The impact of ice microphysical processes on the life span of a midlatitude supercell storm

Pao K. Wang; Hsin Mu Lin; Shih Hao Su

doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2010.05.006

The impact of ice microphysical processes on the life span of a midlatitude supercell storm

Pao K. Wang, Hsin Mu Lin, Shih Hao Su

Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The impact of ice microphysical processes on the life span of a US Midwest supercell thunderstorm is studied using a cloud resolving model equipped with explicit cloud microphysical processes. The 2 August 1981 CCOPE supercell is chosen as the model storm to be tested. Three different runs are performed: a control run FPR with full physics (including ice physics), a normal liquid-only run NLR with all ice processes suppressed, and another liquid-only run ELR with artificially enhanced latent heat release to test the impact of thermodynamics versus ice microphysics on the storm's life cycle. The results show that the FPR storm evolves into a quasi-steady supercell whereas both NLR and ELR storms dissipate after ~100. min. The ELR storm dissipates even earlier than the NLR storm, demonstrating that the enhanced latent heat release does not help lengthening the storm's life span. Analysis confirms our previous finding that the presence of lower density ice particles enables the storm to develop a circulation that can sustain the quasi-steady storm structure. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	450-461
Number of pages	12
Journal	Atmospheric Research
Volume	97
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2010.05.006
Publication status	Published - 2010 Sept

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Atmospheric Science

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10.1016/j.atmosres.2010.05.006

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title = "The impact of ice microphysical processes on the life span of a midlatitude supercell storm",

abstract = "The impact of ice microphysical processes on the life span of a US Midwest supercell thunderstorm is studied using a cloud resolving model equipped with explicit cloud microphysical processes. The 2 August 1981 CCOPE supercell is chosen as the model storm to be tested. Three different runs are performed: a control run FPR with full physics (including ice physics), a normal liquid-only run NLR with all ice processes suppressed, and another liquid-only run ELR with artificially enhanced latent heat release to test the impact of thermodynamics versus ice microphysics on the storm's life cycle. The results show that the FPR storm evolves into a quasi-steady supercell whereas both NLR and ELR storms dissipate after ~100. min. The ELR storm dissipates even earlier than the NLR storm, demonstrating that the enhanced latent heat release does not help lengthening the storm's life span. Analysis confirms our previous finding that the presence of lower density ice particles enables the storm to develop a circulation that can sustain the quasi-steady storm structure. Implications of the findings are discussed.",

author = "Wang, {Pao K.} and Lin, {Hsin Mu} and Su, {Shih Hao}",

note = "Funding Information: We would like to acknowledge the partial support of US NSF Grants ATM-0729898 . We are grateful to Kenneth Beard who suggested performing this test and Lawrence Wang for proof-reading. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.",

year = "2010",

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doi = "10.1016/j.atmosres.2010.05.006",

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AU - Wang, Pao K.

AU - Lin, Hsin Mu

AU - Su, Shih Hao

N1 - Funding Information: We would like to acknowledge the partial support of US NSF Grants ATM-0729898 . We are grateful to Kenneth Beard who suggested performing this test and Lawrence Wang for proof-reading. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

PY - 2010/9

Y1 - 2010/9

N2 - The impact of ice microphysical processes on the life span of a US Midwest supercell thunderstorm is studied using a cloud resolving model equipped with explicit cloud microphysical processes. The 2 August 1981 CCOPE supercell is chosen as the model storm to be tested. Three different runs are performed: a control run FPR with full physics (including ice physics), a normal liquid-only run NLR with all ice processes suppressed, and another liquid-only run ELR with artificially enhanced latent heat release to test the impact of thermodynamics versus ice microphysics on the storm's life cycle. The results show that the FPR storm evolves into a quasi-steady supercell whereas both NLR and ELR storms dissipate after ~100. min. The ELR storm dissipates even earlier than the NLR storm, demonstrating that the enhanced latent heat release does not help lengthening the storm's life span. Analysis confirms our previous finding that the presence of lower density ice particles enables the storm to develop a circulation that can sustain the quasi-steady storm structure. Implications of the findings are discussed.

AB - The impact of ice microphysical processes on the life span of a US Midwest supercell thunderstorm is studied using a cloud resolving model equipped with explicit cloud microphysical processes. The 2 August 1981 CCOPE supercell is chosen as the model storm to be tested. Three different runs are performed: a control run FPR with full physics (including ice physics), a normal liquid-only run NLR with all ice processes suppressed, and another liquid-only run ELR with artificially enhanced latent heat release to test the impact of thermodynamics versus ice microphysics on the storm's life cycle. The results show that the FPR storm evolves into a quasi-steady supercell whereas both NLR and ELR storms dissipate after ~100. min. The ELR storm dissipates even earlier than the NLR storm, demonstrating that the enhanced latent heat release does not help lengthening the storm's life span. Analysis confirms our previous finding that the presence of lower density ice particles enables the storm to develop a circulation that can sustain the quasi-steady storm structure. Implications of the findings are discussed.

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The impact of ice microphysical processes on the life span of a midlatitude supercell storm

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