Thermodynamic Effects of Mesoscale Convective Systems on the Environment over the Eastern Atlantic

[摘要] Distributions of composited convective heating and drying vary substantially during the life cycle of six cloud clusters identified by Frank (1978) in Phase III of GATE. Convective heating (Q1-QR) and drying (Q2) begin in the lower troposphere. As cloud clusters mature, intensification of upper level convective heating increases; while below 600mb drying accompanies decreases in convective heating. The upper level convective heating reaches its peak, when the upper level cloud cover is largest; whereas the Q2 maximum at 850mb coincides with the peak radar echo intensity. The depletion of moist static energy (Q1-Q2-QR) in the lower trposphere begins in the growing stage; whereas the upper level heating due to vertical eddy fluxes is most significant in later stages, when deep clouds are prominent.

[学科分类] 大气科学