Updraft Width Modulates Ambient Atmospheric Controls on Deep Convection Depth
- Adam Varble,
- Z Feng,
- J N Marquis,
- Z Zhang,
- A Geiss,
- J C Hardin,
- E Jo
Z Feng
Atmospheric, Climate, and Earth Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
J N Marquis
Atmospheric, Climate, and Earth Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Z Zhang
Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Utah
A Geiss
Atmospheric, Climate, and Earth Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
J C Hardin
Atmospheric, Climate, and Earth Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
E Jo
Atmospheric, Climate, and Earth Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Abstract
Wide convective cell depth responds most to available instability, while narrow cell depth responds most to mid-level relative humidity. Entrainment-driven reduction of buoyancy decreases as updraft width increases, causing disparate narrow and wide cell depth responses. A convection-permitting simulation with 3-km horizontal grid spacing generally reproduces observed relationships.13 Sep 2024Submitted to ESS Open Archive 17 Sep 2024Published in ESS Open Archive