Aerosol–Convection Covariability: Results from Field Campaigns and Model Ensembles

The Maritime Continent exhibits tremendous meteorological variability in the context of a highly complex aerosol environment. Recent field campaigns have measured the strong covariability between the concentration and properties of aerosol and meteorology. They have also shown how propagation of organized convective systems can produce rapid changes in aerosol content, both within the boundary layer, and in the lower and middle free troposphere. In this presentation, we highlight key results from a set of recent observational campaigns (e.g., the 7 Southeast Asian Studies (7SEAS) and Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds, and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC4RS)). We also utilize large ensembles of cloud resolving model simulations of convection, along with tracer studies, to explore how variations in meteorological environment affect the dynamics, precipitation, and transport of air within convective systems. We discuss how our recent studies will be continued in the near future Clouds, Aerosol, and Monsoon Processes-Philippines Experiment (CAMP2Ex) and Propagation of Intra-Seasonal Tropical Oscillations (PISTON) field campaigns. We also explore the implications of our results for theory, data assimilation, and observing system design.