A Numerical Simulation Study of Secondary Ice Productions in a Squall Line Case

Secondary ice productions (SIPs) can produce ice crystals with a number concentration much higher than that of ice nucleating particles in mixed-phase clouds and therefore influence cloud glaciation and precipitation. For midlatitude continental mesoscale convective systems (MCSs), how SIPs affect t...

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Main Authors: Jie Gao, Xuqing Han, Yichen Chen, Shuangxu Li, Huiwen Xue
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-11-01
Series:Atmosphere
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/14/12/1752
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author Jie Gao
Xuqing Han
Yichen Chen
Shuangxu Li
Huiwen Xue
author_facet Jie Gao
Xuqing Han
Yichen Chen
Shuangxu Li
Huiwen Xue
author_sort Jie Gao
collection DOAJ
description Secondary ice productions (SIPs) can produce ice crystals with a number concentration much higher than that of ice nucleating particles in mixed-phase clouds and therefore influence cloud glaciation and precipitation. For midlatitude continental mesoscale convective systems (MCSs), how SIPs affect the microphysical properties and precipitation is still not clear. There are few studies of SIPs in midlatitude continental MCSs. This study investigates the roles of three SIPs (rime splintering, freezing drop shattering, and ice-ice collisional breakup) on a squall line case in North China on 18 August 2020 using the WRF model with a modified Morrison double-moment bulk microphysical scheme. Including SIPs, especially ice-ice collisional breakup, in the model simulations markedly improves the simulated convective area and convective precipitation rate of the squall line, while slightly improving the area and precipitation of the stratiform region. Within the mixed-phase layer in both the convective and stratiform regions of the squall line, ice-ice collisional breakup is the dominant process to generate ice crystals. In contrast, rime splintering generates an order of magnitude fewer ice crystals than ice-ice collisional breakup, while freezing drop shattering plays a negligible role due to the lack of large drops. Ice multiplication through ice-ice collisional breakup and rime splintering produces numerous snowflakes and graupel. This leads to enhanced depositional growth and weaker riming, which in turn weakens rime splintering. It is recommended to add SIP parameterization to the model.
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spelling doaj.art-f21bc91b3e2c4b06801d87b9e0a199af2023-12-22T13:52:45ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332023-11-011412175210.3390/atmos14121752A Numerical Simulation Study of Secondary Ice Productions in a Squall Line CaseJie Gao0Xuqing Han1Yichen Chen2Shuangxu Li3Huiwen Xue4Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaNational Meteorological Center, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing 100080, ChinaBeijing Weather Modification Center, Beijing 100089, ChinaDepartment of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaDepartment of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaSecondary ice productions (SIPs) can produce ice crystals with a number concentration much higher than that of ice nucleating particles in mixed-phase clouds and therefore influence cloud glaciation and precipitation. For midlatitude continental mesoscale convective systems (MCSs), how SIPs affect the microphysical properties and precipitation is still not clear. There are few studies of SIPs in midlatitude continental MCSs. This study investigates the roles of three SIPs (rime splintering, freezing drop shattering, and ice-ice collisional breakup) on a squall line case in North China on 18 August 2020 using the WRF model with a modified Morrison double-moment bulk microphysical scheme. Including SIPs, especially ice-ice collisional breakup, in the model simulations markedly improves the simulated convective area and convective precipitation rate of the squall line, while slightly improving the area and precipitation of the stratiform region. Within the mixed-phase layer in both the convective and stratiform regions of the squall line, ice-ice collisional breakup is the dominant process to generate ice crystals. In contrast, rime splintering generates an order of magnitude fewer ice crystals than ice-ice collisional breakup, while freezing drop shattering plays a negligible role due to the lack of large drops. Ice multiplication through ice-ice collisional breakup and rime splintering produces numerous snowflakes and graupel. This leads to enhanced depositional growth and weaker riming, which in turn weakens rime splintering. It is recommended to add SIP parameterization to the model.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/14/12/1752secondary ice productionsquall lineprecipitationcloud microphysics
spellingShingle Jie Gao
Xuqing Han
Yichen Chen
Shuangxu Li
Huiwen Xue
A Numerical Simulation Study of Secondary Ice Productions in a Squall Line Case
Atmosphere
secondary ice production
squall line
precipitation
cloud microphysics
title A Numerical Simulation Study of Secondary Ice Productions in a Squall Line Case
title_full A Numerical Simulation Study of Secondary Ice Productions in a Squall Line Case
title_fullStr A Numerical Simulation Study of Secondary Ice Productions in a Squall Line Case
title_full_unstemmed A Numerical Simulation Study of Secondary Ice Productions in a Squall Line Case
title_short A Numerical Simulation Study of Secondary Ice Productions in a Squall Line Case
title_sort numerical simulation study of secondary ice productions in a squall line case
topic secondary ice production
squall line
precipitation
cloud microphysics
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/14/12/1752
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