Multiscale Precipitation Processes Over Mountain Terrain – Landform and Vegetation Controls of Microphysics and Convection in Complex Terrain

Abstract:

Recent precipitation observations in mountainous regions do not exhibit the classical orographic enhancement with elevation, especially where fog and multi-layer clouds are persistent. The role of landform in modulating moisture convergence patterns and constraining the thermodynamic environment that supports the development of complex vertical structures of clouds and precipitation is discussed first using observations and model results from the IPHEx (Integrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment) field campaign in the Southern Appalachian Mountains (SAM). Analysis of the complex spatial heterogeneity of precipitation microphysics in the SAM suggests that seeder-feeder interactions (SFI) among stratiform precipitation, low level clouds (LLC), and fog play a governing role on the diurnal and seasonal cycles of observed precipitation regimes. Further, in the absence of synoptic-scale forcing, results suggest that evapotranspiration makes a significant contribution to the moisture budget in the lower atmosphere, creating super-saturation conditions favorable to CCN activation, LLC formation, and light rainfall. To investigate the role of evapotranspiration on the diurnal cycle of mountain precipitation further, range-scale modeling studies were conducted in the Central Andes. Specifically, high resolution WRF simulations for realistic and quasi-idealized ET withdrawal case-studies show that evapotranspiration fluxes modulated by landform govern convective activity in the lower troposphere, including cloud formation and precipitation processes that account for daily precipitation amounts as high as 50-70% depending on synoptic conditions and season. These studies suggest multiscale vegetation controls of orographic precipitation processes via atmospheric instability on the one hand, and low level super-saturation and local microphysics on the other. A conceptual model of multiscale interactions among vegetation, landform and moist processes over complex topography is presented.