Jingyi Chen

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

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Papers

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i-10 index

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Document Type

Co-Authors

Zhe Feng

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Heng Xiao

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Larry K. Berg

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Armin Sorooshian

University of Arizona

Jerome D. Fast

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Xiangyu Li

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Ewan Crosbie

Langley Research Center

William I. Gustafson

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Samson Hagos

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Zhao Yang

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Cooperative Institutions

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Langley Research Center

Science Systems and Applications (United States)

University of Arizona

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology

Brookhaven National Laboratory

China Meteorological Administration

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Analytical Mechanics Associates (United States)

Author Statistics

Papers

Citation

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i-10 index

Research Field

Effects of Horizontal Resolution, Domain Size, Boundary Conditions, and Surface Heterogeneity on Coarse LES of a Convective Boundary Layer

Monthly Weather Review (2022)

Mikhail Ovchinnikov Jerome D. Fast Larry K. Berg William I. Gustafson Jingyi Chen

Abstract Atmospheric properties in a convective boundary layer vary over a wide range of spatial scales and are commonly studied using large-eddy simulations (LES) in various configurations. We examine how the boundary layer depth and distribution of variability across scales are affected by LES grid spacing, domain size, inhomogeneity of surface properties, and external forcing. Two different setups of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model are analyzed. A semi-idealized configuration uses a periodic domain, flat surface, prescribed homogeneous surface heat fluxes, and horizontally uniform profiles of large-scale advective tendencies. A nested LES setup employs a larger domain and realistic initial and boundary conditions, including an interactive land surface model with representative topography and vegetation and soil types. Subdomains of identical size are analyzed for all simulations. Characteristic structure sizes are quantified using the variability scales L 50 and L 95 , defined such that features smaller than that contain 50% and 95% of the total variance, respectively. Progressive increase in L 50 from vertical velocity to temperature and moisture structures is systematically reproduced in all simulation configurations. This dependence of L 50 on the considered variable complicates the development of scale-aware parameterizations for models with grid spacing in the “terra incognita”. In simulations using a larger domain with heterogeneous surface properties, the development of internal mesoscale patterns significantly affects variance distributions inside analyzed subdomains. Sizes of boundary layer structures also strongly depend on the LES grid spacing and, in case of heterogeneous surface and topography, on location of the subdomain inside a larger computational domain.

Convective Boundary Layer

Large-Eddy Simulation

10.1175/mwr-d-21-0244.1

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Citations (7)

Predicting the Evolution of Shallow Cumulus Clouds With a Lotka‐Volterra Like Model

Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems (2025)

Jingyi Chen Samson Hagos J. D. Fast Zhe Feng

Abstract In numerical weather prediction and climate models, boundary‐layer clouds are controlled by a wide range of subgrid‐scale processes. However, understanding the nature of these processes and their role in the evolution of the cloud size distribution as a whole has been elusive. To address this issue, we adopt a novel empirical framework from the field of population dynamics to model the evolution of cloud size statistics by using the shallow cumulus properties obtained from a large‐eddy simulation (LES). Our approach involves representing the cloud size distribution and the total cloud area using a revised Lotka‐Volterra model and ridge linear model, respectively. The physical interpretation of the total cloud area and coefficients obtained from the optimization of the models reveals three stages probably interpreted by dominant processes: the formation of new clouds, the growth of single clouds, and a steady state with organized transitions involving the growth and decay of multiple clouds. Furthermore, we showcase the potential of this framework to serve as a component of scale‐aware parameterizations of shallow‐convective clouds in atmospheric models.

Volterra equations

10.1029/2023ms003739

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Citations (0)

The Effects of Shallow Cumulus Cloud Shape on Interactions Among Clouds and Mixing With Near‐Cloud Environments

Geophysical Research Letters (2023)

Jingyi Chen Samson Hagos Heng Xiao Jerome D. Fast Chunsong Lu

Abstract Cloud lifecycles are influenced by interactions among clouds and mixing with cloud‐free environments. Cloud shapes dictate the length of cloud boundaries, which affects these interactions. This study uses a large eddy simulation to examine the relationships between the shallow cumulus cloud shapes, processes at their boundaries, and lifecycles. To characterize the shape of clouds, two metrics are newly defined: one reflects the overall horizontal cloud shape, and the other defines the cloud edge irregularity. Simulated clouds experience increased irregularity, but little changes in aspect ratio. Irregularity‐driven cloud perimeter growth strongly indicates cloud splitting, with a more pronounced effect than aspect ratio‐driven perimeter growth. Smaller cloud‐shell gradients of properties across cloud boundaries are associated with more irregular clouds, suggesting enhanced mixing of clouds with the cloud‐free environment. These findings indicate that the shallow cumulus evolution is partly driven by the irregularity of the cloud edge through lateral mixing and cloud splitting.

Liquid water content

Cloud height

Large-Eddy Simulation

Aspect ratio (aeronautics)

10.1029/2023gl106334

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Citations (2)

Characterization of Surface Heterogeneity‐Induced Convection Using Cluster Analysis

Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres (2020)

Jingyi Chen Samson Hagos Heng Xiao Jerome D. Fast Zhe Feng

Abstract Land‐atmosphere interactions and boundary layer processes often control the formation of shallow clouds and subsequently deep convective precipitation over the U.S. Southern Great Plains. In this study, we examine the impacts of large‐scale advection on the cloud populations and land‐atmospheric coupling observed during the Holistic Interactions of Shallow Clouds, Aerosols, and Land‐Ecosystems field campaign in 2016. We performed two large eddy simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model for a day in which the transition from clear‐sky to shallow precipitating clouds and isolated deep convection was observed. The control simulation reproduced the overall distribution of cloud populations by using realistic soil conditions with an interactive land model. In the sensitivity simulation where large‐scale advection is removed, a strong relationship between the land and boundary layer is found. To study the timing, location, and intensity of convective initiation and the relationship of clouds with land surface properties, a cluster analysis of equivalent potential temperature is performed for the simulation without large‐scale advection. That analysis shows that convective clouds first form over regions with higher surface sensible heat flux. Precipitation from those convective clouds likely triggers new updrafts nearby about 2 hr later through the lifting associated with cold pools. The cluster analysis also shows that in addition to the spatial pattern of soil moisture, land use and soil texture in western Oklahoma also influence the location of convective initiation.

Convective Boundary Layer

Large-Eddy Simulation

10.1029/2020jd032550

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Citations (35)

Aircraft Observations Reveal the Relationship Between Cumulus Entrainment Rate and Aerosol Loading

Geophysical Research Letters (2024)

Lei Zhu Chunsong Lu Jingyi Chen Yuan Wang Xin He

Abstract The influence of entrainment, a key process characterized by the entrainment rate in cumulus parameterization, on aerosol‐cloud interactions has been widely recognized. However, despite qualitative links established between entrainment and aerosol loading, a quantitative relationship based on observational evidence remains elusive. This study utilizes aircraft observations of cumulus clouds during two field campaigns to determine the quantitative relationship between entrainment rate and aerosol loading. In both campaigns, the entrainment rate is negatively correlated with aerosol loading. It is speculated that increased aerosol loading enhances cloud edge droplet evaporation, which leads to increased buoyancy and vertical velocity within the cloud, thereby reducing the entrainment rate. Further analysis shows that the response of entrainment rate to aerosol perturbations is more significant in smaller cumulus clouds with weak buoyancy and less pronounced under opposite conditions. These findings shed new light on improving the description of aerosol‐cloud interactions in cumulus parameterizations.

Entrainment (biomusicology)

10.1029/2024gl110881

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Citations (4)

The Role of Cloud–Cloud Interactions in the Life Cycle of Shallow Cumulus Clouds

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences (2022)

Jingyi Chen Samson Hagos Zhe Feng Jerome D. Fast Heng Xiao

Abstract Some of the climate research puzzles relate to a limited understanding of the critical factors governing the life cycle of cumulus clouds. These factors force the initiation and the various mixing processes during cloud life cycles. To shed some light into these processes, we tracked the life cycle of thousands of individual shallow cumulus clouds in a large-eddy simulation during the Holistic Interactions of Shallow Clouds, Aerosols, and Land-Ecosystems field campaign in the U.S. southern Great Plains. Concurrent evolution of clouds is tracked and their respective neighboring clouds are examined. Results show that the clouds initially smaller than neighboring clouds can grow larger than the neighboring clouds by a factor of 2 within 20% of their lifetime. Two groups of the tracked clouds with growing and decaying neighboring clouds, respectively, show distinct characteristics in their life cycles. Clouds with growing neighboring clouds form above regions with larger surface heterogeneity, whereas clouds with decaying neighboring clouds are associated with less heterogeneous surfaces. Also, those with decaying neighboring clouds experience larger instability and a more humid boundary layer, indicating evaporation below the cloud base is likely occurring before those clouds are formed. Larger instability leads to higher vertical velocity and convergence within the cloud, which causes stronger surrounding downdrafts and water vapor removal in the surrounding area. The latter appears to be the reason for the decaying neighboring clouds. Understanding those processes provide insights into how cloud–cloud interactions modulate the evolution of cloud population and into how this evolution can be represented in future cumulus parameterizations.

Liquid water content

Cloud base

10.1175/jas-d-22-0004.1

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Citations (6)

Coastal Convective Clouds: Gulf-/Bay-Breezes and TRACER Insights

Dié Wang Jingyi Chen Michael Jensen

This study delves into the characteristics of convective clouds induced by Gulf-Breeze Circulations (GBCs) and Bay-Breeze Circulations (BBCs) in the Houston-Galveston region. By using a machine learning method, we find that anticyclonic synoptic patterns prevalent during the summer months significantly contribute to the formation and development of GBC/BBC-induced convective clouds, constituting 71% of cases. Leveraging data from the TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment (TRACER), we discover that the main site at LaPorte, TX experiences the influence of both GBC and BBC, with frontal passages primarily occurring around 1300 LT. These frontal passages trigger boundary layer updrafts, fostering isolated convective cores characterized by short durition (63 min) and slow movement (5 m/s), particularly within 20-40 km from the coast, and maturing around 80 km inland. In addition to observations, we simulate these convective cases using the WRF model, demonstrating good agreement with TRACER data. Various urban schemes are then explored to probe the impact of the urban heat island effect on the evolution of GBC/BBC structures and subsequent convective cloud development.

Sea breeze

TRACER

10.5194/egusphere-egu24-2050

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Process Modeling of Aerosol‐Cloud Interaction in Summertime Precipitating Shallow Cumulus Over the Western North Atlantic

Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres (2024)

Xiangyu Li Hailong Wang Matthew W. Christensen Jingyi Chen Shuaiqi Tang

Abstract Process modeling of Aerosol‐cloud interaction (ACI) is essential to bridging gaps between observational analysis and climate modeling of aerosol effects in the Earth system and eventually reducing climate projection uncertainties. In this study, we examine ACI in summertime precipitating shallow cumuli observed during the Aerosol Cloud meTeorology Interactions oVer the western ATlantic Experiment (ACTIVATE). Aerosols and precipitating shallow cumuli were extensively observed with in‐situ and remote‐sensing instruments during two research flight cases on 02 June and 07 June, respectively, during the ACTIVATE summer 2021 deployment phase. We perform observational analysis and large‐eddy simulation (LES) of aerosol effect on precipitating cumulus in these two cases. Given the measured aerosol size distributions and meteorological conditions, LES is able to reproduce the observed cloud properties by aircraft such as liquid water content (LWC), cloud droplet number concentration ( N c ) and effective radius r eff . However, it produces smaller liquid water path (LWP) and larger N c compared to the satellite retrievals. Both 02 and 07 June cases are over warm waters of the Gulf Stream and have a cloud top height over 3 km, but the 07 June case is more polluted and has larger LWC. We find that the N a ‐induced LWP adjustment is dominated by precipitation feedback for the 2 June precipitating case and there is no clear entrainment feedback in both cases. An increase of cloud fraction due to a decrease of aerosol number concentration is also shown in the simulations for the 02 June case.

Effective radius

Entrainment (biomusicology)

Liquid water content

Liquid water path

Cloud fraction

10.1029/2023jd039489

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Citations (1)

Multiscale Analysis of Surface Heterogeneity–Induced Convection on Isentropic Coordinates

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences (2022)

Jingyi Chen Samson Hagos Heng Xiao Jerome D. Fast Zhe Feng

Abstract This study uses semi-idealized simulations to investigate multiscale processes induced by the heterogeneity of soil moisture observed during the 2016 Holistic Interactions of Shallow Clouds, Aerosols, and Land-Ecosystems (HI-SCALE) field campaign. The semi-idealized simulations have realistic land heterogeneity, but large-scale winds are removed. Analysis on isentropic coordinates enables the tracking of circulation that transports energy vertically and facilitates the identification of the primary convective processes induced by realistic land heterogeneity. The isentropes associated with upward motion are found to connect the ground characterized by high latent heat flux to cloud bases directly over the ground with high sensible heat flux, while isentropes associated with downward motion connect precipitation to the ground characterized by high sensible heat fluxes. The mixing of dry, warm parcels ascending from the ground with high sensible heat fluxes and moist parcels from high latent heat regions leads to cloud formation. This new mechanism explains how soil moisture heterogeneity provides the key ingredients such as buoyancy and moisture for shallow cloud formation. We also found that the submesoscale dominates upward energy transport in the boundary layer, while mesoscale circulations contribute to vertical energy transport above the boundary layer. Our novel method better illustrates and elucidates the nature of land atmospheric interactions under irregular and realistic soil moisture patterns. Significance Statement Models that resolve boundary layer turbulence and clouds have been used extensively to understand processes controlling land–atmosphere interactions, but many of their configurations and computational expense limit the use of variable land properties. This study aims to understand how heterogeneous land properties over multiple spatial scales affect energy redistribution by moist convection. Using a more realistic land representation and isentropic analyses, we found that high sensible heat flux regions are associated with relatively higher vertical velocity near the surface, and the high latent heat flux regions are associated with relatively higher moist energy. The mixing of parcels rising from these two regions results in the formation of shallow clouds.

Convective Boundary Layer

10.1175/jas-d-21-0198.1

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Citations (2)

Tracking precipitation features and associated large-scale environments over southeastern Texas

Atmospheric chemistry and physics (2024)

Ye Liu Yun Qian Larry K. Berg Zhe Feng Jianfeng Li

Abstract. Deep convection initiated under different large-scale environmental conditions exhibits different precipitation features and interacts with local meteorology and surface properties in distinct ways. Here, we analyze the characteristics and spatiotemporal patterns of different types of convective systems over southeastern Texas using 13 years of high-resolution observations and reanalysis data. We find that mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) contribute significantly to both mean and extreme precipitation in all seasons, while isolated deep convection (IDC) plays a role in intense precipitation during summer and fall. Using self-organizing maps (SOMs), we found that convection can occur under unfavorable conditions without large-scale lifting or moisture convergence. In spring, fall, and winter, front-related large-scale meteorological patterns (LSMPs) characterized by low-level moisture convergence act as primary triggers for convection, while the remaining storms are associated with an anticyclonic pattern and orographic lifting. In summer, IDC events are mainly associated with front-related and anticyclonic LSMPs, while MCSs occur more in front-related LSMPs. We further tracked the life cycle of MCS and IDC events using the Flexible Object Tracker algorithm over southeastern Texas. MCSs frequently initiate west of Houston, traveling eastward for around 8 h to southeastern Texas, while IDC events initiate locally. The average duration of MCSs in southeastern Texas is 6.1 h, approximately 4.1 times the duration of IDC events. Diurnally, the initiation of convection associated with favorable LSMPs peaks at 11:00 UTC, 3 h earlier than that associated with anticyclones.

Anticyclone

Rainband

Orographic lift

Convective storm detection

Synoptic scale meteorology

Cold front

10.5194/acp-24-8165-2024

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