Initiation, organizational modes and environmental conditions of severe convective wind events during the warm season over North China

This study was led by Huang Yue, Dr. Sun Jianhua, Zhang Yuanchun, Ma Ruoyun, Yang Xinlin, and Tian Fuyou. ERA5 reanalysis data and surface observation data were used to construct proximity soundings. 85 SCW convective systems were obtained, with 14 convective systems initiated over plains and 71 convective systems initiated over mountains, while there were 281 non-SCW convective systems, with 179 initiated over plains and 102 initiated over mountains.

The results found that most unstable convective available potential energy (MUCAPE), downdraft CAPE (DCAPE), and the temperature difference between 850 and 500 hPa (T850-T500) could distinguish the initiation environments of SCW and non-SCW convective systems occurring over plains. SCW events occurring over plains exhibited higher CAPE and DCAPE, as well as greater T850-T500. Compared to non-SCW convective systems, SCW events over mountains tended to occur in drier environments, while SCW events over plains were more likely to occur in environments with higher CAPE and 0–6 km above ground level wind shear.

The differences in underlying surface terrain at different altitudes in China lead to significant variations in environmental atmospheric conditions. Therefore, studying the differences in preconvective initiation environmental conditions between plains and mountains is highly important for forecasting convective weather types and intensity.

See the article:

Huang Y, Sun J, Zhang Y, Ma R, Yang X, Tian F. 2024. Initiation, organizational modes and environmental conditions of severe convective wind events during the warm season over North China. Science China Earth Sciences, 67(9): 2876–2894, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-024-1386-9