The relation between convections and ocean is also inevitable factor to be understood. Rainfall can create the fresh water lens overthe sea surface. Although such precipitaion is relatively cold, they also prevent the ocean surface from mixing with cold water below. Those balance must be measured in order to understand the change of the ocean surface. On the other hand, sea surface structure is also crucial to the development of the convections. For example, Parsons and Yoneyama (1996), who analyzed the diurnal cycle over the warm water pool during convectively depressed period (Nov.12-18, 1992), showed the early evening maximum of the rainfall rate using the shipboard Doppler radar data obtained by the R/V Vickers. They also pointed out that such early evening maximum can be explained in terms of the diurnal cycle of some parameters such as Convective Available Potential Energy, Sea Surface Temperature and so on. Both TRITON buoys and RJV MIRAI are equipped with not only rain gauge but also temperature and salinity sensors so that we can observe how the precipitation influences the ocean surface structure and how the sea surface condition influences the development of the convections by combining the shipboard Doppler radar data.
Our first target is such cloud systems above mentioned which develop over the warm water pool. So, the stationary observation must be conducted at least over a couple of weeks.
The Doppler radar presented here is being mounted on the R/V MIRAI so that it is possible to use it anywhere and anytime. Above mentioned are some of their examples especially in view of the combination with the dataset obtained by TRITON buoys. Other usages are also anticipated. For example, the shipboard Doppler radar can also give the truth data for the rainfall measurement by satellite such as TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission). Atractive proposals and effective usage from other scientists are strongly expected.
References
Nakazawa, T. 1988: Tropical super clusters within intraseasonal variations over the western Pacific. J. Meteor. Soc. Japan, 66, 823-839.
Parsons, D.B. and K. Yoneyama 1996: The observed behavior of the atmospheric-ocean system over the TOGA COARE region during dry air intrusion. in preparation.
Rutledge, S. A., R. Cifelli, C. DeMott, W. Petersen, T. Rickenbach, J. Lutz, R. Bowie, M. Strong, and E. Williams 1993: The shipboard deployment of the MIT C-band radar during TOGA COARE. 371-373.
