Seasonal differences of precipitation and microphysical characteristics over the Asian monsoon region using spaceborne dual-frequency precipitation radar

Abstract

This study aimed to reveal the seasonal climatic variations in the microphysical properties of precipitation over the Asian monsoon region. We used the Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar satellite product aboard the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission Core Observatory for eight years from 2014 to 2021 to statistically analyze the mass-weighted mean diameter (Dm) and frequency of heavy ice precipitation (graupel and hail). The results showed statistically significant seasonal changes. The microphysical characteristics of large Dm and frequent heavy ice precipitation were observed over the Indian subcontinent and Indochina Peninsula in the pre-monsoon season and over the western Himalayan region in the mature-monsoon season, which can be related to the intense and deeply developed precipitation systems. The relationship between precipitation rate and Dm was also examined. The results indicated that changes in Dm were not caused only by changes in precipitation rate but were probably induced by changes in precipitation characteristics. In terms of the relationship between the microphysical properties, heavy ice precipitation particles in the upper atmosphere above the melting layer were observed more frequently as Dm near the surface increased. We also studied lower atmospheric instability by investigating the vertical gradients of the dry and moist static energies. The results indicated that instability properties were different; dry and wet instabilities were dominant in the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons, respectively, consistent with the results of the precipitation characteristics.