Monsoon precipitation characteristics overAsia and Western Tropical Pacific Ocean*K. Krishna Reddy1, Baio Geng1, Hiroyuki Yamada1, Hiroshi Uyeda1,2, Ryuichi Shirooka1, Tomoki Ushiyama1,Suginori Iwasaki1, Hisayuki Kubota1, Takashi Chuda1, Kensuke Takeuchi1, Toshiaki Kozu3, Yuichi Ohno4,Kenji Nakamura2, and D.Naryana Rao5
(1: IORGC/JAMSTEC, Yokohama; 2. HyARC, Nagoya University; 3. Shimane University; 4.NICT, Tokyoand 5. NMRF, India)* Institute of Observational Research for Global Change (IORGC)/Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Scienceand Technology (JAMSTEC), 3173-25 Showa-machi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0001, Japan.
E-mail:kkreddy@jamstec.go.jp
Abstract
Wind profilers offer the unique ability to directly measure vertical motion profiles through precipitating and nonprecipitating cloud systems. This ability has been exploited through a series of analyses of evolution of convective
boundary layer and mesoscale precipitating systems passing overhead of the wind profilers located at Gadanki (India),
Aimeliik (Palau) and Dongshan (China). Tropical wind profilers and JW disdrometers (Gadanki and Aimeliik)
analysis/results show clear seasonal dependence raindrop size distribution characteristics in summer monsoon and wintermonsoon. During the Westerly monsoon often the precipitating systems are associated with mesoscale convection activities
and also short duration with high intensity of rainfall.
Keyword: Monsoon, Radar reflectivity, convective boundary layer, precipitation and Raindrop size distribution

1. Introduction

Tokyo
DongshanGadankiBangkok
Palau

Fig.1: The map showing location of the windprofilers that are used for the present study.

Wind profilers (WP) operating around 1 GHz provides
with good temporal and vertical resolution data todiagnose the convective boundary layer (CBL) andvertical structure of the precipitating cloud systems(Reddy et al. 2002). We proposed to use (Figure 1 &Table 1) utilize five wind profiler to understand theinfluence of boundary layer on Asia monsoon
precipitation. However, for the present paper, we utilized
Gadanki, Dongshan and Palau data.
2. Boundary Layer Characterization
Figure 2(a-c) shows the time-height cross-section of range
corrected reflectivity (SNR) dB observed with Gadanki,Donghsan and Aimeliik wind profiler during different
monsoon seasons. Strong reflectivity observed duringmorning hours corresponds to the morning transition orthe morning rise of the inversion. The significant echoregion appears in the lowest observational heights andascends gradually, reaching a maximum height in theafternoon hours.

(a)is not simply related to any local surface meteorologicalvariables. The low boundary heights at Aimeliik during
June and July are probably related to low Bowen ratios(ratio of sensible to latent heat flux at the surface) andvery high humidity.

Gadanki, 13 Aug. 1999

Hydrometeors(b)

Dongshan, 30 Jul. 2002

Multiple elevated layer
Thermal Plumes
Rising layer

Fig.3: Average Boundary layer height observed
during summer Monsoon period over Dongshan,
Gadanki and Aimeliik.
3. Diagnostic studies of tropical precipitation(a)(c) Palau, 03 Jul. 2003

Gadanki, 22 & 23 Jun. 2000
Bright Band

Deep Convection

Shallow Convection(b)

Dongshan, 19 & 20 Jun. 2002

Local Time, hrs

Radar Reflectivity (SNR), dB

Fig.2: Time-height cross-section of Reflectivity(SNR), dB observed during summer monsoon
convective boundary layer evolution at differentlocations.
Figure 3 shows the midday boundary layer height for
all the days with well-formed CBL over Dongshan andGadanki. The height shown for each day is the averageover four hours in early afternoon (12:00 – 15:00 LocalTime) of the boundary layer heights determined for eachhour by subjective examination of the results of a peakfinding algorithm run on the reflectivity. The results
suggest that the average CBL height at Dongshan varies
between 1 and 1.5 km and whereas at Gadanki theboundary layer height various between 1.05 and 2.05 km.
The marine boundary layer is most of the time less than 1km. The CBL evolution depends on variety of factors and(c)Palau, 11 & 12 Jun. 2003

Local Time, hrs

Radar Reflectivity, dBZ

Fig.4: Time-height cross-section of Reflectivity,dBZ observed by the vertical beam of different windprofilers.

Figure 3 illustrates Gadanki, Dongshan and Aimeliik
wind profilers potential for diagnosing the verticalstructure of precipitating cloud systems. The reflectivity
in the panel (a), panel (b) and panel (c) show a distinct
episode of convective activity, and a bright band of highreflectivity associated with a melting layer is visible. The
ability of Gadanki, Dongshan and Aimeliik wind profilers
to clearly resolve the melting layer when it is present also
provides a means of differentiating between stratiform
and convective precipitation.

Precipitation events/storms at Gadanki are short lived
around one hour with high intensity of the rain. Aimeliik
most of the precipitation events are long lasting andmostly associated with heavy rainfall or tropical cyclones
or both. Preliminary results from Gadanki confirm that atleast half of tropical rainfall is stratiform in nature being
associated with mesoscale convective systems. However,this research needs further detailed investigations, which
are in progress.

(a)

(c)

(b)

(d)

Fig. 5: Diurnal variation of Precipitating Clouds over (a) Gadanki and (b) Aimeliik during Monsoon.
Seasonal variation of Precipitating Clouds over (c) Gadanki and (d) Aimeliik during Monsoon period.
To improve algorithms for the remote sensing of rainfall,
which are crucial for meso- and large-scale circulations
studies and climate applications through better
determinations of precipitation type and latent heating
profiles (Gage et al. 1994).
Toward this end windprofiler-derived
quantities,
namely,equivalent
reflectivity, Doppler velocity and spectral width from
Doppler spectra were used to classify precipitation type inthree categories: Convective, Transition(mixedconvection-stratiform) and Stratiform (William et al1995).
Figure 5 shows diurnal variations of precipitating
cloud occurrence at Dongshan and Gadanki as observedby the wind profilers. Diurnal variation of convection
seems to occur late afternoon and evening at Gadanki andAimeliik. . The peak of stratiform precipitating cloud has
smaller value and comes later than the convective clouds.
The time delay between the peak of the stratiform andconvective precipitating cloud corresponds to the life
cycle of the mesoscale convective system. Several

4. Seasonal variation of Raindrop size
distribution
The DSD variation at Gadanki and Aimeliik,
generally, depends on seasonal change of monsoon
precipitating cloud systems that are characterized by avariety of physical mechanisms that produce strong
seasonal winds, a westerly and easterly monsoon. It is thecombined effect of these mechanisms that produces(seasonal variation of raindrop size distribution) themonsoon's characteristic reversals of high winds andprecipitating cloud systems. These results are very
interesting and different from the sub-tropics. The
present results suggest that the rain-type dependent of
DSD properties in tropics may need more study. Despite
the uncertainty in using radars to estimate rainfall, several
studies have been conducted to determine the relationshipbetween rain rate and radar reflectivity. By plotting theradar reflectivity against the rain rate, it has been foundthat the relationship between radar reflectivity and rain
rates follows a “power−law”, i.e.
a b

Z = 10 R…

(1)

(a)

seasonal dependence of the coefficient “a” and exponent“b” in the Z–R relation [Eq. (1)]. It is seen from Fig.6
during summer/westerly monsoon periods, “a” (the usual
coefficient in Z–R relation) ranges between about 250 and500, while during easterly monsoon, “a” decreases
drastically. The exponent “b” also changes somewhat,
which may be related to seasonal changes of light andheavy rains in winter and summer monsoons. The present
results strongly suggest that this type of seasonal
dependence should be taken into account to improve theaccuracy of the TRMM precipitation radar algorithm.

5. Concluding Remarks(b)

In this paper we have illustrated the structure of diverse
precipitating cloud systems observed at several tropicallocations using ground-based Wind profilers. Suchmeasurements of the detailed vertical structure of
precipitating cloud systems contribute valuableinformation to space-based precipitation retrievals. Inaddition the retrieval of drop-size distributions is neededfor determining precipitation parameters.

References

Fig.6: Seasonal variation of the coefficient “a” andexponent “b” of Z = 10aRb at (a) Gadanki and (b)Aimeliik.
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