A Retrieval of Thermodynamic and Microphysical Variables by Using Wind Data in Simulated Multi-Cellular Convective Storms

Abstract

A retrieval method applicable to precipitating storms, which are transient or include complicated physical processes is presented. An imaginary situation is assumed that environmental fields of temperature and moisture and time sequence of the wind field are known by the observations of upper soundings and dual- (or more) Doppler radars. In this method, equations of thermodynamic and microphysical (scalar) variables are time-integrated by imposing these data.
First, the performance of this method is examined by application to the results of numerical simulations of a quasi-periodic multi-cellular storm. It is shown that a time sequence of the wind field is necessary, which is sampled with a time step resolving transient features of the storm, to retrieve scalar fields well. This method is further applied to an aperiodic multi-cellular storm and a quasi-periodic multi-cellular storm having a complicated ice-phase process. Retrieved results attained in both cases are satisfactory.