Computational Domain Size Effects on Large-Eddy Simulations of Precipitating Shallow Cumulus Convection
<p>LES domain sizes and cloud liquid water path (LWP) at the end of the run, <math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>t</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>36</mn><mspace width="0.277778em"/><mi mathvariant="normal">h</mi></mrow></semantics></math>. The computational domain area quadruples as the LES computational domain increases. Axes ticks correspond to 50-km intervals. Axes labels are not shown to maximize the plot area.</p> "> Figure 2
<p>Rain water path (RWP) at <math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>t</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>36</mn><mspace width="0.277778em"/><mi mathvariant="normal">h</mi></mrow></semantics></math>. Axes ticks correspond to 50-km intervals. Axes labels are not shown to maximize the plot area. See <a href="#atmosphere-14-01186-f001" class="html-fig">Figure 1</a> for the corresponding LWP field.</p> "> Figure 3
<p>Evolution of vertically integrated turbulent kinetic energy (VTKE), cloud-liquid water path (LWP), rain water path (RWP), cloud base <math display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>z</mi><mi>b</mi></msub></semantics></math>, cloud top height <math display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>z</mi><mi>c</mi></msub></semantics></math>, inversion height <math display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>z</mi><mi>i</mi></msub></semantics></math>, cloud cover <math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>c</mi><mi>c</mi></mrow></semantics></math> and surface precipitation rate.</p> "> Figure 4
<p>Profiles of (<b>a</b>) <span class="html-italic">u</span>-component wind, (<b>b</b>) potential temperature <math display="inline"><semantics><mi>θ</mi></semantics></math>, (<b>c</b>) total water mixing ratio <math display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>q</mi><mi>t</mi></msub></semantics></math>, (<b>d</b>) cloud liquid water mixing ratio <math display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>q</mi><mi>l</mi></msub></semantics></math>, (<b>e</b>) turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), (<b>f</b>) horizontal component of TKE, (<b>g</b>) vertical velocity variance and (<b>h</b>) vertical total water flux at the end of the LES runs, <math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>t</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>36</mn><mspace width="0.277778em"/><mi mathvariant="normal">h</mi></mrow></semantics></math>.</p> "> Figure 5
<p>(<b>a</b>) Resolved-scale total water mixing ratio, and (<b>b</b>) liquid water potential temperature variance at <math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>t</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>36</mn><mspace width="0.277778em"/><mi mathvariant="normal">h</mi></mrow></semantics></math> for all LES domains.</p> "> Figure 6
<p>(<b>a</b>) Time evolution of inversion strength for all runs. (<b>b</b>) Inversion height and inversion strength in the <math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mn>8</mn><mo>×</mo><mn>8</mn></mrow></semantics></math> subdomains of run D at <math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>t</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>36</mn><mspace width="0.277778em"/><mi mathvariant="normal">h</mi></mrow></semantics></math> with open circles. Filled circle corresponds to the entire-domain average, which is the same value as the line for run D at <math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>t</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>36</mn><mspace width="0.277778em"/><mi mathvariant="normal">h</mi></mrow></semantics></math> of (<b>a</b>).</p> "> Figure 7
<p>Premultiplied one-dimensional spectra. All spectra are computed at <math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>z</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>360</mn><mspace width="0.277778em"/><mi mathvariant="normal">m</mi></mrow></semantics></math> along the zonal direction. The <span class="html-italic">x</span>-axis is converted to length scale to assist the physical interpretation. In each panel, spectra from all four runs are shown, lines are as in <a href="#atmosphere-14-01186-f004" class="html-fig">Figure 4</a>. Panel rows from top to bottom correspond to a different time <math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>t</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>24</mn></mrow></semantics></math> (<b>a</b>–<b>d</b>), 30 (<b>e</b>–<b>h</b>) and <math display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mn>36</mn><mspace width="0.277778em"/><mi mathvariant="normal">h</mi></mrow></semantics></math> (<b>i</b>–<b>l</b>). In each row, panels correspond to different variables: from left to right, zonal wind, vertical velocity, liquid water potential temperature, and total water mixing ratio.</p> "> Figure 8
<p>Horizontal length scales computed from runs C (black symbols) and D (orange). (<b>a</b>) Length scales of zonal wind <math display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>l</mi><mi>u</mi></msub></semantics></math>. (<b>b</b>) Meridional wind <math display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>l</mi><mi>v</mi></msub></semantics></math>. (<b>c</b>) Liquid water potential temperature <math display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>l</mi><mi>θ</mi></msub></semantics></math>. (<b>d</b>) Total water mixing ratio <math display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>l</mi><mi>q</mi></msub></semantics></math> and radii of two cold pools <math display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>r</mi><mrow><mi>c</mi><mi>p</mi><mn>1</mn></mrow></msub></semantics></math> and <math display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>r</mi><mrow><mi>c</mi><mi>p</mi><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></semantics></math> from run C. (<b>e</b>) Vertical velocity <math display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>l</mi><mi>w</mi></msub></semantics></math>.</p> "> Figure A1
<p>Vertical profiles averaged in the horizontal directions and in time between <span class="html-italic">t</span> = 35–36 h for run A.</p> "> Figure A2
<p>Vertical profiles averaged in the horizontal directions and in time between <span class="html-italic">t</span> = 35–36 h for run B.</p> "> Figure A3
<p>Vertical profiles averaged in the horizontal directions and in time between <span class="html-italic">t</span> = 35–36 h for run C.</p> "> Figure A4
<p>Vertical profiles averaged in the horizontal directions and in time between <span class="html-italic">t</span> = 35–36 h for run D.</p> ">
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Methods
3. Results
3.1. Convection Organization
3.2. Domain-Averaged Turbulent-Flow Statistics
3.3. Vertical Profiles
3.4. Inversion Strength
3.5. Spectra and Length Scales
4. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
References
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Run | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | 1024 | 125 | 40.96 | 5 | 40 |
B | 2048 | 125 | 80.92 | 5 | 40 |
C | 4096 | 125 | 163.84 | 5 | 40 |
D | 8192 | 125 | 327.68 | 5 | 40 |
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Lamaakel, O.; Venters, R.; Teixeira, J.; Matheou, G. Computational Domain Size Effects on Large-Eddy Simulations of Precipitating Shallow Cumulus Convection. Atmosphere 2023, 14, 1186. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14071186
Lamaakel O, Venters R, Teixeira J, Matheou G. Computational Domain Size Effects on Large-Eddy Simulations of Precipitating Shallow Cumulus Convection. Atmosphere. 2023; 14(7):1186. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14071186
Chicago/Turabian StyleLamaakel, Oumaima, Ravon Venters, Joao Teixeira, and Georgios Matheou. 2023. "Computational Domain Size Effects on Large-Eddy Simulations of Precipitating Shallow Cumulus Convection" Atmosphere 14, no. 7: 1186. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14071186