Moisture sources tracking of a cold vortex rainstorm over Northeast China using FLEXPART

Water vapor sources and related transport processes are fundamental to the understanding of precipitation mechanisms. This study focuses on a typical Northeast Cold Vortex (NECV) rainstorm on July 25, 2016, which brought floods and huge economic losses to Northeast China. Using the Lagrangian flexible particle dispersion model (FLEXPART) and the areal source–receptor attribution method, the moisture sources and transport characteristics during this event were analyzed. The results show that this NECV rainstorm occurred under a favorable atmospheric circulation background, and particles in the rainstorm area mainly came from the Indo-China Peninsula, South China Sea, Bay of Bengal, and central China at relatively low levels. The largest water vapor uptake and release were found in central China, which was the primary moisture source of this NECV precipitation. Although the Indian Subcontinent–Bay of Bengal–Indo-China Peninsula had a higher moisture intake than the South China Sea–the Philippines, a considerable amount of moisture in the former was released during transport, making the moisture contributions of the two equivalents. Furthermore, the Northeast rainstorm area had a non-negligible precipitation recycling process. All examined sources contributed more than 90% of the moisture in the rainstorm area.