ISSN 1006-9895

CN 11-1768/O4

Aircraft Observation Research on Macro and Microphysics Characteristics of Continental Cumulus Cloud at DifferentDevelopment Stages
Author:
Affiliation:

1.Weather Modification Office of Shanxi Province, Taiyuan 030002;2.Key Laboratory for Cloud Physics of China Meteorological Administration, Beijing 100081;3.College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875;4.Shanxi Meteorological Service Center, Taiyuan 030002

Fund Project:

Key Project of Shanxi Meteorological Administration Grant SXKZDRY20185106;Open Project of Key Laboratory for Cloud Physics of China Meteorological Administration Grant 2018Z01601;National Natural Science Foundation of China Grant 41805111Key Project of Shanxi Meteorological Administration (Grant SXKZDRY20185106), Open Project of Key Laboratory for Cloud Physics of China Meteorological Administration (Grant 2018Z01601), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 41805111)

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    Abstract:

    Weather Modification Office of Shanxi Province organized an in-situ observation through continental cumulus clouds for the first time on 3 July 2014 in China. Based on the airborne cloud physical data, macro and microphysical properties of continental cumulus cloud at different development stages were analyzed. The mainresults (1) For growing cumulus, the horizontal scale is about 8.2 km×5.5 km (meridional direction×zonal direction, the same hereinafter) and cloud depth is 2 km. The cloud is dominated by small particles, which gradually grow through the condensation process. The maximum cloud water content (LWC) and particle number concentration (Nc) appear at the horizontal direction of cloud center. In the vertical direction, Nc decreases and particle effective diameter (ED) increases with height, while LWC distribution is uniform. The particle spectrum is consistent with gamma distribution, and the peak magnitude is 102 cm-3 μm-1, where the spectral width is less than 100 μm. (2) For mature cumulus, the horizontal scale is about 4.6 km×10 km and cloud depth is 4 km. The ice and rain lines can be seen in the cloud. Nc varies with height, with three peaks occurring at heights of 3600 m, 4100 m, and 4900 m. The concentration of large cloud particles initially increases first and eventually decreases with height. The maximum value appears at a height of 1.6 km above the bottom of the cloud. Precipitation particles can be formed near the height of 1.3 km above the cloud base. The particle spectrum is multimodal. The spectrum can be described as a gamma distribution in the warm cloud region. In the cold cloud region, the spectrum is mostly a combination of gamma distribution and M-P distribution. The particle spectrum broadens with increasing height, and the spectral width is less than 200 μm below 4400 m. (3) For dissipating cumulus, the horizontal scale is about 5.6 km×11 km and cloud depth is 2 km. Precipitation particles are present under the cloud.

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History
  • Received:January 19,2019
  • Revised:
  • Adopted:
  • Online: November 14,2019
  • Published: