Bin-Emulating Hail Melting in Three-Moment Bulk Microphysics

• Published in: Journal of the atmospheric sciences 2020-10, Vol.77 (10), p.3361-3385
• Main Authors: Mansell, Edward R., Dawson II, Daniel T., Straka, Jerry M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Distribution; Excavation; Gravity; Hail; Ice; Ice particles; Large hail; Mean; Melting; Microphysics; Raindrop sizes; Raindrops; Reflectance; Storms; Thunderstorms
• ISSN: 0022-4928; 1520-0469
• DOI: 10.1175/JAS-D-19-0268.1

A three-moment bulk microphysics scheme is modified to treat melting in a size-dependent manner that emulates results from a spectral bin scheme. The three-moment bulk framework allows the distribution shape to change and accommodate some direct effects of melting on both the hail and raindrop size distributions. Reflectivity changes and shed raindrop sizes are calculated over discrete size ranges of the hail particle spectrum. Smaller ice particles are treated as melting into drops of the same mass, whereas large particles shed drops as they melt. As small ice particles are lost, the size spectrum naturally becomes narrower and the mean size of small hail can increase. Large hail with a narrow spectrum, however, can decrease in size from melting. A substantial effect is seen on the rain median volume diameter when small drops are shed from large melting hail. The NSSL bulk scheme is compared with bin microphysics in steady-state hail shafts and in a supercell storm case. It is also shown that melting (or any substantial removal of mass) induces gravitational size sorting in bulk microphysics to increase hail size despite the design of the process rates to maintain the mean size of the melting ice. This unintended side effect can be a correct behavior for small hail, but not for large hail with a narrow distribution, when mean hail size should decrease by melting.