Characteristics of Deep Convective Systems and Initiation during Warm Seasons over China and Its Vicinity

Yang Li; Yubao Liu; Yun Chen; Baojun Chen; Xin Zhang; Weisheng Wang; Zhuozhi Shu; Zhaoyang Huo

doi:10.3390/rs13214289

Remote Sensing (Oct 2021)

Characteristics of Deep Convective Systems and Initiation during Warm Seasons over China and Its Vicinity

Yang Li,
Yubao Liu,
Yun Chen,
Baojun Chen,
Xin Zhang,
Weisheng Wang,
Zhuozhi Shu,
Zhaoyang Huo

Affiliations

Yang Li: Key Laboratory for Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation of China Meteorological Administration, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
Yubao Liu: Key Laboratory for Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation of China Meteorological Administration, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
Yun Chen: National Meteorological Center, Beijing 100081, China
Baojun Chen: Chinese Academy of Meteorological Science, Beijing 100081, China
Xin Zhang: Key Laboratory for Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation of China Meteorological Administration, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
Weisheng Wang: State Key Laboratory of Operation and Control of Renewable Energy & Storage Systems, Chinese Electric Power Research Institute, State Grid of Corporation of China, Beijing 100035, China
Zhuozhi Shu: Key Laboratory for Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation of China Meteorological Administration, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
Zhaoyang Huo: Key Laboratory for Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation of China Meteorological Administration, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13214289
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 13, no. 21
p. 4289

Abstract

Read online

The spatiotemporal statistical characteristics of warm-season deep convective systems, particularly deep convective systems initiation (DCSI), over China and its vicinity are investigated using Himawari-8 geostationary satellite measurements collected during April-September from 2016 to 2020. Based on a satellite brightness temperature multiple-threshold convection identification and tracking method, a total of 47593 deep convective systems with lifetimes of at least 3 h were identified in the region. There are three outstanding local maxima in the region, located in the southwestern, central and eastern Tibetan Plateau and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, followed by a region of high convective activities in South China. Most convective systems are developed over the Tibetan Plateau, predominantly eastward-moving, while those developed in Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and South China mostly move westward and southwestward. The DSCI occurrences become extremely active after the onset of the summer monsoon and tend to reach a maximum in July and August, with a diurnal peak at 11–13 LST in response to the enhanced solar heating and monsoon flows. Several DCSI hotspots are identified in the regions of inland mountains, tropical islands and coastal mountains during daytime, but in basins, plains and coastal areas during nighttime. DCSI over land and oceans exhibits significantly different sub-seasonal and diurnal variations. Oceanic DCSI has an ambiguous diurnal variation, although its sub-seasonal variation is similar to that over land. It is demonstrated that the high spatiotemporal resolution satellite dataset provides rich information for understanding the convective systems over China and vicinity, particularly the complex terrain and oceans where radar observations are sparse or none, which will help to improve the convective systems and initiation nowcasting.

Published in Remote Sensing

ISSN: 2072-4292 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing/

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords