Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Houze, Robert A.
• Wang, Jingyu
• Fan, Jiwen
• Brodzik, Stacy
• Feng, Zhe

Titel

Extreme Convective Storms Over High‐Latitude Continental Areas Where Maximum Warming Is Occurring

Ist Teil von

• Geophysical research letters, 2019-04, Vol.46 (7), p.4059-4065

Ort / Verlag

Washington: John Wiley & Sons, Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2019

Quelle

Wiley-Blackwell Journals

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Deep convective storms play a key role in severe weather, the hydrological cycle, and the global atmospheric circulation. Historically, little attention has been paid to the intense convective storms in the high latitudes. These regions have been experiencing the largest increases of mean surface temperature over the last century. The Global Precipitation Measurement core satellite, which features a space‐borne Dual‐frequency Precipitation Radar providing near‐global coverage (65°S to 65°N), has made it possible to establish the occurrence of convective storms at high latitudes. Analysis of the three‐dimensional radar echoes seen by Global Precipitation Measurement over a 5‐year period (2014–2018) shows that extremely intense deep convective storms do occur often during the warm season (April–September) in the high‐latitude continents where the increase of surface temperature has been greatest. The associated thermodynamical environments suggest that high‐latitude extreme convection could be more common in a continually warming world. Plain Language Summary Over the last century, the North Hemisphere high‐latitude continental regions (Siberia, northern Europe, and northern Canada) have experienced the greatest surface temperature increase on Earth. Launched in 2014, the Global Precipitation Measurement core observatory satellite with Dual‐frequency Precipitation Radar has been providing observations at these high latitudes. These observations show that extreme convective storms are occurring in these high‐latitude continental regions. Five years of these satellite radar data show statistics of these convective systems based on their three‐dimensional radar reflectivity structures. The patterns of occurrence are consistent with the statistics of reanalysis data on the surface wind, temperature, and humidity as well as thermodynamic profiles during the times of satellite‐observed storms. Key Points The GPM satellite observes a common occurrence of extremely intense convective systems at high latitudes, where the maximum surface warming has been occurring The three‐dimensional radar reflectivity structure and environmental variables of the high‐latitude extreme convective systems are revealed The occurrence frequency and intensity of high‐latitude extreme convective storms could increase in the future warming climate