1. Robert A. Houze University of Washington Robert A. Houze University of Washington Using the TRMM Precipitation Radar for Storm Structure Analysis Precipitation Measuring Mission Science Team Meeting, Atlanta, 7-10 May 2007

2. Question: Can we use TRMM PR to do traditional storm structure analysis, like we might do with a NEXRAD or an airborne radar like the ELDORA? Question:

3. Limitation of PR is temporal Temporal--TRMM can’t be used to track mesoscale precipitation systems Advantage is spatial TRMM goes everywhere in the tropics and views storms the same way--so we can understand differences in mesoscale structure ion different regions PR gets fully 3D reflectivity coverage where ever it goes Excellent vertical resolution TRMM goes everywhere in the tropics and views storms the same way--so we can understand differences in mesoscale structure ion different regions PR gets fully 3D reflectivity coverage where ever it goes Excellent vertical resolution Stumbling block Appropriate analysis tools and related data format issues--hard to do meteorologist’s analysis

4. Satellite Geolocate Interpolate Re-map and interpolate the PR reflectivity field

5. West Africa and Adjacent Atlantic

6. Off the coast of West Africa shallow-to-moderate cells mergers form stratiform regions

7. Over land, just south of the Sahara deep convection with anvil echo aloft huge squall line systems

8. Western Subregion Central Subregion Eastern Subregion Mountain Lowland Foothills Arabian Sea Bay of Bengal °N °E INDIA Himalayan Region

9. Sawyer 1947

10. A case of deep isolated 40 dBZ core 14 June 2002 0900 UTC

11. A case of wide 40 dBZ echo core 22 July 2002 1300 UTC

12. Carlson et al. 1983 moist dry,hot

13. A typical case of wide 40 dBZ echo core with line organization 3 Sep 2003 2208 UTC

14. A wide 40 dBZ echo core with squall-line organization—rare! 5 June 2003 2017 UTC

15. 10 meter level 500 mb level A of wide 40 dBZ echo core with squall-line organization—rare! 5 June 2003 500 mb jet over and parallel to the Himalayas

16. Deep cores over the Tibetan Plateau 14 July 2002 1227 UTC

17. Deep Intense Cores 40 dBZ echo 40 dBZ echo > 10 km in height > 10 km in height Deep Intense Cores 40 dBZ echo 40 dBZ echo > 10 km in height > 10 km in height Western Central Eastern Wide Intense Cores 40 dBZ echo 40 dBZ echo > 1000 km 2 area > 1000 km 2 area Wide Intense Cores 40 dBZ echo 40 dBZ echo > 1000 km 2 area > 1000 km 2 area Broad Stratiform Echo stratiform echo stratiform echo > 50,000 km 2 > 50,000 km 2 Broad Stratiform Echo stratiform echo stratiform echo > 50,000 km 2 > 50,000 km 2

18. Intraseasonal Variation of the Monsoon Webster & Tomas 1997 39 events 1985-95 Day 0: 8 mm/d 5N-5S 80-90E “Break” “Active”

19. Broad stratiform case 11 Aug 2002 0252 UTC

20. 0455 UTC Broad stratiform case Upstream of mountains

21. CFADs can be used to summarize the storm structures statistically CFADs can be used to summarize the storm structures statistically

22. Reflectivity data for 2 monsoon seasons  Convection is stronger & deeper in west  Stratiform more pronounced in east

23. Reflectivity data for 2 monsoon seasons Convection is slightly deeper & stronger over the lowlands than the foothills

24. Hurricane Rita as Seen by the TRMM PR 1445 UTC 22 Sep 2005

25. SummarySummary Re-mapping, geo-locating, and interpolating the TRMM PR data allows them to displayed in analysis tools using Cartesian gridding Takes full advantage of both spatial coverage and fine vertical resolution of PR Makes it possible to contrast and compare storm structures in detail in various regions--Africa, India, hurricanes, etc. Re-mapping, geo-locating, and interpolating the TRMM PR data allows them to displayed in analysis tools using Cartesian gridding Takes full advantage of both spatial coverage and fine vertical resolution of PR Makes it possible to contrast and compare storm structures in detail in various regions--Africa, India, hurricanes, etc.

26. Thanks