Low-level divergence measurements during MC3E

 

Authors

Paloma Borque — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Pavlos Kollias — Stony Brook University
Kirk North — McGill University
Scott Giangrande — Brookhaven National Laboratory
Scott Matthew Collis — Argonne National Laboratory

Category

Dynamics/Vertical Motion

Description

Observations of low-level divergence/convergence areas in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) can be used to document fronts, deep convection, gust front outflow, drylines, and gravity waves. The detection of such areas has been accomplished in the past using Mesonet and Doppler radar observations. Here we take advantage of the heterogeneous distributed radar network deployed for the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) to document PBL divergence. The technique used is based on the use of insects as tracers of the horizontal wind and the combination of Doppler velocity measurements from the X- and C-band radars. Examples of the evolution of the PBL dynamics from clear sky to shallow cumulus initiation over the Southern Great Plains site are analyzed. In addition, cloud and precipitation statistics associated with these features are presented.