Numerical simulations of tropical convective clouds over Cuba using a one-dimensional and time-dependent cloud model

Abstract

A numerical study of the evolution of tropical convective clouds with the use of an eulerian one-dimensional time dependent model is presented. The model consists of the equation of vertical motion, the mass continuity equation, the thermodynamic equation and the conservation equations for each phase of the system. Paramtererized microphysics is included. A coefficient was introduced to adjust the value of humidity in the inwards flow by mixing environmental and cloudy air at the cloud boundary. A good correspondence between simulated cloud parameters and radar and aircraft data was obtained for days with deep convective activity by tuning the coefficient to a value of 0.5. For shallow convection days, cloud parameters were generally overpredicted, especially vertical velocity.