How Much Convective Environment Subgrid Spatial Variability is Missing
within Atmospheric Reanalysis Datasets?
Abstract
Convective cloud processes are sensitive to environmental conditions
that vary on scales smaller than reanalysis datasets (sub-reanalysis
scales). Convective environment variability within areas representative
of reanalysis datasets is quantified using large-domain, high-resolution
(∆x = 100 m) simulations of convective cloud systems throughout the
tropics and subtropics. Even after removing locations of resolved clouds
and precipitation, convective environment parameters vary significantly
on these scales. For example, for half of the simulated data, 500 hPa
relative humidity varied by ~30% within a typical
reanalysis area. Surface winds, convective available potential energy,
and middle-tropospheric moisture are the most variable convective
environment parameters for both continental and maritime regimes, while
above-surface temperature and winds are the least variable. While
high-resolution, sub-reanalysis-scale extrema are well-correlated with
the reanalysis-area mean values, some of the most extreme convective
environments can occur within regions with moderate reanalysis-area mean
values, particularly for continental regions.