Numerical model simulations of the AMMA and TWP-ICE mesoscale convective systems

Description

Field observations and high-resolution cloud-resolving model (CRM) simulations are used to simulate the mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) that developed in AMMA (African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis) and TWP-ICE (the Tropical Warm Pool-International Cloud Experiment). The model results in terms of rainfall, cloud properties, radiation, and water budget will be compared to observations and to each other. In addition, the MCSs are classified into convective, stratiform, and anvil regions, with each region further divided into three vertical layers: from the surface to the freezing layer, from the freezing layer to -35 C, and from -35 C layer to the top of the cloud. These model budget calculations can provide a better understanding of the formation/evolution of stratiform and anvil clouds and the role of convective transport processes on anvil development in two different environments (i.e., continental and monsoon).