Abstract:In order to distinguish the cloud vertical structure (CVS) under different synoptic systems and provide reference for artificial rainfall enhancement, the characteristics of 500-850 hPa surface circulation field during Liaoning artificial rainfall enhancement periods from 2004 to 2014 and the CVS observed by CloudSat under typical synoptic systems (occurrence frequency larger than twice per year) are analyzed. According to the configuration difference of circulation filed, about 225 episodes, namely 17 types of synoptic systems, are identified, of which 4 typical types are selected, including westerly trough shear line cold front (CF), westerly trough vertex Mongolia cyclone (MCW), westerly trough vertex southern cyclone (SC) and vertex vertex Mongolia cyclone (MCV). The analysis of CVS under typical systems shows that the dominated clouds are single layer clouds. Under the influence of SC, the heights of cloud bases are lower and cloud thicknesses are thicker than that of other systems while that of MCW are opposite. More than 50% of cloud intervals’ thicknesses are smaller than 1 km, and this proportion increases with the layer numbers. Taking the clouds with base height ≤2 km and thickness ≥2 km as the target clouds for artificial rainfall enhancement, we achieve the results that the proportion of qualified clouds under cloudy condition of SC is the highest (59.7%) and that of MCW is the lowest (14.5%). The target clouds are dominated by single layer low cold clouds with base heights lower than 1 km and top heights higher than 7 km. Moreover, the thicknesses of cloud intervals have little effect on cold clouds seeding.