Open AccessHigh‐resolution model captures global atmospheric deep convection
Author(s) -
Schultz Colin
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1002/2013eo480015
Subject(s) - convection , deep convection , storm , atmosphere (unit) , atmospheric convection , atmospheric model , environmental science , meteorology , convective storm detection , geology , convective available potential energy , atmospheric sciences , climatology , geography
When moist air is mixed high into the atmosphere, a process known as deep convection, the motion can give rise to towering storm clouds. Deep convection is also an important process for balancing momentum and energy within the atmosphere. Atmospheric deep convection is a relatively small‐scale physical process, with the motion spanning anywhere from 1 to 10 kilometers. Its effects, though, are globally relevant, dictating storm patterns and climatological changes. Modeling deep convection in a global simulation, then, is challenging because these small‐scale processes need to be represented and tracked across the whole planet.