Storm characteristics over Mirzapur during monsoon, 2014
Student name: Ms Sudha Yadav
Guide: Mr Saurabh Bhardwaj
Year of completion: 2016
Host Organisation: Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Dr Mahen Konwar
Abstract: In this study, an effort has been made to study the storm characteristics over Mirzapur Region in U.P, North India using Micro Rain Radar (MRR) located at Banaras Hindu University and TRMM satellite data. Depending upon a threshold precipitation rain rate on TRMM data, five events were selected to study the precipitation features during JJAS 2014. Two types of precipitation vis-Ã -vis stratiform and convective are distinctly seen in the reflectivity plots of MRR data and a method has been devised based upon the criteria set by Steiner et al, to characterize precipitation into different types. To that effect, rain drop size distributions for different cases: before Bright Band, during bright Band and After Bright Band at the surface and at the Bright Band level. Distinct features showing decrease in number density at the surface and presence of smaller particles in convective rainfall can be seen. The diurnal variation of rain rate during this period has been studied to understand the microphysics occurring at different temporal and spatial scales. As a precursor to multiple end means, this study has validated the MRR data with TRMM showing it to be a reliable source of ground based observations as well as a start to understand the microphysics occurring in that region. From hourly rainfall data we also studied the diurnal variations of rainfall intensity and found that maximum rainfall occurs during late night to morning hours. Most of the rainfalls occur are contributed by shallow convective precipitating systems whose storms heights do not exceed 2 km or so. Extremely deep convective storms (storm height > 14 km) occur over this region but less frequently. Vertical structures of deep convective, shallow convective and stratiform precipitating are studied and their physical processes are evaluated.
In future, detail analysis will be carried out for the cause of peculiar diurnal variations observed over this area and rain microphysics with the help of other in-situ observations.
Keywords: RDSD, BB, rain microphysics, stratiform, convective, radar echo
