A Review of the Tropical Boundary Layer and Cumulus Convection: Structure, Parameterization, and Modeling

Abstract

Abstract Recent advances in our understanding of the boundary layer and cumulus convection in the tropics are reviewed. The review reflects the interactive nature of the atmosphere-ocean system. It discusses the observational picture of the atmosphere that is emerging from tropical field experiments, results of diagnostic studies of convective transports and structure, and the progress in both modeling and parameterizing convection and the tropical boundary layer.