The Role of Mesoscale Convective Systems in Precipitation in the Tibetan Plateau Region

Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) have been identified as an important source of precipitation in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) region. However, the characteristics and structure of MCS-induced precipitation are not well understood in this location. Infrared (IR) satellite imagery has been used for MCS tracking, but cirrus clouds or cold surfaces can lead to false MCS classification over mountain regions. Here, we combine brightness temperatures from IR imagery with satellite precipitation estimates from GPM IMERG and track MCSs over the TP, at the boundary of the TP (TPB), and in the surrounding lower-elevation plains (LE), between 2000 and 2019. In most parts of LE and TPB, MCSs produced 50%–80% of the total summer precipitation (60%–90% of summer heavy precipitation), whereas MCSs over the TP account for below 10% of the total summer precipitation (10%–30% of summer heavy precipitation). Our results also show that MCSs that produce the largest amounts of heavy precipitation are characterized by longevity and large extents rather than by high intensities. These are mainly located in the populous areas south and east of the TP. A tracking of meso-β convective systems over the TP shows that small-scale convection makes a large contribution to total and heavy precipitation. This suggests that more localized convective systems are important for the regional water cycle over the higher terrain and highlights the importance of convective-scale modeling to improve our understanding of precipitation dynamics in the TP region.