Assessing Convective-Stratiform Precipitation Regimes in the Tropics and Extratropics With the GPM Satellite Radar Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • AbstractAn 8year climatology of raintype observations from the Global Precipitation Measurement dualfrequency precipitation radar highlights two stratiform rain producing storm regimes differentiated by the relative importance of convection. The more convectively active regime occurs in the tropics and over warmseason midlatitude land, where warm and coldtopped convection accounts for 55% (40%) of the rain (rain area). The less convectively active regime dominates over midlatitude ocean and coldseason midlatitude land, where convective rain only accounts for 15% (8%) of the rain (rain area). The ratio between coldtopped convective and stratiform rain area is highly distinct between the two regimes (22% vs. 5.5%), with different precipitation amounts (and thus heating) for similar stratiform rain areas. A third tropicsonly warmtopped convection regime exists, but is not associated with major stratiform rain production.

published proceedings

  • GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS

altmetric score

  • 0.25

author list (cited authors)

  • Schumacher, C., & Funk, A.

citation count

  • 3

complete list of authors

  • Schumacher, Courtney||Funk, Aaron

publication date

  • July 2023