HR: 0800h
AN: A41D-02    [Abstracts]
TI: An Improved Bulk Microphysical Scheme for Studying Precipitation Processes: Comparisons with Other Schemes
AU: * Shi, J J
EM: shi@agnes.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, United States
AU: Tao, W
EM: tao@agnes.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, United States
AU: Lang, S
EM: lang@agnes.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, United States
AU: Chen, S
EM: schen@orca.rsmas.miami.edu
AF: Rosentiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, United States
AU: Hong, S
EM: shong@yonsei.ac.kr
AF: Global Environment Research, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Yansei University, Seoul, Korea, Republic of
AU: Peters-Lidard, C
EM: cpeters@hsb.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, United States
AB: Cloud microphysical processes play an important role in non-hydrostatic high-resolution simulations. Over the past decade both research and operational numerical weather prediction models have started using more complex cloud microphysical schemes that were originally developed for high-resolution cloud-resolving models. An improved bulk microphysical parameterization (adopted from the Goddard microphysics schemes) has recently implemented into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. This bulk microphysical scheme has three different options --- 2ICE (cloud ice & snow), 3ICE-graupel (cloud ice, snow & graupel) and 3ICE-hail (cloud ice, snow & hail). High-resolution model simulations are conducted to examine the impact of microphysical schemes on two different weather events (a midlatitude linear convective system and an Atlantic hurricane). In addition, this bulk microphysical parameterization is compared with WRF's three other bulk microphysical schemes. The results suggest that microphysics has a major impact on the organization and precipitation processes associated with a summer midlatitude convective system. The 3ICE scheme with a cloud ice-snow-hail configuration led to a better simulation of the summer midlatitude convective line system than the other schemes since the scheme includes dense ice precipitating (hail) particle with very fast fall speed (over 10 m s-1). For an Atlantic hurricane case, varying the microphysical schemes had no significant impact on the track forecast but did affect the intensity (important for air-sea interaction) and the vertical distribution of cloud species (important for satellite retrieval). Results also suggest that different configuration of ice schemes are required to simulate the midlatitude Mesoscale Convective System (MCS) and the hurricane.
UR: http:atmospheres.gsfc.nasa.gov/cloud_modeling
DE: 0320 Cloud physics and chemistry
DE: 0321 Cloud/radiation interaction
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly