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Diurnal variation of MCSs over Asia and the western Pacific Region

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Abstract

Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) are severe disaster-producing weather systems. Radar data and infrared satellite image are useful tools in MCS surveillance. The previous method of MCS census is to look through the printed infrared imagery manually. This method is not only subjective and inaccurate, but also inefficient. Different from previous studies, a new automatic MCS identification (AMI) method, which overcomes the above disadvantages, is used in the present study. The AMI method takes three steps: searching potential MCS profiles, tracking the MCS, and assessing the MCS, so as to capture MCSs from infrared satellite images. Finally, 47468 MCSs are identified over Asia and the western Pacific region during the warm seasons (May–October) from 1995 to 2008.

From this database, the geographical distribution and diurnal variation of MCSs are analyzed. The results show that different types of MCSs have similar geographical distributions. Latitude is the main control factor for MCS distribution. MCSs are most frequent over the central Tibetan Plateau; meanwhile, this area also has the highest hail frequency according to previous studies. Further, it is found that the diurnal variation of MCSs has little to do with MCSs’ size or shape; MCSs in different areas have their own particular diurnal variation patterns. Based on the diurnal variation characteristics, MCSs are classified into four categories: the whole-day occurring MCSs in low latitude, the whole-day occurring MCSs in high latitude, the nocturnal MCSs, and the postmeridian MCSs. MCSs over most places of mainland China are postmeridian; but MCSs over the Sichuan basin and its vicinity are nocturnal. This conclusion is coincidental with the hail climatology of China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanjing Meteorology Bureau, Nanjing, 210019, China

    Yu Shu  (束 宇)

  2. Key Laboratory of Mesoscale Severe Weather/Ministry of Education, and School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Yu Shu  (束 宇), Yinong Pan  (潘益农) & Jinxin Wang  (王金鑫)

Authors
  1. Yu Shu  (束 宇)
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  2. Yinong Pan  (潘益农)
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  3. Jinxin Wang  (王金鑫)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yinong Pan  (潘益农).

Additional information

Supported by the National (Key) Basic Research and Development (973) Program of China (2013CB430103), National Natural Science Foundation of China (40875028), and Forecaster Special Project Funded by the Jiangsu Meteorological Bureau (2012-8).

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Shu, Y., Pan, Y. & Wang, J. Diurnal variation of MCSs over Asia and the western Pacific Region. Acta Meteorol Sin 27, 435–445 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13351-013-0305-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13351-013-0305-6

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