Indian Ocean Convection Seen by the S-PolKa Radar in

DYNAMO

AMS Conf. on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, Ponte Vedra, FL, 19 April 2012

R. Houzeand

D. Hence, S. Brodzik, K. Rasmussen, S.Powell, H. Barnes, B. Dolan, K. Chakravarty, C. Burleyson, Z. Li,

S. Ellis, T. Weckwerth, J. Vivekanandan, J. Hubbert, W.-C. Lee

DYNAMO Radar experiment goal

Characteristics and evolution of the MJO cloud population in the region where the disturbance builds up

Addu Atoll

Clouds in the moist layer

Humidity gradient layers and nonprecipitating clouds

Long lines of cumulus

Cold pool examples seen in differential

reflectivity (ZDR)

Deep precipitating convection

Rain over area scanned by S-PolKa

4 km

8 km

graupel

small icelarge non-melting ice

heavy rain

melting snow

Small cumulonimbus

Moderate cumulonimbus

Doppler velocity

Hydrometeor type graupel

small ice

Largenon-melting ice

heavyrainmelting

ice

5 km

10 km

Broad stratiform region of a mesoscale

system

melting snow

graupel

50 dBZ!

Large mesoscale

system

Stratiform

Convective

Convection feeding into a

large MCSin sheared

environment

Momentum transport

Biggest MCS of first active phase:weak unidirectional shear

Larger than mesoscale organization

Giant Rings of Convection

Westerly Surges

Moist layer• Humidity layers• Cumulus lines and cold pools

Deep convection• Microphysics• Anvil clouds of deep convection• Mesoscale systems• Effects of shear• Larger than mesoscale organization

SUMMARY

EndThis research was sponsored by NSF grants AGS-1059611 and DOE grant

DE-sc0001164/er-64752.