Impacts of Topographic Complexity on Modeling Moisture Transport and Precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau in Summer

Abstract The non-hydrostatic global variable resolution model (MPAS-atmosphere) is used to conduct the simulations for South Asian Summer monsoon season (June, July, and August) in 2015 with a refinement over Tibetan Plateau (TP) at convection-permitting scale (4 km). Two experiments different topographical datasets, complex (4-km) smooth (60-km) topography, are designed investigate impacts of complexity on moisture transport precipitation. Compared observations reanalysis data, simulation can successfully capture general features key meteorological fields TP despite slightly underestimating inflow through southern TP. results indicate that topography decrease inward outward transport, ultimately increasing total net into by ?11%. precipitation negligible TP, but spatial distributions Himalayas significantly modulated. With inclusion sharper slopes shift lifted airflow hence northward compared topography. In addition, more small-scale valleys resolved which serve as channels across Himalayas, further favoring Overall, difference between two datasets mainly attributed their differing representation degree extent resolved.