Application of Radar-Based Estimation of the Level of Maximum Detrainment to DC3 Cases

Convection can rapidly transport mass and chemical constituents from the boundary layer up into the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, which can have important implications for the radiative properties and chemical composition of the air. To better understand the effects of convective mass transport and to determine whether irreversible transport has occurred, the altitudes at which mass detrainment occurs needs to be known. Cases from the Colorado and Alabama domains during the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry (DC3) project are analyzed to find the level of maximum detrainment (LMD; i.e. the level of greatest net horizontal mass divergence) using radar reflectivity and dual-Doppler derived velocity data. The level of maximum detrainment is found by identifying the convective anvil within 10 km of convective cores and determining the level of maximum ice water content in the identified anvil regions. Two methods are used to identify convective cores and two additional methods are used to identify convective anvils, resulting in four convective-anvil identification algorithms. The LMD height is compared to the height of the level of neutral buoyancy (LNB) using nearby soundings. The offset between the LNB and LMD provides an insight into the amount of entrainment occurring in a particular updraft. The LMD values are also compared to flight level chemical observations, when available.