ADAPT seminar

Speaker: Dr. Kun Zhao (Nanjing University, China)
Topic: "Precipitation Microphysics Characteristics of Typhoon Rainbands Characterized by Polarimetric Radar and 2D-Video Distrometer Measurements in China"

Room: 529 Walker Building (refreshments served)
Time: Tuesday September 12, 2017 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Abstract:
The microphysical characteristics of rainbands in Typhoon Matmo (2014) and Nida (2016) over Southeast China are documented using observations from polarimetric Doppler radar and two-dimensional video disdrometer (2DVD) observations. For Typhoon Matmo, the convection in its rainband generally contains smaller drops and higher number concentrations than the typical maritime type convection described in Bringi et al. (2003). The average mass-weighted mean diameter (Dm) of convective precipitation in the rainband is about 1.41 mm, and the average logarithmic normalized intercept (Nw) is 4.67 log10 mm−1 m−3. A combined examination of the polarimetric measurements and profiles of estimated vertical liquid and ice water contents indicates that the conversion of cloud water into rainwater through cloud water accretion by raindrops plays a dominant role in producing heavy rainfall. The high estimated precipitation efficiency of 50% also suggests that cloud water accretion is the dominant mechanism for producing heavy rainfall. Compared with Typhoon Matmo, typhoon Nida shows the similar warm-rain dominant microphysical characteristics within its inner rainband, while the ice-phased microphysical processes are much more important in its outer rainband.