RICO - Continuing Research

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The Rain in Cumulus over the Ocean (RICO) field campaign was carried out by the Principal Investigators and colleagues within the northeast trade winds of the western Atlantic near the Caribbean Islands of Antigua and Barbuda from November 2004 to January 2005. The objective of RICO was to characterize and understand the properties of trade wind cumulus at all scales, with particular emphasis on precipitation. Precipitation from shallow tropical convection has become a focus of investigation because of its potential to alter marine boundary layer dynamics and cloud organization, modify aerosol distributions and associated direct and indirect climatic effects, and regulate heat and moisture transported into the intertropical convergence zone, which influences the Hadley circulation. Understanding how precipitation forms within shallow tropical convection, and the effects precipitation has on trade wind cloud organization and the thermal, moisture and aerosol properties of the marine boundary layer are the overarching goals of this research.In this new project, research will continue on the outstanding scientific questions regarding trade wind clouds and precipitation that motivated RICO. The scientific approach involves analyses of data collected during RICO, and numerical modeling studies, to test hypotheses developed from earlier data analyses. With the addition of new research involving satellite data, the research crosses all scales relevant to trade wind clouds and addresses many of the key scientific objectives of RICO. The specific goals are to quantify and understand (1) the microphysical and environmental processes influencing the rate of precipitation formation in trade wind cumuli, (2) the mechanisms by which precipitation influences the mesoscale organization of trade wind clouds, (3) the mechanisms by which clouds and precipitation influence the mesoscale substructure of the marine boundary layer, and (4) the impact of clouds and cloud processing on the distribution of aerosols within the marine boundary layer.The intellectual merit of this research is the advancement of knowledge and understanding of cloud, aerosol, and precipitation characteristics in the trade wind region, and the mechanisms that govern their evolution. These problems are central to understanding the role of trade wind clouds in the climate system. The broader impacts of the research will be substantial. It will contribute to the global effort to model trade wind clouds by providing data analyses that will allow direct comparison with models. It will lead to new understanding and discoveries about trade wind cloud systems that will almost certainly translate into improvements in understanding of climate and climate change, as well as tropical weather forecasting. The project provides training for graduate students as well as undergraduate students under the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. The team of graduate students will collaborate with a network of research scientists on and beyond their campus.