Vertical Structures of Typical Meiyu Precipitation Events Retrieved From GPM-DPR

This work for the first time analyzed the vertical structures of the different stages of Meiyu precipitation systems over the Yangtze-Huai River Valley in central China using measurements and retrievals from the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (GPM-DPR) and Feng Yun satellites. GPM-DPR-retrieved near-surface rain and drop size distributions were first validated against the surface disdrometer measurements and showed good agreement. Then we analyzed three cases from the Integrative Monsoon Frontal Rainfall Experiment to demonstrate the different characteristics of convective precipitation and stratiform precipitation (SP) in the developing, mature, and dissipating stages of the Meiyu precipitation systems, respectively. For statistical analysis, all Meiyu cases during the period 2016–2018 detected by GPM-DPR were collected and classified into different types and stages. In the stratiform regions of Meiyu precipitation systems, coalescence slightly overwhelms breakup and/or evaporation processes, but it was dominant in the convective regions when raindrops fall. There were large numbers of large ice particles during the developing stage due to strong updrafts and abundant moisture, whereas there were both large ice and liquid particles in the mature stage. The vertical structures of the SP examined in this study were similar to those over the ocean regions due to high relative humidity but different to the mountainous west regions of the USA. The findings of the stage-dependent SP vertical structures provide better understanding of the evolution of monsoon frontal precipitation, as well as the associated microphysical properties, and provide insights to improve microphysical parameterization in future models.