Precipitation–Moisture Coupling Over Tropical Oceans: Sequential Roles of Shallow, Deep, and Mesoscale Convective Systems

Chen, Xingchao; Leung, L. Ruby; Feng, Zhe; Yang, Qiu

doi:10.1029/2022gl097836

Title: Precipitation–Moisture Coupling Over Tropical Oceans: Sequential Roles of Shallow, Deep, and Mesoscale Convective Systems

Journal Article · 21 March 2022 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2022gl097836 · OSTI ID:1894783

^[1];

^[2];

^[2]; Yang, Qiu ^[2]

Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA (United States)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Atmospheric Science and Global Change Div. (ASGC)

We report Precipitation over tropical oceans rapidly increases when the environmental column saturation fraction (CSF) increases past a critical value of ~0.7. Past studies suggested that increased stratiform rainfall greatly contributes to the rapid rainfall enhancement. In this study, the sequential roles of non-deep convection, deep convection, and mesoscale convective system (MCS) in precipitation-moisture interactions are examined using 19 years of satellite observations. When CSF is below ~0.5, non-deep convection dominates total rainfall, and predominantly contributes to moistening of the environment. Between the CSF range of 0.5–0.7, transition to deep convective rainfall begins. Meanwhile, MCS contribution to total rain rapidly increases, and the environment is further moistened. MCS becomes the major rainfall type above the critical CSF value (~0.7), with the rapid increase of total rain mostly explained by the rapid increase in MCS rain area. Rainfall reduction at high CSF values is jointly contributed by MCS and non-deep convection.

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Research Organization:: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-76RL01830; AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1894783

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA-178872

Journal Information:: Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 49; ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:: American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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