A case study on the use of digitized cloud brightness to represent large-scale convection in the tropics

Thumbnail Image
Authors
Edwards, Bruce B.
Subjects
tropical meteorology
satellite meteorology
digitized cloud brightness
large-scale tropical convection
meteorology of Western Pacific
Advisors
Chang, C.-P.
Date of Issue
1973-12
Date
December 1973
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
en_US
Abstract
Digitized cloud brightness data for July 1969 are examined to determine the degree of relationship between organized brightness patterns and the large-scale convection field in the tropical western North Pacific. Correlation coefficients between kinematically computed vertical motion fields and cloud brightness are generally low, except for a few notable days. This may be due to the quality of the available data, particularly the vertical motion field. Nevertheless, indications of better correspondence between the two fields are noted late in the month for the western portion of the region, for the latitude band between 10˚N and 20˚N. Examination of time-longitude sections reveals a close association between propagating brightness patterns and vertical motion fields, indicating that the former are reflections of synoptic wave passages, rather than simply inactive clouds advected by zonal flow. In view of the potential usefulness of such satellite data, a technique is proposed that uses satellite cloud data to objectively determine the large-scale tropical flow.
Type
Thesis
Description
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/10945/16516
Series/Report No
Department
Meteorology
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.
Collections
Theses
Load more