Characteristics of Cloud Systems over the Tibetan Plateau and East China during Boreal Summer

Abstract

Constrained by ERA-Interim, a cloud-resolving model is employed to characterize cloud systems over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and east China. The authors focus on analyzing the role of different physical processes on cloud macro- and microscale properties of the cloud systems, especially convective cloud systems between east China and the TP. It is found that convective clouds over the TP are thinner than over east China. This difference is also reflected in the albedo at the top of the atmosphere, where smaller albedos are found for the clouds over the TP. Furthermore, the lifetimes of the deep cloud systems over the TP are shorter than over east China. For the entire simulated period, the latent heat released by phase transitions contributes the most to the total heating and moisture budget, followed by eddy transport over all regions. In addition, radiative heating also plays a nonnegligible role in the total heating effects over the TP. These results also suggest that the influence of ice phase processes is more important over the TP than east China, especially during deep convective periods. Affected by strong surface heat flux, the cloud-top height of convective clouds over the TP exhibits a diurnal cycle, leading to a diurnal cycle of rainfall.