Conceptual Models of Precipitation Systems

Browning, K. A.

doi:10.1175/1520-0434(1986)001<0023:cmops>2.0.co;2

Cited by 187 publications

(150 citation statements)

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“…The physical picture of a column convecting from the sea surface to the tropopause (section 2) is admittedly a crude representation of the complex mechanisms found in extratropical weather systems (Browning, 1986). Indeed, the latter move eastward and, as they do so, entrain air masses of different geographical origins (Green et al, 1966).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new mechanism for ocean–atmosphere coupling in midlatitudes

Czaja¹,

Blunt²

2011

Quart J Royal Meteoro Soc

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The role of moist convection in 'transferring' upward surface ocean conditions throughout the troposphere is studied using reanalysis data for the extratropical Northern and Southern Hemispheres in winter. It is found that conditions for the development of a convective air column from the sea surface to the tropopause are met frequently over all major western boundary currents and their extension in the oceanic interior (sometimes for as much as 50% of the time). These frequent occurrences are shown to be jointly controlled by oceanic advection of warm waters and, on the atmospheric side, the downward displacement of the tropopause associated with synoptic weather systems.Based on these results, it is proposed that the oceans can influence the atmosphere directly through convection in midlatitudes, as is commonly thought to occur in the Tropics. Analysis of the Richardson number R i found at low levels suggests that moist symmetric instability (0 < R i ≤ 1) is a key process involved in linking surface ocean temperatures to atmospheric lapse rates, in addition to standard upright convection. These low R i processes are not currently parametrized in climate models, which raises the possibility that the extratropical oceanic influence on climate might be underestimated in the current generation of models. Copyright c 2011 Royal Meteorological Society Key Words: convection; air-sea interactions; midlatitude climate variability

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new mechanism for ocean–atmosphere coupling in midlatitudes

Czaja¹,

Blunt²

2011

Quart J Royal Meteoro Soc

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“…The difference is that the precipitation peaks in the morning (9 : 00-10 : 00 CET). On the basis of a model of synoptic cold front analysis in the free atmosphere, cold air advection follows the cold front (Browning and Monk, 1982;Browning, 1985;Hewson, 1998). The arrival of a cold front would normally also cause a colder spell in the lower troposphere.…”

Section: Relation Between Diurnal Cycle and Precipitation Typementioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal characteristics of diurnal precipitation variation in Kraków (South Poland)

Twardosz¹

2006

Intl Journal of Climatology

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Abstract:This paper describes the diurnal cycle of liquid precipitation using the amplitude and phase of two precipitation characteristics: frequency and totals. A uniquely long set of uniform hourly precipitation data from Kraków (South Poland) was used. This vast and reliable basic material was collected by the author using pluviographic data covering the period 1886-2002. The role of precipitation type in forming the general diurnal cycle of precipitation was discussed. Two precipitation types, frontal and air mass, were taken into consideration. The role of particular air masses (polar maritime and polar continental) and atmospheric fronts (warm and cold fronts) in the 24-h precipitation cycle was determined. The frontal and air mass precipitation events were identified using a documentation of synoptic situations by Niedźwiedź over the area of southern Poland for the 1951-2002 period.Depending on the precipitation characteristic (frequency or totals), season of the year and precipitation type, the diurnal precipitation cycle may have one or two modes. The bimodality of the distribution occurs mainly for air mass precipitation. The morning maximum of precipitation frequency in all seasons of the year mimics the diurnal variation of precipitation in maritime polar air masses. Precipitation concentration in the afternoon hours is determined mainly by the intensity of processes in the cold front zone and in the homogeneous polar continental and maritime air masses. Significant differences in precipitation distribution in cold and warm fronts are connected with the time of precipitation concentration within the diurnal period. The type of atmospheric front determines the layout of precipitation clouds, intensity of precipitation formation and the velocity of front movement.

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“…Conceptual models of midlatitude cyclones and the main airflows within them are discussed in numerous studies (e.g. Carlson, 1980;Browning, 1985). These models refer to the main airflows as conveyor belts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Boundary‐layer ventilation by baroclinic life cycles

Sinclair

Gray

Belcher

2008

Quart J Royal Meteoro Soc

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Ventilation of the boundary layer has an important effect on local and regional air quality and is a prerequisite for long-range pollution transport. Once in the free troposphere, pollutants can alter the chemical composition of the troposphere and impact on the Earth's radiative forcing. Idealised baroclinic life cycles, LC1 and LC2, have been simulated in a three-dimensional dry hemispheric model in the presence of boundary-layer turbulent fluxes. A passive tracer is added to the simulations to represent pollution emitted at, or near, the surface. A simple conveyor-belt diagnostic is developed to objectively identify regions of the boundary layer that can be ventilated by either warm or cold conveyor belts. Transport of pollutants within and above the boundary layer is examined on synoptic scales. Three different physical mechanisms are found to interact with each other to ventilate pollutants out of the boundary layer. These mechanisms are turbulent mixing within the boundary layer, horizontal advection due to Ekman convergence and divergence within the boundary layer, and advection by the warm conveyor belt. The mass of tracer ventilated by the two life cycles is remarkably similar given the differences in frontal structure, suggesting that the large-scale baroclinicity is an effective constraint on ventilation.

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Conceptual Models of Precipitation Systems

Cited by 187 publications

References 0 publications

A new mechanism for ocean–atmosphere coupling in midlatitudes

A new mechanism for ocean–atmosphere coupling in midlatitudes

Seasonal characteristics of diurnal precipitation variation in Kraków (South Poland)

Boundary‐layer ventilation by baroclinic life cycles

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