Abstract
A heat source with a vertical profile like that of observed tropical mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) is shown to cause, through inviscid gravity wave dynamics, upward displacement at low levels in a mesoscale region surrounding the heating. Typical values are ~10%-30% area contraction at the surface everywhere within 270 km of the heating 6 h after it starts. As a result, conditions near an existing MCS (but beyond the area of MCS outflow) become more favorable for the development of additional convection. This theory predicts that cloud clusters should be gregarious. Infrared satellite imagery confirms that almost half of the cold cloudiness observed in a month over the oceanic warm pool region was contributed by just 14 objectively defined multiday "superclusters.' -Author
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2026-2037 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue number | 13 |
| State | Published - 1993 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Atmospheric Science
Cite this
Gregarious tropical convection. / Mapes, Brian E.
In: Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, Vol. 50, No. 13, 1993, p. 2026-2037.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Gregarious tropical convection
AU - Mapes, Brian E
PY - 1993
Y1 - 1993
N2 - A heat source with a vertical profile like that of observed tropical mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) is shown to cause, through inviscid gravity wave dynamics, upward displacement at low levels in a mesoscale region surrounding the heating. Typical values are ~10%-30% area contraction at the surface everywhere within 270 km of the heating 6 h after it starts. As a result, conditions near an existing MCS (but beyond the area of MCS outflow) become more favorable for the development of additional convection. This theory predicts that cloud clusters should be gregarious. Infrared satellite imagery confirms that almost half of the cold cloudiness observed in a month over the oceanic warm pool region was contributed by just 14 objectively defined multiday "superclusters.' -Author
AB - A heat source with a vertical profile like that of observed tropical mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) is shown to cause, through inviscid gravity wave dynamics, upward displacement at low levels in a mesoscale region surrounding the heating. Typical values are ~10%-30% area contraction at the surface everywhere within 270 km of the heating 6 h after it starts. As a result, conditions near an existing MCS (but beyond the area of MCS outflow) become more favorable for the development of additional convection. This theory predicts that cloud clusters should be gregarious. Infrared satellite imagery confirms that almost half of the cold cloudiness observed in a month over the oceanic warm pool region was contributed by just 14 objectively defined multiday "superclusters.' -Author
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0027839648&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0027839648&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0027839648
VL - 50
SP - 2026
EP - 2037
JO - Journals of the Atmospheric Sciences
JF - Journals of the Atmospheric Sciences
SN - 0022-4928
IS - 13
ER -