Convection from 16+ Years of TRMM Observations: Phenomenon, Variations, and Relationships to Large-Scale Environments

Abstract:

After launched in late 1997, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite has collected snapshots of precipitation systems over 36^oS-36^oN for nearly 17 years. These observations provide a solid foundation for understanding tropical convection. In this presentation, using 16+ years of TRMM data, first, various types of convective systems in the tropics and subtropics are summarized based on their sizes, depths and convective intensities. Their contributions to the total precipitation and latent heating over land and ocean are budgeted at different temporal, e.g. diurnal, MJO, seasonal, and inter-annual and spatial scales. The spectrums of precipitation and latent heating contributions demonstrate the importance of organized convective systems in the tropics and subtropics. Last, a preliminary analysis of the large-scale environments favoring organized convective systems is briefly shown.