Precipitation and Kinematic Structure of an Oceanic Mesoscale Convective System. Part I: Convective Line Structure

Abstract

Abstract The precipitation, thermodynamic, and kinematic structure of an oceanic mesoscale convective system is studied using airborne Doppler and in situ (flight-level) data collected by the NOAA P-3 aircraft. The system, a well-organized, stationary, north-south convective line, was located near the east coast of Taiwan. In Part I, the basic structure of the line is documented with both datasets, a procedure revealing the strengths and weakness of both approaches. The Doppler data reveal that the warm, moist air feeding the line enters from the east side. Most updrafts associated with the leading edge of the convective line tilt westward below 5 km and then eastward above 5 km. This change of tilt corresponds to a change in the sign of the vertical flux of east-west momentum. To the east of the leading edge, a 10-km-wide zone of strong mesoscale descent is seen. The band is not a complete barrier to the low-level southeasterly flow, and at times and places along the line the inflowing air can move throu...