A Summary of Precipitation Characteristics from the 2006-11 Northern Australian Wet Seasons as Revealed by ARM Disdrometer Research Facilities(Darwin, Australia)

摘要

The variability of rainfall and drop size distributions (DSDs) as a function of large-scale atmospheric conditions and storm characteristics is investigated using measurements from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) facility at Darwin, Australia. Observations are obtained from an impact disdrometer with a near continuous record of operation over five consecutive wet seasons (2006-11). Bulk rainfall characteristics are partitioned according to diurnal accumulation, convective and stratiform precipitation classifications, objective monsoonal regime, and MJO phase. Findings support previous Darwin studies suggesting a significant diurnal and DSD parameter signal associated with both convective-stratiform and wet season monsoonal regimeclassification. Negligible MJO phase influence is determined for cumulative disdrometric statistics over the Darwin location.