Interannual variation of the diurnal convection cycle in the western North Pacific

Summary As revealed from the interannual variation of outgoing longwave radiation in the western Pacific, deep cumulus convection along the Meiyü-Baiu front and ITCZ is modulated by the anomalous summer circulation in the following manner: when the sea surface temperatures on the eastern tropical Pacific are anomalously warm (cold), cumulus convection is enhanced (suppressed) along the equator east of 150° E and along the Meiyü-Baiu front, but is suppressed (enhanced) along the equator west of 150° E and along a longitudinal zone (10° N–30° N) extending from the northern section of the South China Sea to the International Dateline. Since tropical deep cumulus convection exhibits a pronounced diurnal variation, the diurnal convection cycle in the western Pacific may undergo an interannual variation coherent with that of deep tropical cumulus convection. This inference is substantiated by our analysis of the diurnal convection cycle for 1980–1993 with 3-hour equivalent black-body temperature observed by the Japanese Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS). As expected, the diurnal convection cycle in the western Pacific is subjected to an interannual variation in accordance with deep cumulus convection along the Meiyü-Baiu front and ITCZ. Except along the equator east of 150° E, the diurnal convection cycle does not exhibit a drastic interannual change in phase.     

Asymmetric changes in maximum and minimum temperature in Beijing

Summary Based on observational data at Beijing since 1940, trends in daily maximum, mimimum and mean temperatures are studied. It is shown that the linear rate of increase in minimum temperature is 4.08 °C/100 yr; whereas the maximum temperature decreases with a linear rate of — 0.245 °C/100 yr. Consequently, the diurnal temperature range (DTR) becomes smaller.Warming in Beijing occurred mainly in the daytime in the 1940s; but in the night in the 1980s. Although the latter has been found in other studies, the former is a new discovery. The difference of temperature and the diurnal temperature range between urban and surburban areas in Beijing are also analysed. The results show that the urban heat island effect (UHIE) has been becoming larger, and during 1960–1989 the change in UHIE in summer is larger than that in winter. Since the warning trend does not match the change of UHIE in last two decades, it is thought that UHIE is not the main factor contributing to climatic warming.With 2 Figures     

A comparison of MODIS-derived cloud amount with visual surface observations

Two main sources for global cloud climatologies are visual surface observations and observations made by spaceborne sensors. Satellite observations compared with surface data show in most cases differences ranging from − 15% up to − 1%, depending on sensor and observation conditions. These differences are partially controlled by sensors' cloud detection capabilities — a higher number of spectral bands and higher spatial resolution are believed to allow discrimination of clouds from land/ocean/snow background. A Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) produces images of the atmosphere in 36 spectral bands with a spatial resolution of 250–1000 m, thus having a capacity for cloud detection far more advanced than other operating sensors. In this study, instantaneous MODIS cloud observations were compared with surface data for Poland for January (winter) and July (summer) 2004. It was found that MODIS observed 4.38% greater cloud amount in summer conditions and 7.28% in winter conditions. Differences were greater at night (7–8%) than in daytime (0.5–7%) and correlations ranged between 0.577 (winter night) and 0.843 (winter day, summer day and night).     

Development and structure of a maritime continent thunderstorm

Summary The evaluation of a maritime continent thunderstorm complex (Hector) occurring over Bathurst and Melville Islands north of Darwin, Australia (12° S, 131° E) is investigated primarily using Doppler radar data. Thunderstorm formation follows the development of sea breeze circulations and a period of shallow non-precipitating convection. Evidence exists for initiation of long-lived and organised convection on the sea breeze fronts, although short-lived, scattered convection is apparent earlier in the day. Merging of the convective systems is observed in regions of enhanced low-level convergence related to sea breeze circulations. The merged convective complex is initially aligned in an almost east-west direction consistent with the low-level forcing. The merged complex results in rapid vertical development with updraughts reaching 40 m s^– and echo tops reaching 20 km height. Maximum precipitation production occurs during this merger phase. On the perimeter of the merged convective complex, evidence exists for front-to-rear updraughts sloped over lower-level downdraughts with rear-to-front relative flow and forward propagating cold pools. The mature phase is dominated by this convection and the complex re-orientates in the prevailing easterly vertical shear to an approximate north-south direction, then moves westward off the islands with the classic multicellular squall-like structure.The one-dimensional cloud model of Ferrier and Houze (1989) used with a four class ice formulation reproduced the cloud top height, updraught structure and echo profile very well. To test the importance of ice physics upon thunderstorm development, several sensitivity tests were made removing the effects of the ice phase. All of these model clouds reached nearly 20 km, although simulations without the effects of ice had updraughts reduced from about 40 m s^–1 to 30 m s^–1. The simulated convection was more sensitive to changes in environmental conditions and parameterised cloud dynamics. The strong intensity of the convection was largely accounted for by increasing equivalent potential temperatures due to diurnal heating of the surface layer. The vertical velocity and radar structure of the island thunderstorm has more similarity with continental rather than oceanic convection. Maximum vertical velocities, in particular are almost an order of magnitude greater than typical of oceanic convection. With the intense updraughts, even in the low shear environment, there is evidence for mesoscale circulations within the convection.With 17 Figures     

Mean, interannual variability and trends in a regional climate change experiment over Europe. II: climate change scenarios (2071–2100)

We present an analysis of climate change over Europe as simulated by a regional climate model (RCM) nested within time-slice atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) experiments. Changes in mean and interannual variability are discussed for the 30-year period of 2071–2100 with respect to the present day period of 1961–1990 under forcing from the A2 and B2 IPCC emission scenarios. In both scenarios, the European region undergoes substantial warming in all seasons, in the range of 1–5.5°C, with the warming being 1–2°C lower in the B2 than in the A2 scenario. The spatial patterns of warming are similar in the two scenarios, with a maximum over eastern Europe in winter and over western and southern Europe in summer. The precipitation changes in the two scenarios also show similar spatial patterns. In winter, precipitation increases over most of Europe (except for the southern Mediterranean regions) due to increased storm activity and higher atmospheric water vapor loadings. In summer, a decrease in precipitation is found over most of western and southern Europe in response to a blocking-like anticyclonic circulation over the northeastern Atlantic which deflects summer storms northward. The precipitation changes in the intermediate seasons (spring and fall) are less pronounced than in winter and summer. Overall, the intensity of daily precipitation events predominantly increases, often also in regions where the mean precipitation decreases. Conversely the number of wet days decreases (leading to longer dry periods) except in the winter over western and central Europe. Cloudiness, snow cover and soil water content show predominant decreases, in many cases also in regions where precipitation increases. Interannual variability of both temperature and precipitation increases substantially in the summer and shows only small changes in the other seasons. A number of statistically significant regional trends are found throughout the scenario simulations, especially for temperature and for the A2 scenario. The results from the forcing AGCM simulations and the nested RCM simulations are generally consistent with each other at the broad scale. However, significant differences in the simulated surface climate changes are found between the two models in the summer, when local physics processes are more important. In addition, substantial fine scale detail in the RCM-produced change signal is found in response to local topographical and coastline features.     

Simulating the Holocene climate evolution at northern high latitudes using a coupled atmosphere-sea ice-ocean-vegetation model

The response of the climate at high northern latitudes to slowly changing external forcings was studied in a 9,000-year long simulation with the coupled atmosphere-sea ice-ocean-vegetation model ECBilt-CLIO-VECODE. Only long-term changes in insolation and atmospheric CO₂ and CH₄ content were prescribed. The experiment reveals an early optimum (9–8 kyr BP) in most regions, followed by a 1–3°C decrease in mean annual temperatures, a reduction in summer precipitation and an expansion of sea-ice cover. These results are in general agreement with proxy data. Over the continents, the timing of the largest temperature response in summer coincides with the maximum insolation difference, while over the oceans, the maximum response is delayed by a few months due to the thermal inertia of the oceans, placing the strongest cooling in the winter half year. Sea ice is involved in two positive feedbacks (ice-albedo and sea-ice insulation) that lead regionally to an amplification of the thermal response in our model (7°C cooling in Canadian Arctic). In some areas, the tundra-taiga feedback results in intensified cooling during summer, most notably in northern North America. The simulated sea-ice expansion leads in the Nordic Seas to less deep convection and local weakening of the overturning circulation, producing a maximum winter temperature reduction of 7°C. The enhanced interaction between sea ice and deep convection is accompanied by increasing interannual variability, including two marked decadal-scale cooling events. Deep convection intensifies in the Labrador Sea, keeping the overall strength of the thermohaline circulation stable throughout the experiment.     

One-year temperature records in the atmospheric surface layer above sea ice and open water

Temperature observations of three buoys drifting in the Weddell Sea for one year and covering the ice-water-ice cycle from July 1986 to July 1987 are presented. Significant differences between winter and summer are shown to be a consequence of the air-sea heat exchange being drastically modified by the sea ice cover. Over ice, prevailing variance is in the synoptic scale (periods 3 to 5 days) with amplitudes of 25 °C, whereas over water, the diurnal wave dominates with amplitudes of less than 1 °C.     

Solar absorption at the surface and in the atmosphere as determined by different observational methods

Summary The concept of effective cloud cover, elaborated on the basis of an assumption that changes in the net radiation at the top of the atmosphere are mainly caused by changing cloudiness, has been used to deduce solar surface radiation from satellite data. It has been shown that the method permits a calculation of solar surface absorption distributions that agree well with the results obtained by other authors and that the existing disagreement can be to a great extent ascribed to the differences in the data sets and analysis periods. The method allows use of early satellite measurements to get longer time series of the surface radiation budget. In this study, it has been applied to the Nimbus-7 ERB WFOV data for 1979–1986.The net solar flux at the TOA (top of the atmosphere) can be partitioned into absorption at the surface and within the atmosphere. The geographical distributions of all the three quantities as well as the zonal averages of the surface absorption for January and July have been described. Special objectives of the present study are to estimate the interannual standard deviation for the 8-year period and to analyse the shortwave cloud-radiative forcing distributions at the surface and especially within the atmosphere.The standard deviation of the TOA and the surface solar absorption shows a temporal asymmetry, being much larger in January than in July. Noticeable is the disappearance of the wintertime strong variability over the central Pacific in July. As can be expected, the strong variability areas coincide with the strong variability areas of the cloud amount, showing the values up to 27 Wm^–2 at the surface.According to our estimate, the shortwave cloud forcing at the surface is everywhere stronger than that at the TOA, so that the cloud forcing of the atmosphere is negative. This means that in the belt of 58.5° N–58.5° S a cloudy atmosphere absorbs more solar energy than a cloud-free atmosphere. Our mean annual value of the atmospheric cloud forcing for this belt is –11 Wm^–2 which is somewhat stronger than that obtained by other investigators. It must be stressed that this value is within the uncertainty limits.Shortwave cloud forcing of the atmosphere is the strongest in the lower latitude areas of heavy cloudiness above the continents and negligible in the midlatitudes in winter. This gives evidence that the value of the shortwave cloud forcing of the atmosphere is modified by a combination of cloud absorption and cloud albedo.With 4 Figures     

Intra-seasonal climate variability of Madagascar. Part 1: Mean summer conditions

Summary Variability of the summer climate of Madagascar is studied using area-averaged rainfall (1961–1992) and ECMWF meteorological data (1987–1992). Rainfall time series illustrate a seasonal onset in late December, a convective peak in mid-February and cessation near the end of March. Convective cycles with periods of 10–20 and 40 days are common. The former are contributed by easterly waves and the latter by monsoon surges which may resonate with the Madden Julian Oscillation. Using ECMWF January–February means, the summer climate of the Madagascar region is described. Characteristics of the region include SST>28°C, a quasi-permanent, topographic trade wind trough, sudden cyclogenesis, and distinct circulation regimes with easterly (westerly) shear to the north (south). The most poleward limit of deep convection and sustained uplift is near 20°S, 45°E. A convective vortex embedded in the ITCZ is a prevalent feature owing to the interaction of the NW monsoon and local topography.With 11 Figures     

Diurnal responses of tropical convective and stratiform rainfall to diurnally varying sea surface temperature

Two experiments were carried out using a two-dimensional cloud-resolving model to study the effects of diurnally varying sea surface temperature (SST) on diurnal variations of tropical convective and stratiform rainfall. Experiment SST29 is imposed by a constant SST of 29°C, whereas experiment SST29D is imposed by a diurnally varying SST with a time-mean of 29°C and a diurnal difference of 1°C. Both experiments are also zonally uniformly imposed by a zero vertical velocity and a constant zonal wind, and are integrated for 40 days to reach quasi-equilibrium states. The model domain mean surface rain rate is larger in SST29D than in SST29 in the late afternoon, when the ocean surface is warmer in SST29D. Convective-stratiform rainfall partitioning analysis reveals that the late-afternoon convective rainfall is larger in SST29D than in SST29, whereas the stratiform rainfalls are similar in both experiments. Further analysis of surface rainfall and cloud microphysical budgets over convective regions shows that, in the late afternoon, the larger amount of water vapor is pumped into the non-raining region through the larger surface evaporation associated with the warmer SST. This water vapor is then transported into convective regions to produce more vapor condensation and greater collection of cloud water by raindrops and larger convective rainfall in SST29D than in SST29.     

Air mass modification over Lake Michigan

The modification of a relatively cold air mass over the warm water of Lake Michigan is studied by using a two-dimensional nonlinear mesoscale model. Considerable amounts of heat and water vapor are supplied from the water surface to the lower atmosphere by turbulent eddies. A convective mixed layer develops and grows toward the downwind region with stratocumulus clouds over the lake.The model simulates the warming and moistening of the mixed layer, the development of a boundary layer, the divergence and convergence of wind near the coastlines, and the turbulent fluxes.The model warming of the mixed layer across the lake was about 2.2 °K and the moistening of the mixed layer was about 0.8 g kg^–1, which are comparable to 2.7 °K and 0.8 g kg^–1 observed by Lenschow (1973). The convective boundary layer, which includes the cloud layer, subcloud layer, and superadiabatic layer near the water surface, is well simulated. The tilt of the inversion which coincides with the cloud top is also well reproduced. When a prescribed cooling rate is applied at the cloud top, stronger turbulence and a deeper cloud layer are generated. Without the cooling, the cloud is shallow and the shape of the cloud base is determined by surface conditions. The rise of the inversion is due to upward vertical motion, and deepening of the convective layer in the downwind region.     

A hybrid technique for computing the monthly mean net longwave surface radiation over oceanic areas

Summary Global maps of the monthly mean net upward longwave radiation flux at the ocean surface have been obtained for April, July, October 1985 and January 1986. These maps were produced by blending information obtained from a combination of general circulation model cloud radiative forcing fields, the top-of-the-atmosphere cloud radiative forcing from ERBE and TOVS profiles and sea surface temperature on ISCCP C1 tapes. The fields are compatible with known meteorological regimes of atmospheric water vapor content and cloudiness. There is a vast area of high net upward longwave radiation flux (> 80 W m^–2) in the eastern Pacific Ocean throughout most of the year. Areas of low net upward longwave radiation flux (< 40 Wm^–2) are the tropical convective regions and extra tropical regions that tend to have persistent low cloud cover. The technique used in this study relies on GCM simulations and so is subject to some of the uncertainties associated with the model. However, all input information regarding temperature, moisture and cloud cover is from satellite data having near global coverage. This feature of the procedure alone warrants its consideration for further use in compiling global maps of the net longwave radiation at the surface over the oceans.With 9 Figures     

基于飞机观测的美国落基山地区冬季混合相态层状云与夏季对流云的微物理特征

混合相态层状云与对流云的微物理特征有很大的差异性,但现阶段数值模式中并没有充分考虑两者的区别,这是导致云降水的模拟有较大不确定性的原因之一。为了加深对层状云与对流云的微物理特征差异的理解,并为模式的验证和参数化开发提供支撑,本文基于在中落基山地区进行的Ice in Clouds Experiment—Layer Clouds（ICE-L）项目和High Plain Cumulus（HiCu）项目的飞机观测资料,定量对比分析了该地区大陆性混合相态冬季较浅薄的层状云与较弱及中等强度的夏季对流云的微物理特征。其中,粒子图像和粒子谱通过2D-Cloud和2D-Precipitation探头得到,液态水含量通过热线式King探头测量得到,冰水含量基于粒子谱计算得到。主要结论有:（1）在?30°C～0°C的温度层范围内,夏季对流云内的液态水含量比冬季层状云高一个数量级,冰水含量高一到两个数量级,并且在对流云云顶附近观测到更多的过冷水。此外,夏季对流云中液态水含量在?20°C～0°C上随温度降低而升高,而冬季层状云则相反。夏季对流云中更活跃的冰晶生成和生长过程使得云内液态水质量分数小于层状云。（2）冬季层状云与夏季对流云内相态空间分布极不均匀。随着温度从0°C降低到?30°C,在冬季层状云中冰晶发生贝吉龙过程,云中的过冷水为主的区域向混合相态和冰相转化。而夏季对流云中相态结构更为复杂,体现了对流云中复杂的冰水相互作用。（3）在?30°C～0°C的温度范围内,夏季对流云的粒子谱宽度大于冬季层状云。随着温度的降低,冬季层状云与夏季对流云均存在粒子谱增宽的现象。（4）冬季层状云中,温度低于?20°C时冰晶主要为无规则状,在?20°C～?10°C观测到了辐枝状和无规则状冰晶,在?10°C以上观测到了柱状和无规则状冰晶,说明冰晶的生长主要为凝华增长和碰并增长。而夏季对流云以冻滴、霰粒子与不规则冰晶为主,说明主要为液滴冻结、淞附增长和碰并增长为主。（5）在夏季对流云较强的上升气流中存在较高的液态水含量,但垂直速度与云内冰水含量没有明显的相关性。     

A new method to estimate ice age temperatures

On glacial time scales, the waxing and waning of the Eurasian and North American ice sheets depend largely on variations in atmospheric temperature. As global sea level is primarily determined by the volume of these ice sheets, there is a direct (yet complex) relation between global sea level and the northern hemispheric (NH) temperature. This relation is essentially represented by a model of the NH ice sheets. We use a thermomechanical ice-sheet–ice shelf–bedrock model in conjunction with an inverse method to deduce a time series of NH temperature (from 120 kyr BP until present) that is consistent with the observed global sea level record. The advantage of this method is that it provides the annual mean surface air temperature averaged over the NH continents north of 40°N. The results reveal that ice age temperatures were 4–10°C lower than today, which agrees with other temperature reconstructions. However, reconstructed temperatures are comparitively low during the early stages of the glacial, a feature that is consistent with the rapid growth of the ice sheets. The sensitivity of the results for uncertainties in precipitation rate, in observed sea level and in some other model parameters is examined to quantify the error in reconstructed temperature. During the glacial period (120–15 kyr BP), surface air temperatures in the NH (north of 40°N) were 7.2±1.5°C lower than todays (interglacial) temperatures.     

我国东部海洋温度锋区对大气的强迫作用——季节变化

采用一系列高分辨率的卫星资料研究了我国东部海区的海洋温度锋对局地大气的强迫作用及其季节变化。分析表明, 当春季海洋锋增强时, 海温与海表面风速之间存在明显的正相关关系, 并且在海洋锋的暖 (冷) 侧形成海表风的辐合 (辐散), 表现为海洋对大气的强迫作用。海温对表面风场的影响程度与海洋锋的强度成正比, 春季影响程度最大, 夏、秋季最小。海洋锋对其附近的总降水、对流、层云降水均有影响, 尤其在春季海洋锋暖侧的降水强度增大, 对流降水的频次增多, "雨顶" 高度也有明显的抬升。暖流对大气的影响不仅局限在边界层, 其影响可达整个对流层。另外, 分析发现对流降水对海温的响应比层云降水更加敏感。研究还表明, 暖流上空高、低云呈现相反的年循环特点, 冬季多0.5~2 km的边界层云, 夏季多云底在10 km以上的高云。深对流云集中出现在3~6月, 从冬季到初夏, 30%以上的云量中心抬高了接近8 km。春季和初夏在海洋锋的暖侧频繁地出现深对流活动。     

Model Computations of the Impact of Climatic Change on the Windthrow Risk of Trees

The more humid, warmer weather pattern predicted for the future is expected to increase the windthrow risk of trees through reduced tree anchorage due to a decrease in soil freezing between late autumn and early spring, i.e during the most windy months of the year. In this context, the present study aimed at calculating how a potential increase of up to 4°C in mean annual temperature might modify the duration of soil frost and the depth of frozen soil in forests and consequently increase the risk of windthrow. The risk was evaluated by combining the simulated critical windspeeds needed to uproot Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) under unfrozen soil conditions with the possible change in the frequency of these winds during the unfrozen period. The evaluation of the impacts of elevated temperature on the frequency of these winds at times of unfrozen and frozen soil conditions was based on monthly wind speed statistics for the years 1961–1990 (Meteorological Yearbooks of Finland, 1961–1990). Frost simulations in a Scots pine stand growing on a moraine sandy soil (height 20 m, stand density 800 stems ha–1) showed that the duration of soil frost will decrease from 4–5 months to 2–3 months per year in southern Finland and from 5–6 months to 4–5 months in northern Finland given a temperature elevation of 4°C. In addition, it could decrease substantially more in the deeper soil layers (40–60 cm) than near the surface (0–20 cm), particularly in southern Finland. Consequently, tree anchorage may lose much of the additional support gained at present from the frozen soil in winter, making Scots pines more liable to windthrow during winter and spring storms. Critical wind-speed simulations showed mean winds of 11–15 m s–1 to be enough to uproot Scots pines under unfrozen soil conditions, i.e. especially slender trees with a high height to breast height diameter ratio (taper of 1:120 and 1:100). In the future, as many as 80% of these mean winds of 11–15 m s–1 would occur during months when the soil is unfrozen in southern Finland, whereas the corresponding proportion at present is about 55%. In northern Finland, the percentage is 40% today and is expected to be 50% in the future. Thus, as the strongest winds usually occur between late autumn and early spring, climate change could increase the loss of standing timber through windthrow, especially in southern Finland.     

Synergistic feedbacks between ocean and vegetation on mid- and high-latitude climates during the mid-Holocene

Simulations with the IPSL atmosphere–ocean model asynchronously coupled with the BIOME1 vegetation model show the impact of ocean and vegetation feedbacks, and their synergy, on mid- and high-latitude (>40°N) climate in response to orbitally-induced changes in mid-Holocene insolation. The atmospheric response to orbital forcing produces a +1.2 °C warming over the continents in summer and a cooling during the rest of the year. Ocean feedback reinforces the cooling in spring but counteracts the autumn and winter cooling. Vegetation feedback produces warming in all seasons, with largest changes (+1 °C) in spring. Synergy between ocean and vegetation feedbacks leads to further warming, which can be as large as the independent impact of these feedbacks. The combination of these effects causes the high northern latitudes to be warmer throughout the year in the ocean–atmosphere-vegetation simulation. Simulated vegetation changes resulting from this year-round warming are consistent with observed mid-Holocene vegetation patterns. Feedbacks also impact on precipitation. The atmospheric response to orbital-forcing reduces precipitation throughout the year; the most marked changes occur in the mid-latitudes in summer. Ocean feedback reduces aridity during autumn, winter and spring, but does not affect summer precipitation. Vegetation feedback increases spring precipitation but amplifies summer drying. Synergy between the feedbacks increases precipitation in autumn, winter and spring, and reduces precipitation in summer. The combined changes amplify the seasonal contrast in precipitation in the ocean–atmosphere-vegetation simulation. Enhanced summer drought produces an unrealistically large expansion of temperate grasslands, particularly in mid-latitude Eurasia.     

Predicted Effects of Climatic Change on Distribution of Ecologically Important Native Tree and Shrub Species in Florida

A previously developed plant species-climatic envelope model was evaluated further and used to predict effects of hypothesized climatic change on the potential distribution of 124 native woody plant species in Florida, U.S.A. Twelve scenarios were investigated. These included mean annual temperature increases of 1 °C or 2 °C, achieved either by equal 1 °C or 2 °C increases on a monthly basis throughout the year, or by disproportionately larger seasonal increases in winter and smaller ones in summer. The various temperature increases were then combined with each of several precipitation changes, ranging from +10% to –20%, to produce the final set of scenarios. More detailed analysis involving six of the scenarios and a subset of 28 representative, ecologically important species suggested that (1) large decreases in the Florida range of many temperate species would result if 1 °C warming occurs predominantly in winter or with a 20% decrease in annual precipitation, or (2) if 2 °C warming occurs, with or without decrease in annual precipitation, and regardless of whether there is a uniform monthly warming pattern or one that is higher in winter than in summer. Available information concerning other factors that might also affect climatic-change responses suggests that these large predicted impacts on temperate Florida species may be underestimates. Subtropical Florida species will tend to move north and inland with warming but extensive human assistance may be needed, if they are to realize their newly expanded, potential natural ranges.     

Transient convective waves in the tropical SW Indian Ocean

Summary Wave-organized convective features in the southwest Indian Ocean are described using Hovmoller composites of satellite imagery, OLR anomalies and ECMWF precipitable water departures during the southern summer. Westward movement of large convective elements is noted in the 10–20°S latitude band in about half of the years between 1970 and 1984. A study of 47 convective systems from satellite imagery establishes the climatological features, including zonal propagation speeds for maritime systems in the range –2 to –4 m s^–1, wavelengths of 25–35° longitude (3,000 km), lifespans of 10–20 days and convective areas of 7–10° longitude (800 km). Transient convective waves over the tropical SW Indian Ocean are slower and more diverse than their northern hemisphere counterparts. Interannual tendencies in the frequency and mode are studied. Wet summers over SE Africa correspond with an increased frequency of westward moving convective systems, whereas in dry summers convective systems tend to be quasi-stationary. INSAT data composites provide additional insight into the convective structure and show that tropical waves penetrated into southern Africa in February 1988. A more quantitative assessment of transient convective waves is provided by Hovmoller composites of OLR anomalies and precipitable water departures. Both display westward moving systems in 1976 and 1984 and highlight the wide variety and mixed mode character of convective waves. A case study is analyzed which illustrates the deepening of a moist, unstable layer coincident with the westward passage of a convective wave.With 12 Figures     

Microphysical and radiative effects of ice clouds on diurnal variations of tropical convective and stratiform rainfall

Microphysical and radiative effects of ice clouds on diurnal variations of tropical convective and stratiform rainfall are examined with the equilibrium simulation data from three experiments conducted with a two-dimensional cloud resolving model with imposed temporally and zonally invariant winds and sea surface temperature and zero mean vertical velocity. The experiment without ice radiative effects is compared with the control experiment with ice microphysics (both the ice radiative and microphysical effects) to study effects of ice radiative effects on diurnal rainfall variations whereas it is compared with the experiment without ice microphysics to examine ice microphysical effects on the diurnal rainfall variations. The ice radiative processes mainly affect diurnal cycle of convective rainfall whereas the ice microphysical processes have important impacts on the diurnal cycles of both convective and stratiform rainfall. Turning off the ice radiative effects generally enhances convective rainfall during the morning and evening and suppresses convective rainfall in the afternoon whereas turning off the ice microphysical effects generally suppresses convective and stratiform rainfall during the morning and enhances convective and stratiform rainfall in the afternoon and evening. The ice radiative and microphysical effects on the diurnal cycle of surface rainfall are mainly associated with that of vapor condensation and deposition, which is controlled by air temperature through saturation specific humidity. The ice effects on the diurnal cycle of local temperature tendency are largely explained by that of latent heating since the diurnal cycle of radiation is insensitive to the ice effects.