Cloud and Precipitation Microphysics: Principles and Parameterizations

by Jerry M. Straka

Overview

This book focuses specifically on bin and bulk parameterizations for the prediction of cloud and precipitation at various scales - the cloud scale, mesoscale, synoptic scale, and the global climate scale. It provides a background to the fundamental principles of parameterization physics, including processes involved in the production of clouds, ice particles, liquid water, snow aggregate, graupel and hail. It presents full derivations of the parameterizations, allowing readers to build parameterization packages, with varying levels of complexity based on information in the book. Architectures for a range of dynamical models are given, in which parameterizations form a significant tool for investigating large non-linear numerical systems. Model codes are available online at www.cambridge.org/9780521883382. Written for researchers and advanced students of cloud and precipitation microphysics, this book is also a valuable reference for all atmospheric scientists involved in models of numerical weather prediction.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521297592
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/30/2011
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	408
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Jerry M. Straka received a Ph.D. in Meteorology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1989. He then worked for a short time at the University of Wisconsin's Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC) in Madison before joining the University of Oklahoma in 1990 where he is an Associate Professor of Meteorology. Dr Straka's research interests include microphysical modeling, severe thunderstorm dynamics, numerical prediction, radar meteorology, and computational fluid dynamics. He is co-director of the Verifications of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (VORTEX I) and a Member of the American Meteorological Society.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction; 2. Foundations of microphysical parameterizations; 3. Cloud droplet and cloud ice crystal nucleation; 4. Saturation adjustment; 5. Vapor diffusion growth of liquid water drops; 6. Vapor diffusion growth of ice water crystals; 7. Collection growth theory and parameterization; 8. Drop breakup theory and parameterizations; 9. Autoconversions and conversions; 10. Hail growth theory and parameterization; 11. Melting theory and parameterization; 12. Microphysical parameterization problems and solutions; 13. Model dynamics and finite differences; Index.