Identification

Title

Tracking mesoscale convective systems in IMERG and regional variability of their properties in the tropics

Abstract

Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) constitute only a fraction of convective systems in the tropics but significantly impact tropical weather and global climate. Early studies used satellite infrared (IR) data to track MCSs and study their properties but only for a short period due to computing limitations. Though valuable, the IR brightness temperature (Tb)-derived precipitation properties have biases. The recent availability of Integrated Multi-satEllite Retrieval for Global (IMERG) precipitation mission rainfall data of lesser bias than IR Tb-based rainfall and access to high-performance computers motivated us to track MCSs over global tropics for 10 years, using the Forward in Time (FiT) algorithm. Though IMERG is advantageous, it poses challenges to tracking MCSs due to convective systems connected by light rain areas and resolution differences between contributing passive microwave sensors. The precipitation field is smoothed and normalized to overcome these problems; then, the FiT algorithm identifies MCSs and tracks them. Our results show that MCSs contribute similar to 70% of annual precipitation, though they are only similar to 7% of all tracked systems. MCSs occur more often over the Amazon basin and Maritime Continent than in central Africa, known for high thunderstorm frequency, highlighting the contrasting convective regimes. The large, long-lived, and intensely precipitating MCSs occur more often over the ocean than land, except for the Amazon basin. Fast-moving MCSs often occur over West Africa, the Amazon basin, and the western Pacific, whereas slow-moving MCSs are common over Colombia and the Maritime Continent.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d70869d8

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2023-12-27T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact