LES of cumulus clouds (2012)

First sequence

Project: Investigations on in-cloud turbulence effects on drop growth and precipitation formation Responsible: Theres Riechelmann?, Björn Maronga? Description: This sequence shows the development of cumulus clouds at an accelerated pace in the homogeneously-heated convective boundary layer. The shown time period spans approx. 80 minutes, the shown region is of size 1.4 km x 1.4 km in the horizonzal and 1.5 km in the vertical direction. The clouds are represented through the liquid water content. Darker (gray) shades refer to a higher water content than white shades. The background scenary here is not physical and used for decorational reasons only. Model Setup Total domain size (x|y|z): 4096m x 4096m x 1900m Grid spacing (x|y|z): 4m x 4m x 4m Number of grid points (x|y|z): 1024 x 1024 x 448 Simulated time: 2h CPU-time: 6.5h Number of CPUs: 1024 Machine/ processor type: SGI Altix ICE at ​HLRN Visualization software: VAPOR Download Video Format File size Flash (.flv) 3.9mb Download MPEG (.avi) 3.6mb Download

Second sequence

Project: Investigations on in-cloud turbulence effects on drop growth and precipitation formation Responsible: Theres Riechelmann?, Björn Maronga? Description: As sequence one, but a different cloud at a different location. The shown region is of size 1.0 km x 1.2 km in the horizonzal and 1.5 km in the vertical direction. The arrows indicate the strength and direction of the wind in a vertical plane through the center of the cloud. Red and blue colors refer for up- and downdrafts, respectively. Model Setup Total domain size (x|y|z): 4096m x 4096m x 1900m Grid spacing (x|y|z): 4m x 4m x 4m Number of grid points (x|y|z): 1024 x 1024 x 448 Simulated time: 2h CPU-time: 6.5h Number of CPUs: 1024 Machine/ processor type: SGI Altix ICE at ​HLRN Visualization software: VAPOR Download Video Format File size Flash (.flv) 4.3mb Download MPEG (.avi) 10.9mb Download

Third sequence

Project: Investigations on in-cloud turbulence effects on drop growth and precipitation formation Responsible: Theres Riechelmann?, Björn Maronga? Description: The third sequence shows the same cloud as sequence two, but from a different view angle. Arrows again indicate the flow circulation under the cloud (updrafts are in red colors). The bottom shows the near-surface vertical wind speed (high wind speeds in red). Model Setup Total domain size (x|y|z): 4096m x 4096m x 1900m Grid spacing (x|y|z): 4m x 4m x 4m Number of grid points (x|y|z): 1024 x 1024 x 448 Simulated time: 2h CPU-time: 6.5h Number of CPUs: 1024 Machine/ processor type: SGI Altix ICE at ​HLRN Visualization software: VAPOR Download Video Format File size Flash (.flv) 4.2mb Download MPEG (.avi) 10.9mb Download