistical features in the mass profiles of ice crystals with different habit that were observed by a hydrometeor videosonde. The simulated relation between snowfall intensity and riming proportion of snow particles shows that heavy snowfall requires intense riming process as indicated in a ground-based observation by photographing snow particles. The simulation has been extended to realistic atmospheric conditions in a three-dimensional space. The model shows a good ability for reproducing the temporal change in snow particle characteristics observed during an extratropical cyclone passing. Advantages and limitations in applying the model to process understanding of cloud and precipitation physics will be discussed in the meeting. Acknowledgements This work was partly supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP16K01340 and JP16K05557.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFM.A13L2631H
- Keywords:
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- 3310 Clouds and cloud feedbacks;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSESDE: 3311 Clouds and aerosols;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSESDE: 3337 Global climate models;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSESDE: 3354 Precipitation;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES