Combining observations and numerical modeling to improve the description of thunderstorm microphysical processes

• Grant number: 16/24562-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): November 04, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Meteorology
• Acordo de Cooperação: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Augusto Toledo Machado
• Grantee: Lianet Hernández Pardo
• Host Institution: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 15/14497-0 - Nowcasting of intense thunderstorms and understanding of the physical processes inside clouds: the SOS-CHUVA (Severe Weather Observation System), AP.PFPMCG.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 19/06988-4 - On the reasons for the DSD broadening in bin-microphysics large eddy simulations, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

The research that is being proposed here is part of the thematic project "Nowcasts of intense storms and understanding of the physical processes inside the clouds" (SOS Chuva), which aims to combine information from radar, satellite and numerical modeling to improve the forecast of severe storms. The cloud microphysics parameterization is important considering that the processes that it simulates intervene sharply in the evolution of the main meteorological fields. In particular, the objective of this PhD research is to evaluate the ability of different microphysics schemes to reproduce the characteristics of the clouds detected in the observations and, from this analysis, it is intended to add new potentialities to microphysics parameterizations in order to improve the numerical prediction of the state of the atmosphere from 0 to 6 hours. It is planned to work based on the greatest uncertainties in the parameterizations: turbulence and entrainment effect, aerosol description and solid and mixed-phase processes. Firstly, the sensitivity of the gamma space parameters to different microphysical parameterizations will be assessed, using the KiD model. Subsequently, study cases of convective cloud life cycles will be performed using various parameterizations within the WRF model. The profiles of hydrometeors generated by the model will be compared with those inferred by polarimetric radar. In the same way, CR-SIM's simulated radar observations will be compared with the WRF outputs. Finally, it is proposed to study and evaluate a new form of cloud microphysics parameterization based on the information contained in the analyzed phase spaces. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PARDO, LIANET HERNANDEZ; MACHADO, LUIZ A. T.; MORRISON, HUGH; CECCHINI, MICAEL A.; ANDREAE, MEINRAT O.; POEHLKER, CHRISTOPHER; POESCHL, ULRICH; ROSENFELD, DANIEL; VENDRASCO, EDER P.; VOIGT, CHRISTIANE; et al. bserved and Simulated Variability of Droplet Spectral Dispersion in Convective Clouds Over the Amazo. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES, v. 126, n. 20, OCT 27 2021. (16/24562-6, 20/13273-9, 19/06988-4)

PARDO, LIANET HERNANDEZ; MORRISON, HUGH; MACHADO, LUIZ A. T.; HARRINGTON, JERRY Y.; LEBO, ZACHARY J.. Drop Size Distribution Broadening Mechanisms in a Bin Microphysics Eulerian Model. JOURNAL OF THE ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES, v. 77, n. 9, p. 3249-3273, SEP 2020. (19/06988-4, 16/24562-6)

PARDO, LIANET HERNANDEZ; TOLEDO MACHADO, LUIZ AUGUSTO; CECCHINI, MICAEL AMORE; GACITA, MADELEINE SANCHEZ. Quantifying the aerosol effect on droplet size distribution at cloud top. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, v. 19, n. 11, p. 7839-7857, JUN 12 2019. (17/04654-6, 16/24562-6, 15/14497-0)