A Look at Amazon Basin Seasonal Dynamics with the Biophysical ...

Characteristics of deep convection over the Amazonduring LBA using GOES and PR/TRMM dataT. InoueMeteorological Research Institutetinoue@mri-jma.go.jpABSTRACTLife cycle of deep convection and diurnal variation of deep convectionover the Amazon are studied using the GOES-8 split window (11 and 12micron) data. Using the split window data we can classify optically thickcumulus type cloud and optically thin cirrus type cloud. The life cycleof deep convection is characterized as cumulus type cloud is dominantduring the developing stage and optically thin cirrus type cloud (anvil)is dominant during the decaying stage. Considering the cloud amount ofcumulus type cloud and cirrus type cloud within the cloud area definedby the brightness temperature colder than 253K, we tried to define thestage of deep convection. Using the coincident and collocated GOES andTRMM data, we compared the rain type observed by PR/TRMM and life stageof deep convection. There is a tendency that convective rain is dominantduring the developing stage and stratiform rain is dominant during thedecaying stage. The diurnal variation of deep convection is also studiedusing the cloud type classified by the split window. The cloud amountpeak of cumulonimbus type cloud appears earlier than that of cloud colderthan 253K. The local time of the peak of cumulonimbus cloud is closerto the peak of rainfall observation by surface radar than the peak ofcloud colder than 253K.