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Modeling Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS) in a Highly Simplified Environment

Modeling Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS) in a Highly Simplified Environment. Xiping Zeng Cooperated with Wei- Kuo Tao, Robert A. Houze Jr. GEST10 Presentation. Motive. Satellite observations show that MCSs are common in the Tropics

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Modeling Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS) in a Highly Simplified Environment

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  1. Modeling Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS) in a Highly Simplified Environment Xiping Zeng Cooperated with Wei-Kuo Tao, Robert A. Houze Jr. GEST10 Presentation

  2. Motive • Satellite observations show that MCSs are common in the Tropics • Classic theory on convection predicts that conditional instability favors the smallest possible scale of cumulus clouds.

  3. Possible Mechanisms • Vertical wind shear • Surface wind • Radiative cooling • Microphysics

  4. Modeling Strategy • Horizontal environment : fixed radiative cooling rate and surface wind • No vertical wind shear • Cold/warm cloud microphysics • Small-to-big domain -> Radiative-convective equilibrium (RCE)

  5. Simulation with Ice

  6. Simulation with no Ice

  7. x-tDiagrams of Surface Rainfall

  8. Simulation with Vertical Wind Shear

  9. Conclusions • Clouds usually become enveloped with a width of ~100 km, where ice physics plays dominantly. • Vertical wind shear brings about convective lines with a width of ~ 10 km. • Convective lines are usually embedded in cloud envelopes, which resembles MCS and explains why MCSs are so common in the Tropics.

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