Abstract:

Convective cold pools play a critical role in the initiation, intensity, longevity and organization of convective storms. They also enhance the transport of dust and other aerosols, impact surface fluxes and pose a threat to human health and safety by virtue of their strong surface winds and low-level turbulence. In spite of their importance, accurately representing cold pools within LES through global models remains extremely challenging. In this talk, the role of aerosols, radiation, soil moisture and surface fluxes in determining cold pool characteristics will be examined. The results from a recent field campaign in which drones were used to measure cold pool properties will also be presented.