A Review of Major Progresses in Mesoscale Dynamic Research in China since 1999

Mesoscale research conducted by Chinese meteorologists during the past four years is reviewed.Advances in theoretical studies include (a) mesoscale quasi-balanced and semi-balanced dynamics, derived through scale analysis and the perturbation method which are suitable for describing mesoscale vortices;(b) subcritical instability and vortex-sheet instability; (c) frontal adjustment mechanism and the effect of topography on frontgenesis; and (d) slantwise vorticity development theories, the slantwise vortex equation,and moist potential vorticity (MPV) anomalies with precipitation-related heat and mass sinks and MPV impermeability theorem. From the MPV conservation viewpoint, the transformation mechanism between different scale weather systems is analyzed. Based on the data analysis, a new dew-point front near the periphery of the West Pacific subtropical high is identified. In the light of MPV theory and Q-vector theory, some events associated with torrential rain systems and severe storms are analyzed and diagnosed.Progress in mesoscale numerical simulation has been made in the development of meso-?, meso-? vortices,meso-??-scale downbursts and precipitation produced by deep convective systems with MM5 and other mesoscale models.