High-Resolution Simulation and Analysis of the Mature Structure of a Polar Low over the Sea of Japan on 21 January 1997

Thispaperpresentsahigh-resolutionsimulationofaremarkablepolarlowobservedovertheSeaofJapanon21January1997byusinga5-kmmeshnon-hydrostaticmodelMRI-NHM(MeteorologicalResearchInstituteNon-HydrostaticModel).A24-hoursimulationstartingfrom0000UTC21January1997successfullyreproducedtheobservedfeaturesofthepolarlowsuchasthewrappingofwesternpartofaninitialEWorientationvortex,thespiral-shapedbands,thecloud-free'eye',andthewarmcorestructureatitsmaturestage.The'eye'ofthesimulatedpolarlowwasrelativelydry,andwasassociatedwithastrongdowndraft.Athermodynamicbudgetanalysisindicatesthatthe'warmcore'inthe'eye'regionwasmainlycausedbytheadiabaticwarmingassociatedwiththedowndraft.Therelationshipamongthecondensationaldiabaticheating,theverticalvelocity,theconvergenceofthemoistureflux,andthecirculationaveragedwithina50km×50kmsquareareaaroundthepolarlowcentershowsthattheyformapositivefeedbackloop,andthisloopisnotinconsistentwiththeCISK(ConditionalInstabilityoftheSecondKind)mechanismduringthedevelopingstageofthepolarlow.