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TRMM 3-hourly

Propagation of Convective Complexes Monitored by Giovanni TRMM Imagery over the Eastern Tropical Atlantic Leonard M. Druyan and Matthew Fulakeza Center for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University and the NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York. Precipitation swaths

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TRMM 3-hourly

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  1. Propagation of Convective Complexes Monitored by Giovanni TRMM Imagery over the Eastern Tropical AtlanticLeonard M. Druyan and Matthew FulakezaCenter for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University and the NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York

  2. Precipitation swaths propagate westward as squall lines, perhaps associated with African easterly wave Disturbances. 3-hourly resolution shows one, two or three swaths per day. mm TRMM 3-hourly TRMM daily

  3. TRMM daily Imagery shows at least 5 swaths of heavy precipitation moving northward between 11 August-16 September. Next slide takes a closer look at this interval. mm

  4. TRMM 3-hourly Although the envelope drifts northward, Individual maxima propagate southward. This behavior was most prevalent in 2006. Examination of Giovanni TRMM imagery for 1998-2010 showed only isolated examples of southwestward propagation of precipitation maxima over the SE N. Atlantic in JJAS. mm

  5. Near-surface Aug 28 Upper tropospheric steering toward the NW moved the ITCZ trough and the precipitation envelope toward the NW. Sep 3 No synoptic (weather map) evidence Can explain the SW propagation of Individual precipitation centers. Hypothesis: gust front propagation. 700 mb 500 mb Aug 28

  6. Conclusion • TRMM imagery allowed detection of relatively rare meridional propagation of mesoscale convective complexes during the summer over the SE North Atlantic Ocean. • Low-index (trough/ridge) circulation aloft steered ITCZ convective clouds to north, but individual cells moved toward the SW. • Gust fronts under Tstms spawn new Tstms in the direction of downdraft outflow. Only 3-hourly resolution able to detect phenomenon.

  7. Relevant publication • Druyan L, Fulakeza M. (2012) Propagation of convective complexes observed by TRMM in the eastern tropical Atlantic. The Open Atmospheric Science Journal, vol. 6, 1-8.

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