Distribution Characteristics of Water Vapor and Liquid Water in the Warm Zone of a Stratiform Cloud in North China

Nie Haohao; Wang Wan; Yang Yang; Lin Xiaomeng; Guo Xiaojun; Li Xiaobo

doi:10.11898/1001-7313.20240206

Vol.35, NO.2, 2024

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Article Navigation > Journal of Applied Meteorological Science > 2024 > 35(2): 196-210

Nie Haohao, Wang Wan, Yang Yang, et al. Distribution characteristics of water vapor and liquid water in the warm zone of a stratiform cloud in North China. J Appl Meteor Sci, 2024, 35(2): 196-210. DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20240206.

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Nie Haohao, Wang Wan, Yang Yang, et al. Distribution characteristics of water vapor and liquid water in the warm zone of a stratiform cloud in North China. J Appl Meteor Sci, 2024, 35(2): 196-210. DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20240206.

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Distribution Characteristics of Water Vapor and Liquid Water in the Warm Zone of a Stratiform Cloud in North China

DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20240206

1.
Tianjin Weather Modification Office, Tianjin 300074
2.
Hebei Weather Modification Center, Shijiazhuang 052100
3.
Tianjin Meteorological Observatory, Tianjin 300074
4.
Tianjin Meteorological Radar Research and Test Center, Tianjin 300074

Received Date: 2023-11-08
Rev Recd Date: 2024-01-30
Publish Date: 2024-03-27

Abstract

Abstract

The water vapor content is a crucial factor in assessing cloud water resources, and the content and distribution of cloud liquid water are important reference indicators for determining the quantity and location of catalysts in weather modification operations. Based on inversion results of G-band water vapor radiometer, ground-based microwave radiometer and cloud radar, combined with FY-4A measurements, meteorological observations, radar products and reanalysis data, distribution characteristics of water vapor and liquid water in the warm zone of a stratiform cloud is studied in North China on 15 May 2021, in order to provide some reference for the study of macro-micro structure and precipitation mechanism of the warm zone of precipitable stratiform clouds and weather modification operations.The horizontal distribution of the warm zone is not uniform, and there is also clear horizontal inhomogeneity in the distribution of water vapor and liquid water. The integrated water vapor content and liquid water path, detected by G-band water vapor radiometer, fluctuate during the level flight of aircraft, with maximum values of 4.00 cm and 1.87 mm, respectively. As the cloud top height and cloud thickness decrease in the warm zone, the integrated water vapor content and liquid water path also decrease to 0.89 cm and 0.13 mm. The liquid water path detected by G-band water vapor radiometer is primarily derived from low-level clouds in the warm zone and is also influenced by high-level supercooled water clouds or mixed clouds. With the onset of precipitation, the ground-based microwave radiometer detected a surge in integrated water vapor content and liquid water path, reaching peaks of 8.62 cm and 3.85 mm, respectively. The thickness of liquid water content accumulation zone, as well as its maximum value and height in the vertical direction, initially increase and then decrease with precipitation. The temporal and spatial evolution of liquid water is highly significant for understanding the occurrence and development of precipitation, as well as for identifying the timing and location of precipitation enhancement in warm zones. The liquid water content retrieved by the cloud radar also exhibits a jump phenomenon. When the reflectivity factor of the cloud radar is high and the falling velocity and velocity dispersion of particles are high below 1 km, the liquid water content is abundant, leading to significant rainfall on the ground. Particle collision is the primary mechanism of precipitation in the warm zone.
- multi-source remote sensing;
- stratiform clouds in North China;
- warm zone;
- water vapor and liquid water;
- distribution characteristics

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References(44)

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1 Layout of ground-based observation equipments (the shaded denotes elevation)

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Fig. 2 500 hPa height (the blue contour, unit:dagpm), 500 hPa temperature (the red contour, unit:℃), 850 hPa wind (the barb) and 850 hPa relative humidity (the shaded) on 15 May 2021 (the red box denotes North China)

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图 3 2021年5月15日石家庄SA波段雷达组合反射率因子(填色)

(黑色粗实线为飞行轨迹)

Fig. 3 Composite reflectivity (the shaded) measured by SA radar deployed at Shijiazhuang Station on 15 May 2021

(the black thick solid line denotes the flight track)

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图 4 2021年5月15日天津黑牛城站与河北栾城站逐小时降水量

(虚线框为飞机探测时段)

Fig. 4 Hourly precipitation at Heiniucheng Station of Tianjin and Luancheng Station of Hebei on 15 May 2021

(the dotted box denotes the aircraft detection period)

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图 5 2021年5月15日机载微波辐射计探测的积分水汽含量、液态水路径时间演变

(红色框为积分水汽含量和液态水路径的极值时段)

Fig. 5 Temporal evolution of integrated water vapor content, liquid water path measured by G-band water vapor radiometer on 15 May 2021

(the red box denotes the extreme value periods of integrated water vapor content and liquid water path)

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图 6 2021年5月15日FY-4A反演的云类型(填色)

(红色实线为飞行轨迹)

Fig. 6 Cloud type (the shaded) retrieved by FY-4A on 15 May 2021

(the red solid line denotes the flight track)

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图 7 2021年5月15日地基微波辐射计探测的积分水汽含量和液态水路径的时间演变与不同时刻水汽密度和液态水含量以及温度和相对湿度的垂直廓线

(灰色框为降水时段)

Fig. 7 Temporal evolution of integrated water vapor content and liquid water path, vertical distribution profiles of vapor density and liquid water content, temperature and relative humidity at different times observed by ground-based microwave radiometer on 15 May 2021

(the gray box denotes the period of precipitation)

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Fig. 8 Temporal evolution of reflectivity factor, radial velocity, spectral width and liquid water content observed by cloud radar on 15 May 2021

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Fig. 9 Vertical profiles of liquid water content at different times observed by cloud radar on 15 May 2021

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Table 1 Comparison of jumping increase characteristics of water vapor and liquid water in warm zone over different regions detected by ground-based microwave radiometer

时间	地区	水汽跃增特征				液态水跃增特征
		积分水汽含量		水汽密度		液态水路径		液态水含量
		跃增时间	峰值/cm	峰值/(g·m^-3)	峰值高度/km	跃增时间	峰值/mm	峰值/(g·m^-3)	峰值高度/km
2017-07	四川成都^[42]	降水临近	8.5			降水临近	2.5	0.8	4~6
2020-07	祁连山东段^[43]	降水前20 min	3.63	14	小于1	降水前20 min	3.28	1.5	1~2
2021-05	华北地区	降水开始	8.62	25.43	2.5	降水前1.5 h	3.85	0.66	2.25

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