Observed Structure and Characteristics of Cold Pools over Tropical Oceans Using Scatterometer Vector Wind Retrievals

Precipitation driven cold pools over oceans do contribute to the air-sea exchange of heat and moisture. The cold pools generated in the wake of convective activity can enhance the surface sensible heat flux, latent heat flux, and also changes in evaporation. Recent Studies have shown that clouds tend to form along cold pool outflow boundaries, and their intersections, which may lead to deep convection over conditionally-unstable tropical oceanic regions. The primary goal of this study is to understand the structure of cold pools initiated by precipitation in the tropical oceans. Using the NOAA CMORPH 30-minute satellite precipitation product, precipitation features (PFs) were observed and corresponding to them, ASCAT vector wind retrievals were identified over tropical oceans. Using these vector winds, the characteristics of cold pools were studied by calculating the surface kinematic structure near the CMORPH-identified PFs. A simple model of cold pool thermodynamic characteristics is developed, and applied to estimate surface heat, moisture, and momentum budgets of tropical ocean cold pools. These results are compared with NASA MERRA reanalyses products to examine the cold pool structures and compare surface flux estimated in regions experiencing precipitation. It hoped that improved understanding of cold pools, which are a primary triggering mechanism of oceanic shallow and deep convection, will improve prediction of this important part of the climate system.