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An Investigation on Microphysical Characteristics of Early‐, Late‐, and Post‐Mei‐yu Season Rainfall Over Taiwan.

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Title: An Investigation on Microphysical Characteristics of Early‐, Late‐, and Post‐Mei‐yu Season Rainfall Over Taiwan.
Authors: Seela, Balaji Kumar1 (AUTHOR), Janapati, Jayalakshmi1 (AUTHOR), Lin, Pay‐Liam1,2,3 (AUTHOR) tliam@pblap.atm.ncu.edu.tw, Liu, Chian‐Yi4 (AUTHOR), Tu, Chuan‐Chi1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Geophysical Research. Atmospheres. 9/28/2024, Vol. 129 Issue 18, p1-16. 16p.
Subject Terms: Raindrop size, Convective clouds, Seasons, Altitudes, Radar
Abstract: Over Taiwan, Mei‐yu season (May and June), which is primarily linked to frontal systems, is the transition period between winter and summer. Using the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission dual‐frequency precipitation radar (GPM DPR), the current study examined the rain and microphysical characteristics of the Mei‐yu season in Taiwan. In order to examine the areal and intra‐seasonal aspects, May and June months are divided into three sub‐seasons: early‐Mei‐yu, late‐Mei‐yu, and post‐Mei‐yu. The three sub‐seasons exhibited differences in rainfall and raindrop size distributions, with abundance of large drops in the post‐Mei‐yu. Additionally, there were noticeable variations in the raindrop size distributions among the south, central, north, and eastern parts of Taiwan, with more large drops in central Taiwan. To comprehend the microphysical progressions causing the regional and intra‐seasonal fluctuations, CFADs (contoured frequency by altitude diagrams) of rain parameters are utilized. Compared to other two sub‐seasons, the early‐Mei‐yu season exhibited weaker convection. Dominance of stratiform precipitation in late‐Mei‐yu season, and convective precipitation in post‐Mei‐yu season resulted in higher rainfall amounts in these two sub‐seasons (more particularly in post‐Mei‐yu) than the early‐Mei‐yu season. Examination of warm rain microphysical processes (below 5 km height) among these sub‐seasons revealed that the early‐Mei‐yu season is dominated with break‐up process, late‐Mei‐yu season with breakup and coalescence balance, and post‐Mei‐yu with coalescence, size‐sorting and evaporation processes. Plain Language Summary: Significant socioeconomic effects of Mei‐yu season rainfall over Taiwan compelled for the improved understanding of precipitating cloud systems in Mei‐yu season. The microphysical attributes of Mei‐yu season rainfall are investigated in terms of spatial and sub‐seasonal scale (early‐Mei‐yu, late‐Mei‐yu, and post‐Mei‐yu) using GPM DPR estimates. The results demonstrated that the spatial distributions of rainfall amounts shifts from south to central Taiwan with the progress (early‐Mei‐yu to post‐Mei‐yu) of the season. Early‐Mei‐yu season with weaker convection and break‐up processes exhibit lower rainfall amount than late‐, and post‐Mei‐yu season. On the contrary, the post‐Mei‐yu season with strong convection, coalescence, size‐sorting and evaporation processes showed higher rainfall amounts over early‐Mei‐yu and late‐Mei‐yu season. The finding of the present work can aid in improving the cloud modeling of the Mei‐yu season rainfall over Taiwan. Key Points: Investigations on the microphysical attributes of early‐Mei‐yu, late‐Mei‐yu, and post‐Mei‐yu over Taiwan using GPM DPR showed distinctions among these three sub‐seasonsAs the sub‐season transitioned from early‐Mei‐yu to post‐Mei‐yu, the shift from heavy rainfall in the south to the central region of Taiwan became evidentThe dominant breakup process (breakup, size‐sorting, and evaporation processes) in early‐Mei‐yu (post‐Mei‐yu) resulted in lower (higher) rainfall amounts than in the late‐ and post‐Mei‐yu seasons [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Abstract:Over Taiwan, Mei‐yu season (May and June), which is primarily linked to frontal systems, is the transition period between winter and summer. Using the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission dual‐frequency precipitation radar (GPM DPR), the current study examined the rain and microphysical characteristics of the Mei‐yu season in Taiwan. In order to examine the areal and intra‐seasonal aspects, May and June months are divided into three sub‐seasons: early‐Mei‐yu, late‐Mei‐yu, and post‐Mei‐yu. The three sub‐seasons exhibited differences in rainfall and raindrop size distributions, with abundance of large drops in the post‐Mei‐yu. Additionally, there were noticeable variations in the raindrop size distributions among the south, central, north, and eastern parts of Taiwan, with more large drops in central Taiwan. To comprehend the microphysical progressions causing the regional and intra‐seasonal fluctuations, CFADs (contoured frequency by altitude diagrams) of rain parameters are utilized. Compared to other two sub‐seasons, the early‐Mei‐yu season exhibited weaker convection. Dominance of stratiform precipitation in late‐Mei‐yu season, and convective precipitation in post‐Mei‐yu season resulted in higher rainfall amounts in these two sub‐seasons (more particularly in post‐Mei‐yu) than the early‐Mei‐yu season. Examination of warm rain microphysical processes (below 5 km height) among these sub‐seasons revealed that the early‐Mei‐yu season is dominated with break‐up process, late‐Mei‐yu season with breakup and coalescence balance, and post‐Mei‐yu with coalescence, size‐sorting and evaporation processes. Plain Language Summary: Significant socioeconomic effects of Mei‐yu season rainfall over Taiwan compelled for the improved understanding of precipitating cloud systems in Mei‐yu season. The microphysical attributes of Mei‐yu season rainfall are investigated in terms of spatial and sub‐seasonal scale (early‐Mei‐yu, late‐Mei‐yu, and post‐Mei‐yu) using GPM DPR estimates. The results demonstrated that the spatial distributions of rainfall amounts shifts from south to central Taiwan with the progress (early‐Mei‐yu to post‐Mei‐yu) of the season. Early‐Mei‐yu season with weaker convection and break‐up processes exhibit lower rainfall amount than late‐, and post‐Mei‐yu season. On the contrary, the post‐Mei‐yu season with strong convection, coalescence, size‐sorting and evaporation processes showed higher rainfall amounts over early‐Mei‐yu and late‐Mei‐yu season. The finding of the present work can aid in improving the cloud modeling of the Mei‐yu season rainfall over Taiwan. Key Points: Investigations on the microphysical attributes of early‐Mei‐yu, late‐Mei‐yu, and post‐Mei‐yu over Taiwan using GPM DPR showed distinctions among these three sub‐seasonsAs the sub‐season transitioned from early‐Mei‐yu to post‐Mei‐yu, the shift from heavy rainfall in the south to the central region of Taiwan became evidentThe dominant breakup process (breakup, size‐sorting, and evaporation processes) in early‐Mei‐yu (post‐Mei‐yu) resulted in lower (higher) rainfall amounts than in the late‐ and post‐Mei‐yu seasons [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:2169897X
DOI:10.1029/2024JD040847