CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Multiples studies around the globe have been focused on determine the convective climatology using TRMM information. In spite large available dataset, TRMM information due to the low orbit inclination has no constant temporal overpass over the world. Mesoscale convective climatologies present a speculation centered on TRMM precipitation features with the strongest convective signatures are observed in relatively early stages of their lifecycle, and that the precipitation features with the largest rain totals and largest horizontal extents are in mature or early dissipation stages. In this context, the present work focuses on the development of 10-year climatology of mesoscale convective systems with extreme characteristics over southeastern South America applying a compositing method between TRMM and GOES satellite data. An objective and automated algorithm based on GOES infrared data is applied in order to obtain the temporal evolution of the IR cold cloud shields related to different types of extreme storms detected by TRMM using precipitation and intensity proxies (i.e., total volumetric rain, minimum 37 and 85-GHz PCTs, and lightning flash rates). The composite life cycle of MCS confirms the hypothesis and shows the presence of strongest convective signatures during the early stages. A well-marked opposite behavior is observed in the distribution of precipitation features with the largest volumetric rains in mature or early dissipation stages. Against this background, the newest Global Precipitation Measurement core satellite will provide the next-generation observations every three hours and its data will advance our understanding of the precipitation systems over this part of the planet. Keywords: Mesoscale convective system, TRMM satellite, Life cycles, Extreme rainfall signatures