1. Satellite Radar Studies of Extreme Convective Storms ? ? New Fellows Presentation, AGU, San Francisco, 5 December 2012 Robert A. Houze, Jr. University of Washington

2. Radars in Space TRMM1997- CloudSat2006-

3. Typical Tropical Convective Cloud Population TRMM 2 cm wavelength CloudSat 3 mm wavelength

4. JJASDJF Locations of the deepest and most intense convective cores seen by TRMM over ~14 years in South Asia and South America warm seasons Near the large mountain ranges Romatschke et al. 2010Romatschke and Houze 2010

5. Relationship to Mountain Ranges and Moisture Sources ? ?

6. The North American Case

7. Carlson et al. 1983 moist Texas dry,hot Mexican Plateau Gulf of Mexico

8. Something similar happens to extreme convective cores in the western region of South Asia

9. Sawyer 1947

10. A case observed by TRMM

11. TRMM PR Observations WRF Simulation Medina et al. 2010

12. Consistent with Sawyer 1947 Backward trajectories (HYSPLIT/NCEP) 2.5 km 1.0 km Medina et al. 2010 Consistent with Sawyer 1947

13. WRF Model Simulation Mixing ratio CAPE Medina et al. 2010 Surface wind

14. Medina et al. 2010 WRF Simulation Cloud just after convection formed in the model Triggering is over foothills—consistent with satellite data

15. A similar regime occurs near the Andes

16. Convective Regimes in South America Identified by TRMM Romatschke and Houze 2010

17. Example of triggering over the Sierra Cordóba range Rasmussen & Houze 2011

18. What the storm looked like on the TRMM radar Rasmussen and Houze 2011

19. Vertical air motions Low-level winds COMPOSITE of average conditions for storms with intense convection seen by the TRMM radar down up moistunstable Rasmussen and Houze 2011

20. Recap SIMILARITIES Channeling of moisture Channeling of moisture Downwind capping Downwind capping Explosive triggering Explosive triggeringSIMILARITIES Channeling of moisture Channeling of moisture Downwind capping Downwind capping Explosive triggering Explosive triggering DIFFERENCES Capping may be downslope from a plateau or response to flow over a ridge Capping may be downslope from a plateau or response to flow over a ridge Triggering may be meteorological or orographic Triggering may be meteorological or orographicDIFFERENCES Capping may be downslope from a plateau or response to flow over a ridge Capping may be downslope from a plateau or response to flow over a ridge Triggering may be meteorological or orographic Triggering may be meteorological or orographic ? ? LARGE MOUNTAIN RANGES NEAR WARM MOIST ZONES

21. Pakistan flood cases Pakistan flood cases Convection in the Madden- Julian Oscillation Convection in the Madden- Julian Oscillation Storm systems over land and ocean Storm systems over land and ocean Other… Other… Similar studies

22. The future ? ? This research was supported by NASA grants NNX10AH70G, NNX10AM28G, and NSF grant AGS1144105 and NSF grant AGS1144105 TRMM GPM Next generation: Radars need to be in the same orbit! CloudSat  EarthCare

23. End ? ? This research was supported by NASA grants NNX10AH70G, NNX10AM28G, and NSF grant AGS1144105 and NSF grant AGS1144105

24. End ? ? This research was supported by NASA grants NNX10AH70G, NNX10AM28G, and NSF grant AGS1144105 and NSF grant AGS1144105

25. Global Pattern of Deep Convection seen by TRMM Zipser et al. 2006 Maximum height of TRMM’s most intense radar echoes