Data from the Integrated Sounding Systems (ISS) and GMS-8 satellite were used to study the evolution of Marine Atmosphere Boundary Layer (MABL) in advance of an approaching intense mesoscale convective system (MCS). The ISSs deployed during the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (TOGA COARE) are particularly suitable for detailed studies of boundary-layer recovery because of the relatively high spatio-temperal resolution the ISS data covered. The observational data revealed that cold pool
resulting from downdrafts in mesoscale convective systems played an important role in the evolution of MABL through increasing the surface fluxes of momentum, sensitive and latent heat. In addition, the in situ change in the surface fluxes and convective stability also influenced the development of subsequent convective systems.
A nested grid regional model with a high vertical resolution in the atmosphere boundary layer was used to simulate various atmospheric processes during the period from Dec. 18 to Dec. 27, 1992 when several intense MCSs were observed passing over the Intensive Flux Array of TOGA COARE. Several possible mechanisms on the influence of MCSs on the development of MABL were tested via numerical sensitivity experiments.