Radar characteristics of tropical convective systems observed during VIMHEX-II
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Date
1983
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Revista Geofísica
Abstract
A description of the radar characteristics of the conective mesosystems (maximun echo area of at least 100km²) observed during the second Venezuelan International Meteorological and Hydrological Experiment (VIMHEX-II) is made.
The results are compared when possible, with those reported in other observational studies, especially in GATE.
Most of the echoes were small, 61,5% were in the 100-400 km² area range and 82% were in the 10²-10³ km² area range. The height of most of the echoes lay between 6 and 14 km, and their llifetime was between 1 and 3 hours. The distributions of echoe area, height and duration tended to be longnormal, 86% of the storms attained their peak activity between 12 and 21 hours (LST) and 50% did so in the 15-18 hours period. A few storms developed very late at night and during the fisrt hours of the morning. An increase in the number of storms was observed in the second half of VIMHEX-II (late in the rainy season).
The heights pf the VIMHEX-II echoes were greater than those observed in GATE. In general, with minor exceptions and excluding the squall line systems, the average speeds and durations were also greater in VIMHEX-II than GATE. In VIMHEX-II, the echo area was positively correlated with echo duration but not with echo height. In GATE, echo area, height, and duration were all positively correlated.
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Fernández, W. (1983). Radar characteristics of tropical convective systems observed during VIMHEX-II. Revista Geofísica, 18-19, 99-110.