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The radiative budgets of a tropical mesoscale convective system during the EMEX-STEP-AMEX experiment. I - Observations. II - Model resultsThe spatial radiation heating budget associated with tropical mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) is studied and the change of this heating/budget throughout the life cycle of such a cloud system is investigated. The movements of an EMEX 9 cloud cluster are described. The vertical structure of the cluster contains two types of imbedded convection: an upright vertical structure and a pronounced rearward slope with vertical extent of 14.5 km or more and a horizontal scale of about 40 km. The cloud base and cloud top altitude in the stratiform region are of the order of 4.8 km and 15-16 km, respectively. The upward and downward solar flux profiles suggest very little solar heating in these regions. A tropical MCS that occurred during the EMEX Mission 9 is simulated, and the simulation is shown to broadly agree with the observations. The simulation results, which are reported in detail, show how tropical mesoscale cloud systems provide an effective radiative heat source for the tropical atmosphere.
Document ID
19930057251
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Wong, Takmeng
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Stephens, Graeme L.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Stackhouse, Paul W., Jr.
(Colorado State Univ. Fort Collins, United States)
Valero, Francisco P. J.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
May 20, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 98
Issue: D5
ISSN: 0148-0227
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Accession Number
93A41248
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF ATM-86-17856
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF ATM-88-12353
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-1122
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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