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Apr.  2019

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# Seasonal Variations of Observed Raindrop Size Distribution in East China

• Seasonal variations of rainfall microphysics in East China are investigated using data from the observations of a two-dimensional video disdrometer and a vertically pointing micro rain radar. The precipitation and rain drop size distribution (DSD) characteristics are revealed for different rain types and seasons. Summer rainfall is dominated by convective rain, while during the other seasons the contribution of stratiform rain to rainfall amount is equal to or even larger than that of convective rain. The mean mass-weighted diameter versus the generalized intercept parameter pairs of convective rain are plotted roughly around the maritime cluster, indicating a maritime nature of convective precipitation throughout the year in East China. The localized rainfall estimators, i.e., rainfall kinetic energy-rain rate, shape-slope, and radar reflectivity-rain rate relations are further derived. DSD variability is believed to be a major source of diversity of the aforementioned derived estimators. These newly derived relations would certainly improve the accuracy of rainfall kinetic energy estimation, DSD retrieval, and quantitative precipitation estimation in this specific region.
摘要: 本研究利用二维视频雨滴谱仪和垂直指向的微降雨雷达观测资料, 分析了中国东部地区降水雨滴谱分布的季节变化特征, 揭示了不同类型降水的雨滴谱特征在不同季节均存在不同程度的差异. 夏季对流性降水对总降水的贡献约为77.5%, 而其他季节中层云降水的贡献则等于或超过对流性降水. 四个季节对流性降水的质量加权平均粒径归一化截断参数值均位于海洋性对流区附近, 表明中国东部地区全年的对流性降水均具有海洋性特征. 本研究还拟合了本地化的降水估计关系, 包括降雨动能降水率关系, 斜率形状参数关系, 雷达反射率降水率关系等, 有助于提高中国东部地区降雨动能估计, 雨滴谱反演和定量降水估计的精度. 分析也表明, 雨滴谱分布的变化特征是这些拟合关系出现差异的主要原因.

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## Manuscript History

Manuscript revised: 12 November 2018
Manuscript accepted: 17 December 2018
###### 通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com
• 1.

沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院 沈阳 110142

## Seasonal Variations of Observed Raindrop Size Distribution in East China

###### Corresponding author: Kun ZHAO, zhaokun@nju.edu.cn;
• 1. Key Laboratory of Mesoscale Severe Weather of Ministry of Education and School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Road, Nanjing 210023, China
• 2. State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather and Joint Center for Atmospheric Radar Research of China Meteorological Administration and Nanjing University, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
• 3. Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Xichang 615000, China
• 4. School of Meteorology and Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms, University of Oklahoma, Norman Oklahoma 73072, USA

Abstract: Seasonal variations of rainfall microphysics in East China are investigated using data from the observations of a two-dimensional video disdrometer and a vertically pointing micro rain radar. The precipitation and rain drop size distribution (DSD) characteristics are revealed for different rain types and seasons. Summer rainfall is dominated by convective rain, while during the other seasons the contribution of stratiform rain to rainfall amount is equal to or even larger than that of convective rain. The mean mass-weighted diameter versus the generalized intercept parameter pairs of convective rain are plotted roughly around the maritime cluster, indicating a maritime nature of convective precipitation throughout the year in East China. The localized rainfall estimators, i.e., rainfall kinetic energy-rain rate, shape-slope, and radar reflectivity-rain rate relations are further derived. DSD variability is believed to be a major source of diversity of the aforementioned derived estimators. These newly derived relations would certainly improve the accuracy of rainfall kinetic energy estimation, DSD retrieval, and quantitative precipitation estimation in this specific region.

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