Diurnal Cycles of Cloud Properties and Precipitation Patterns over the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau During Summer
In the context of rising temperatures and increasing humidity in Northwest China, substantial gaps remain in understanding the mechanisms of land–atmosphere cloud–precipitation coupling across the northeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP), Loess Plateau (LP), and Huangshui Valley (HV). This study addresses...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-10-01
|
| Series: | Remote Sensing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/21/4059 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850193415550009344 |
|---|---|
| author | Bangjun Cao Xianyu Yang Yaqiong Lu Jun Wen Shixin Wang |
| author_facet | Bangjun Cao Xianyu Yang Yaqiong Lu Jun Wen Shixin Wang |
| author_sort | Bangjun Cao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the context of rising temperatures and increasing humidity in Northwest China, substantial gaps remain in understanding the mechanisms of land–atmosphere cloud–precipitation coupling across the northeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP), Loess Plateau (LP), and Huangshui Valley (HV). This study addresses these gaps by investigating cloud properties and precipitation patterns utilizing the Fengyun-4 Satellite Quantitative Precipitation Estimation Product (FY4A-QPE) and ERA5 datasets. We specifically focus on Lanzhou, a pivotal city within the LP, and Xining, which epitomizes the HV. Our findings reveal that diurnal variations in precipitation are significantly less pronounced in the eastern regions compared to northeastern TP. This discrepancy is attributed to marked diurnal fluctuations in convective available potential energy (CAPE) and wind shear between 200 and 500 hPa. While both cities share similar wind shear patterns and moisture transport directions, Xining benefits from enhanced snowmelt and effective water retention in surrounding mountains, resulting in higher precipitation levels. Conversely, Lanzhou suffers from moisture deficits, with dry, hot winds exacerbating the situation. Notably, precipitation in Xining is strongly correlated with CAPE, influenced by diurnal variability, and intensified by valley and lake–land breezes, which drive afternoon convection. In contrast, Lanzhou’s precipitation exhibits a weak relationship with CAPE, as even elevated values fail to generate significant cloud formation due to insufficient moisture. The ongoing trends of warming and humidification may lead to improved precipitation patterns, especially in the HV, with potential ecological benefits. However, concentrated rainfall during summer afternoons and midnights raises concerns regarding extreme weather events, highlighting the susceptibility of the HV to geological hazards. This research underscores the need to further explore the uncertainties inherent in precipitation dynamics in these regions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0addd9967a1748768bb0dcd09ee7f037 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj-art-0addd9967a1748768bb0dcd09ee7f0372025-08-20T02:14:16ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922024-10-011621405910.3390/rs16214059Diurnal Cycles of Cloud Properties and Precipitation Patterns over the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau During SummerBangjun Cao0Xianyu Yang1Yaqiong Lu2Jun Wen3Shixin Wang4School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Qinghai Institute of Technology, Xining 810016, ChinaSchool of Atmospheric Science, Chengdu University of Information Technology, Chengdu 610225, ChinaInstitute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, ChinaSchool of Atmospheric Science, Chengdu University of Information Technology, Chengdu 610225, ChinaSchool of Ecology and Environmental Science, Qinghai Institute of Technology, Xining 810016, ChinaIn the context of rising temperatures and increasing humidity in Northwest China, substantial gaps remain in understanding the mechanisms of land–atmosphere cloud–precipitation coupling across the northeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP), Loess Plateau (LP), and Huangshui Valley (HV). This study addresses these gaps by investigating cloud properties and precipitation patterns utilizing the Fengyun-4 Satellite Quantitative Precipitation Estimation Product (FY4A-QPE) and ERA5 datasets. We specifically focus on Lanzhou, a pivotal city within the LP, and Xining, which epitomizes the HV. Our findings reveal that diurnal variations in precipitation are significantly less pronounced in the eastern regions compared to northeastern TP. This discrepancy is attributed to marked diurnal fluctuations in convective available potential energy (CAPE) and wind shear between 200 and 500 hPa. While both cities share similar wind shear patterns and moisture transport directions, Xining benefits from enhanced snowmelt and effective water retention in surrounding mountains, resulting in higher precipitation levels. Conversely, Lanzhou suffers from moisture deficits, with dry, hot winds exacerbating the situation. Notably, precipitation in Xining is strongly correlated with CAPE, influenced by diurnal variability, and intensified by valley and lake–land breezes, which drive afternoon convection. In contrast, Lanzhou’s precipitation exhibits a weak relationship with CAPE, as even elevated values fail to generate significant cloud formation due to insufficient moisture. The ongoing trends of warming and humidification may lead to improved precipitation patterns, especially in the HV, with potential ecological benefits. However, concentrated rainfall during summer afternoons and midnights raises concerns regarding extreme weather events, highlighting the susceptibility of the HV to geological hazards. This research underscores the need to further explore the uncertainties inherent in precipitation dynamics in these regions.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/21/4059northeastern Tibetan Plateaudiurnal cyclecloudprecipitation |
| spellingShingle | Bangjun Cao Xianyu Yang Yaqiong Lu Jun Wen Shixin Wang Diurnal Cycles of Cloud Properties and Precipitation Patterns over the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau During Summer Remote Sensing northeastern Tibetan Plateau diurnal cycle cloud precipitation |
| title | Diurnal Cycles of Cloud Properties and Precipitation Patterns over the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau During Summer |
| title_full | Diurnal Cycles of Cloud Properties and Precipitation Patterns over the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau During Summer |
| title_fullStr | Diurnal Cycles of Cloud Properties and Precipitation Patterns over the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau During Summer |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diurnal Cycles of Cloud Properties and Precipitation Patterns over the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau During Summer |
| title_short | Diurnal Cycles of Cloud Properties and Precipitation Patterns over the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau During Summer |
| title_sort | diurnal cycles of cloud properties and precipitation patterns over the northeastern tibetan plateau during summer |
| topic | northeastern Tibetan Plateau diurnal cycle cloud precipitation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/16/21/4059 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bangjuncao diurnalcyclesofcloudpropertiesandprecipitationpatternsoverthenortheasterntibetanplateauduringsummer AT xianyuyang diurnalcyclesofcloudpropertiesandprecipitationpatternsoverthenortheasterntibetanplateauduringsummer AT yaqionglu diurnalcyclesofcloudpropertiesandprecipitationpatternsoverthenortheasterntibetanplateauduringsummer AT junwen diurnalcyclesofcloudpropertiesandprecipitationpatternsoverthenortheasterntibetanplateauduringsummer AT shixinwang diurnalcyclesofcloudpropertiesandprecipitationpatternsoverthenortheasterntibetanplateauduringsummer |