On the definition of precipitation efficiency

A modified definition of precipitation efficiency (PE) is proposed based on either cloud microphysics precipitation efficiency (CMPE) or water cycling processes including water vapor and hydrometeor species [large-scale precipitation efficiency (LSPE)]. These PEs are examined based on a two-dimensional cloud-resolving simulation. The model is integrated for 21 days with the imposed large-scale vertical velocity, zonal wind, and horizontal advections obtained from the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE). It is found that the properly defined PEs include all moisture and hydrometeor sources associated with surface rainfall processes so that they range from 0% to 100%. Furthermore, the modified LSPE and CMPE are highly correlated. Their linear correlation coefficient and root-mean-squared difference are insensitive to the spatial scales of averaged data and are moderately sensitive to the time period of averaged data.