Johnny Luo, CUNY

"Satellite-Based Estimates of Convective Mass Flux: A New Approach and Potential Applications"

Convection is an important mechanism by which mass, heat and momentum are transported from the planetary boundary layer to the free troposphere and all the way up to the UT/LS. Because convective actions occur on the scale of 1-10 km that is smaller than the resolution of most global models, the effects of cumulus convection cannot be explicitly represented but have to be parameterized in the so-call cumulus parameterization schemes. Most of the cumulus parameterizations used in today’s GCM are based on the concept of convective mass flux. Yet, no global observation of this critical parameter is available at this time. To correct the situation, we designed a novel, satellite-based approach to estimate convective mass flux, as well as the large-scale [O(100km)] total mass flux. The method uses a suite of synergistic satellite observations (TRMM, CloudSat, CALIPSO, MODIS, AIRS/AMSU, and QuickScat) to constrain, in a Bayesian manner, the plume model solutions driven by AIRS/AMSU sounding. The snapshots estimates of mass fluxes were further cast into a composite time series that delineates the life cycle and evolution of organized convective systems. In this talk, I will present the methodology and initial results, as documented in a recent publication (Masunaga and Luo 2016). I will also discuss the implications of this new technique for atmospheric composition community and other potential applications.

Host: Ding Ma