Mesoscale convection from a large-scale perspective

Abstract

This essay concerns precipitating convective cloud systems and convectively-driven mesoscale circulations (“mesoscale convection”) and their role in the large-scale structure of the atmosphere. Mesoscale convection is an important and ubiquitous process on scales of motion spanning a few kilometers to many hundreds of kilometers. It plays a role in the input of energy to the climate system through the radiative effect of upper-tropospheric cloud and water vapor, and enhanced surface fluxes. This is in addition to its important effect on energy, heat and momentum transport within the atmosphere. However, mesoscale convection is neither parameterized nor adequately resolved in atmospheric general circulation models. Its representation in mean-flow terms raises issues that are quite distinct from classical approaches to sub-grid scale convection parameterization. Cloud-resolving modeling and theoretical concepts pertinent to the transport properties and mean-flow effects of organized convection are summarized, as are the main convective parameterization techniques used in global models. Two principal themes that are relevant to the representation of organized mesoscale systems are discussed. First, mesoscale transports and their sub-grid scale approximation with emphasis on dynamical approaches. Second, long time-scale modeling of mesoscale cloud systems that involves the collective effect of convection, boundary and surface layers, radiation, microphysics acting under the influence of large-scale forcing. Finally, major research programs that address the role of precipitating convection and mesoscale processes in global models are summarized.