Sensitivity of Local Deep Convection Potential over Water Bodies to Sea Surface Temperature and Wind Speed

Abstract

The sea surface temperature (SST), wind speed, and surface-layer thermal stability affect surface thermal fluxes that are conducive to deep convection. In the present study, numerical model sensitivity evaluations were carried out to quantify the impact of these properties on the potential for deep convection when short periods or airmass travel distances are pertinent. A comparison is also made between the widely used Charnock formula for the sea surface roughness length and a more recent formulation. The numerical model results usually indicate enhancement of the deep convection potential as SST and wind speed increase for a given simulation period. However, for a given airmass travel distance, the total surface thermal fluxes and deep convection reduce moderately with increased spend. Scaling evaluations are presented to provide additional insight into the basic thermodynamic forcings.