Characterization of Convective Weather Systems in the Middle Himalaya during 1999 and 2000 Summer Monsoons

Convective weather systems such as organized mesoscale convective systems (Mesoscale Convective Complex, MCC and Convective Cloud Clusters, CCC) and much weaker Disorganized Short-lived Convection (DSC) in the region of India and Nepal were analyzed using the Meteosat-5 IR imagery. The diurnal march and propagation of patterns of convective activity in the Himalayas and Northern Indian subcontinent were examined. Results indicate that infrared satellite images of Northern India and along the southern flank of the Himalayas reveal a strong presence of convective weather systems during the 1999 and 2000 monsoons, especially in the afternoon and during the night. The typical MCCs have life-times of about 11 hours, and areal extent about $300,000km^2$. Although the core of MCC activity remains generally away from the Middle Himalayan range, the occurrence of heavy precipitation events in this region can be directly linked to MCCs that venture into the Lesser Himalayan region and remain within the region bounded by $25^{\circ}-30^{\circ}N$. One principal feature in the spatial organization of convection is the dichotomy between the Tibetan Plateau and the Northern Indian Plains: CCCs and DSCs begin in the Tibetan Plateau in the mid-afternoon into the evening; while they are most active in the mid-night and early morning in the Gangetic Plains and along the southern facing flanks of the Himalayas. Furthermore, these data are consistent with the daily cycle of rainfall documented for a network of 20 hydrometeorological stations in Central Nepal, which show strong nocturnal peaks of intense rainfall consistent with the close presence of Convective Weather Systems (CWSs) in the Gangetic Plains (Barros et al. 2000).

1999년과 2000년 여름몬순기간 동안 히말라야 지역에 발생한 대류계의 특성에 관한 연구

Meteosat-5 IR 위성영상을 사용하여 1999년과 2000년 여름몬순기간 동안 발생한 네팔과 인디아 북쪽 히말라야 산악지역에 발생하는 여러 형태의 대류계 즉, 중규모 대류계들 (Mesoscale Convective Complex, MCC and Convective Cloud Clusters, CCC) 와 보다 약한 Disorganized Short-lived Convection (DSL)의 이동특성 및 시공간적인 생성특성 등을 조사하였다. 대상지역에 발생하는 중규모 대류계의 전형적인 지속시간은 약 11시간이며 크기는 약 $300,000km^2$ 이다. 중규모 대류계의 중심은 히말라야산맥으로부터 원거리에 위치함에도 불구하고 집중강운-는 위도 $25^{\circ}-30^{\circ}N$ 사이의 히말라야 하단에 발생하는 중규모 대류계와 직접적 상관관계를 가진다. 결과는 히말라야 고도 500-4000m에 설치된 강우계로부터 획득된 강우자료의 변화 특성과 대류계 거동 특성이 유사함을 보여주었다(Barros et al. 2000). 집중호우의 강력한 야간발생과 Gangetic Plains에서 발생한 중규모 대류계와의 연관성을 보여주었다(Barros et al. 2000).