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Published on: September 5, 2018
Not as random: the stable dynamics controlling shallow convective clouds
Ilan Koren1, Tom Dror1, Elizabeth-Ruth Shehter1
1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Sciences, Rehovot, Israel.
Abstract:
Shallow, sparse, non-precipitating convective clouds forming over the ocean are considered among the least organized cloud fields. The formation mechanism of these clouds is associated with random, local perturbations that create buoyant parcels. Their sparseness suggests no or very weak interactions between clouds. Here, we show that such clouds form within a well-organized, stable, dense mesh of convective cells that operate continuously, independent of the presence of visible clouds.
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