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Convective Triggering/Capping Inversions in the Southern Great Plains

Cripe, D.G. (a) and Randall, D.A. (b), Colorado State University
Eleventh Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Science Team Meeting

An algorithm for determining Generalized Convective Available Potential Energy (GCAPE) has been developed at Colorado State University. This particular algorithm differs from other CAPE-determining algorithms in that convective clouds are allowed to originate at multiple levels, and the effects of both updrafts and downdrafts are taken into consideration. Data from several ARM SGP IOPs were used to compute the GCAPE at each observation in order to test the Quasi-equilibrium hypothesis, an essential component of several cumulus parameterizations, which holds that the atmosphere stays close to a state of conditional neutrality. Although this was frequently observed to be the case, there were also instances during the IOPs in which a capping inversion appeared to inhibit convection from consuming large amounts of GCAPE produced between observations. The IOPs will thus be examined to determine conditions that lead to convective triggering versus capping inversions, in terms of GCAPE production rates.

Note: This is the poster abstract presented at the meeting; an extended version was not provided by the author(s).