GEWEX Upper Tropospheric Clouds and Convection Process Evaluation Study Contact: Claudia Stubenrauch
The GEWEX UTCC PROES working group aims to gain a better understanding of the interconnection between the convection and the properties of the outflowing anvils and the surrounding thin cirrus. Leading science question: How does convection affect UT clouds and then how do these clouds feed back on the convection? UTCC PROES links the data analysis and assessment of GDAP to the process modelling activities of GASS, by building synergistic datasets to be used for process studies and model evaluation.
Recently proposed and joint activities, which build and expand upon the UTCC PROES activities to date:
assess convection-cloud-precipitation-diabatic heating datasets (GDAP) by analysis of convective systems and their anvil properties: identification, life cycle stage
start collaborations to exploit data and simulations at km-scale (e.g. DYAMOND) to advance the development of convectively resolving and climate modelling (GASS): ice microphysical processes, convective transport, influence of aerosols, convective organization.
Climate warming will change tropical convection, which then alters the upper tropospheric clouds, strongly impacting the atmospheric heating. Changes in atmospheric heating gradients influence the atmospheric circulation which then affects patterns of intense precipitation. Within UTC PROES we try to advance our understanding of these feedback connections.
