On the Parameterization of Convective Precipitation Generated by Land Cover Change/Land Use in Large-Scale Atmospheric Models

To develop a parameterization of shallow convective clouds and precipitation induced by land-surface processes in GCMs, a set of simulations was performed with a high-resolution 3D atmospheric model. Similarity theory together with Buckingham Pi Theory, was used to derive a set of dimensionless groups, which describes the large-scale atmospheric background conditions, the spatial variability of surface sensible heat flux, and the characteristic structure of the landscape. These dimensionless groups were used to calculate the coefficients of a Chebyshev polynomial, which represents the self similar vertical profiles of dimensionless mesoscale heat fluxes obtained for a broad range of large-scale atmospheric conditions and different landscapes. Observations collected during GCIP and the LBA Experiment in Amazonia suggest that the parameterization provides reasonable results.