Dual Polarization Radar Characteristics of Severe Downburst Occurred in Weak Vertical Wind Shear

Guo Feiyan; Diao Xiuguang; Chu Yingjia; Ma Yan

doi:10.11898/1001-7313.20230604

Vol.34, NO.6, 2023

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Article Navigation > Journal of Applied Meteorological Science > 2023 > 34(6): 681-693

Guo Feiyan, Diao Xiuguang, Chu Yingjia, et al. Dual polarization radar characteristics of severe downburst occurred in weak vertical wind shear. J Appl Meteor Sci, 2023, 34(6): 681-693. DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20230604.

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Guo Feiyan, Diao Xiuguang, Chu Yingjia, et al. Dual polarization radar characteristics of severe downburst occurred in weak vertical wind shear. J Appl Meteor Sci, 2023, 34(6): 681-693. DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20230604.

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Dual Polarization Radar Characteristics of Severe Downburst Occurred in Weak Vertical Wind Shear

DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20230604

Guo Feiyan^{1, 2},
Diao Xiuguang^{2
,
,},
Chu Yingjia³,
Ma Yan¹

1.
Qingdao Meteorological Bureau, Qingao 266003
2.
Key Laboratory for Meteorological Disaster Prevention and Mitigation of Shandong, Jinan 250031
3.
Jinan Meteorological Bureau of Shandong, Jinan 250031

Received Date: 2023-05-04
Rev Recd Date: 2023-08-02
Publish Date: 2023-11-27

Abstract

Abstract

Based on S-band Dual polarization doppler radar data and conventional observations, characteristics of 3 severe downbursts occurred under the background of weak vertical wind shear are analyzed, and their possible physical formation mechanisms are studied. It shows that they all occur with high convective available potential energy, but the vertical wind shear (less than 10 m·s^-1) of the environmental atmosphere is weak. 6·30 storm and 7·2 storm are featured by wetter air at low level and drier air at middle (or high) level, while the atmosphere air for 6·26 storm is dry from low level to high level except for the near surface layer. With weak wind vertical shear and higher 0℃ layer height, this type of severe downburst is mostly along with high intensity precipitation (over 3 mm per minute). Before the severe downbursts touch down, the storms grow intensively (over 60 dBZ) and expand over 10 km height, the differential reflectivity (Z_DR) and specific differential phase shift (K_DP) columns are higher over -10℃ layer, and K_DP columns' area at -10℃ layer are larger than Z_DR columns'. For dual polarization radar, the appearance of high K_DP region (more than 3.0°·km^-1) around or above 0℃ layer can be regard as a criterion for identifying downbursts. The high K_DP region with high concentrations of liquid partials or small melting ice particles around or above 0℃ layer can be treated as the overhanging quality roll of liquid particles, which is similar to the overhanging and descending reflectivity core. The appearance and descending of high K_DP region initiates the development of severe downburst along with short-time high intensity precipitation. Due to weak entrainmental zone mean wind speed, the contribution of downward momentum transportation mechanism on the surface gale wind is probably weak. If the environmental atmosphere is wet, the dominant formation mechanism for severe downburst is the gravity dragging effect by abundant liquid (or small melting ice) particles and a tiny quantity of big hail, and the subordinate formation mechanism is the melt cooling effect by ice phase particles. If the environmental atmosphere is dry especially at middle or high level, the entrainment effect and evaporative cooling effect by dry air also contribute to the maintenance and acceleration of downdrafts.
- weak vertical wind shear;
- severe downburst;
- high K_DP region;
- quality roll;
- gravity dragging

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References(42)

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1 Distribution of sounding, radar and automatic weather stations

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Fig. 2 500 hPa geopotential height (the contour,unit:dagpm) and 700 hPa wind (the barb) at 0800 BT 26 Jun, 0800 BT 30 Jun and 0800 BT 2 Jul in 2022

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Fig. 3 Composite reflectivity(a) and 0.5° elevation radial velocity(b) by Qingdao dual polarization radar at 1454 BT 26 Jun 2022

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图 4 2022年6月26日14:54和15:00青岛双偏振雷达Z_H，K_DP和Z_DR沿316.5°的径向垂直剖面

(紫色、红色和蓝色水平实线分别为湿球0℃层，0℃层和-20℃层高度)

Fig. 4 Cross-sections of Z_H, K_DP and Z_DR along 316.5° radial direction by Qingdao dual polarization radar at 1454 BT and 1500 BT on 26 Jun 2022 (purple, red and blue horizontal solid lines denote heights of the wet bulb 0℃ layer, 0℃ layer and -20℃ layer, respectively)

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Fig. 5 Composite reflectivity(a) and 0.5° elevation radial velocity(b) by Jinan dual polarization radar at 1242 BT 30 Jun 2022

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图 6 2022年6月30日12:37和12:42济南双偏振雷达Z_H，K_DP和Z_DR沿97°的径向垂直剖面

(紫色、红色和蓝色水平实线分别为湿球0℃层，0℃层和-20℃层高度)

Fig. 6 Cross-sections of Z_H, K_DP and Z_DR along 97° radial direction by Qingdao dual polarization radar at 1237 BT and 1242 BT on 30 Jun 2022 (purple, red and blue horizontal solid lines denote heights of the wet bulb 0℃ layer, 0℃ layer and -20℃ layer, respectively)

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Fig. 7 Composite reflectivity(a) and 0.5° elevation radial velocity(b) by Puyang dual polarization radar at 1536 BT 2 Jul 2022

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图 8 2022年7月2日15:31和15:37济宁双偏振雷达Z_H和K_DP沿258°的径向垂直剖面

(紫色、红色和蓝色水平实线分别为湿球0℃层，0℃层和-20℃层高度)

Fig. 8 Cross-sections of Z_H and K_DP along 258° radial direction by Jining dual polarization radar at 1531 BT and 1537 BT on 2 Jul 2022 (purple, red and blue horizontal solid lines denote heights of the wet bulb 0℃ layer, 0℃ layer layer and -20℃ layer, respectively)

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Table 1 Environmental physical parameters obtained by sounding at Qingdao, Zhangqiu and Zhengzhou

物理量	青岛站 2022-06-26T08:00	章丘站 2022-06-30T08:00	郑州站 2022-07-02T08:00
K指数/℃	-5.5	35	35
850 hPa和500 hPa的温差/℃	30	25	26
有利抬升指数/℃	-6.8	-4.1	-3.9
对流有效位能/(J·kg^-1)	1880	1010	1820
对流抑制位能/(J·kg^-1)	0	0	0
600 hPa下沉对流有效位能/(J·kg^-1)	1760	470	935
0~6 km垂直风切变/(m·s^-1)	5.9	9.7	5.9
0~3 km垂直风切变/(m·s^-1)	6.6	10.4	4.3
整层比湿度积分/(g·kg^-1)	2810	4186	4109
干层强度/℃	45	6	13.5
夹卷层平均风速/(m·s^-1)	8.2	9.9	5.0
湿球0℃层高度/km	3.2	4.2	4.1
0℃层高度/km	4.9	4.4	4.9
-10℃层高度/km	6.7	6.2	6.6
-20℃层高度/km	8.1	7.9	8.2

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Table 2 Radar characteristics for storms

风暴	Z_DR柱高度/km			K_DP柱高度/km			-10℃层Z_DR柱面积/(距离库数量)			-10℃层K_DP柱面积/(距离库数量)
风暴	T-2	T-1	T	T-2	T-1	T	T-2	T-1	T	T-2	T-1	T
6·26	6.7	6.7	7.5	7.5	8.8	7.5	8	5	6	35	20	5
6·30	6.8	6.8	6.7	9.1	7.5	7.1	6	3	7	8	11	6
7·2		8.0	8.0		9.3	8.5		28	9		47	34

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