---
_id: '9138'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: Convective self-aggregation, the spontaneous organization of initially scattered
convection into isolated convective clusters despite spatially homogeneous boundary
conditions and forcing, was first recognized and studied in idealized numerical
simulations. While there is a rich history of observational work on convective
clustering and organization, there have been only a few studies that have analyzed
observations to look specifically for processes related to self-aggregation in
models. Here we review observational work in both of these categories and motivate
the need for more of this work. We acknowledge that self-aggregation may appear
to be far-removed from observed convective organization in terms of time scales,
initial conditions, initiation processes, and mean state extremes, but we argue
that these differences vary greatly across the diverse range of model simulations
in the literature and that these comparisons are already offering important insights
into real tropical phenomena. Some preliminary new findings are presented, including
results showing that a self-aggregation simulation with square geometry has too
broad distribution of humidity and is too dry in the driest regions when compared
with radiosonde records from Nauru, while an elongated channel simulation has
realistic representations of atmospheric humidity and its variability. We discuss
recent work increasing our understanding of how organized convection and climate
change may interact, and how model discrepancies related to this question are
prompting interest in observational comparisons. We also propose possible future
directions for observational work related to convective aggregation, including
novel satellite approaches and a ground-based observational network.
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Christopher E.
full_name: Holloway, Christopher E.
last_name: Holloway
- first_name: Allison A.
full_name: Wing, Allison A.
last_name: Wing
- first_name: Sandrine
full_name: Bony, Sandrine
last_name: Bony
- first_name: Caroline J
full_name: Muller, Caroline J
id: f978ccb0-3f7f-11eb-b193-b0e2bd13182b
last_name: Muller
orcid: 0000-0001-5836-5350
- first_name: Hirohiko
full_name: Masunaga, Hirohiko
last_name: Masunaga
- first_name: Tristan S.
full_name: L’Ecuyer, Tristan S.
last_name: L’Ecuyer
- first_name: David D.
full_name: Turner, David D.
last_name: Turner
- first_name: Paquita
full_name: Zuidema, Paquita
last_name: Zuidema
citation:
ama: Holloway CE, Wing AA, Bony S, et al. Observing convective aggregation. Surveys
in Geophysics. 2017;38(6):1199-1236. doi:10.1007/s10712-017-9419-1
apa: Holloway, C. E., Wing, A. A., Bony, S., Muller, C. J., Masunaga, H., L’Ecuyer,
T. S., … Zuidema, P. (2017). Observing convective aggregation. Surveys in Geophysics.
Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-017-9419-1
chicago: Holloway, Christopher E., Allison A. Wing, Sandrine Bony, Caroline J Muller,
Hirohiko Masunaga, Tristan S. L’Ecuyer, David D. Turner, and Paquita Zuidema.
“Observing Convective Aggregation.” Surveys in Geophysics. Springer Nature,
2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-017-9419-1.
ieee: C. E. Holloway et al., “Observing convective aggregation,” Surveys
in Geophysics, vol. 38, no. 6. Springer Nature, pp. 1199–1236, 2017.
ista: Holloway CE, Wing AA, Bony S, Muller CJ, Masunaga H, L’Ecuyer TS, Turner DD,
Zuidema P. 2017. Observing convective aggregation. Surveys in Geophysics. 38(6),
1199–1236.
mla: Holloway, Christopher E., et al. “Observing Convective Aggregation.” Surveys
in Geophysics, vol. 38, no. 6, Springer Nature, 2017, pp. 1199–236, doi:10.1007/s10712-017-9419-1.
short: C.E. Holloway, A.A. Wing, S. Bony, C.J. Muller, H. Masunaga, T.S. L’Ecuyer,
D.D. Turner, P. Zuidema, Surveys in Geophysics 38 (2017) 1199–1236.
date_created: 2021-02-15T14:20:38Z
date_published: 2017-11-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2022-01-24T12:43:13Z
day: '01'
doi: 10.1007/s10712-017-9419-1
extern: '1'
intvolume: ' 38'
issue: '6'
keyword:
- Geochemistry and Petrology
- Geophysics
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
url: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-017-9419-1
month: '11'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
page: 1199-1236
publication: Surveys in Geophysics
publication_identifier:
issn:
- 0169-3298
- 1573-0956
publication_status: published
publisher: Springer Nature
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: Observing convective aggregation
type: journal_article
user_id: 8b945eb4-e2f2-11eb-945a-df72226e66a9
volume: 38
year: '2017'
...