African Easterly Waves and Their Interactions with Clouds and Convection

认识到非洲东风波(AEW)在从每日到季节的预报中发挥的重要作用，该项目试图了解AEW的演变及其与对流的相互作用。研究的第一部分是利用ECMWF分析、卫星数据、探空仪数据和雨量计数据，获得AEW生命周期不同阶段这些相互作用的统计关系，并研究其中所涉及的物理过程。随后，将通过个案研究方法，在个别AEW的演变及其与对流的相互作用之后，加强这项研究。第三部分是调查AEW、非洲东风急流和热带对流之间存在的关系的季节内和年际变化，尽管优先考虑的程度较低。一个重要的目标是通过AEW和热带对流的相互作用来了解和了解大西洋热带气旋的前兆。如果能够为热带气旋发生的预条件建立一个概念性模式，这将对预报界非常有价值。国际非政府组织积极参与规划将于2004/2005年举行的西非季风国际试验。这笔赠款的研究将有助于WAM野外实验的规划。

Recognizing the important role the African easterly waves (AEWs) play in forecasts ranging from daily to seasonal, this project seeks to understand the evolution of AEWs and their interactions with convection. The first part of the research is to obtain the statistical relationships in these interactions at various phases in the life cycle of AEWs and to investigate the physical processes involved in them using the ECMWF analyses, satellite data, radiosonde data and raingauge data. The study will then be enhanced through a case-study approach following the evolution of individual AEWs and their interactions with convection. The third part, albeit at a lower priority, is to investigate the intra-seasonal to inter-annual variability of the relationships that exist between the AEWs, the African easterly jets, and tropical convection. An important goal is to understand and gain knowledge of the precursors of Atlantic tropical cyclones through the interactions of the AEWs and tropical convection. If a conceptual model can be developed for the preconditioning for tropical cyclogenesis, it would be very valuable for the prediction community. The PI is actively involved in planning the international Western African Monsoon (WAM) experiment to be held in 2004/2005. The research from this grant will contribute to the planning of the WAM field experiment.