NASA/GISS Latest Animation: Animation of UKMO GCM, from 1 April to October 30,2004, at 850 mb, and TRMM observations of 3-Hourly precipitation rates with streamlines of near surface circulation (at 925 mb) from Reanalysis 2 for September 2006, AMMA Special Observing Period-3:

a)		b)

Animations are showing: a) UK Met Office (UKMO) simulation of Precipitation rates of circulations with streamlines at 850 mb from the HadAM3 C20C GCM model output from 1 April to 31 October, 2004, and b) TRMM observation simulation of 3-Hourly precipitation rates with streamlines at 925 mb for September 2006. Click on each picture frame for a full screen view of the respective animation. Acknowledgements and Credits are due to our production team at SCSU which includes Dr. John S. DaPonte, Mr. Munhutu Paidemwoyo, Mr. Bruno Nader, Mr. Ruben Worrell (at NASA-GISS/NYC Department of Education), Mr. Charles Sosa, and Mr. David Thomason ( both at NASA-GISS/NYCRI).

TRMM and NCEP Reanalysis II observational data Animations, from 1 April to October 30, 2004:

a)		b)

Animations are showing on simulation. a) TRMM and NCEP Reanalysis II with respective color bar indicating the daily precipitation rates streamlines at 700mb for a 30 day month each from 1 April to 30 October,2004. b) TRMM and NCEP Reanalysis II with respective color bar indicating the daily precipitation rates and streamlines at 850mb for a 30 day month each from 1 April to 30 October,2004. Click each frame to see the gif animated movie ( each ~ 65MB). Credit is due to Dr. John S. DaPonte, and Mr. Munhutu Paidemwoyo both at SCSU, and Dr. Leonard Druyan, Dr. Matthew Fulakeza, and Mr. Ruben Worrell at GISS.

NASA / Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) Regional Climate Model RM3:

a)		b)

Animations showing one simulation. Streamlines in the animation show the a) 700mb, and 

b) 925mb circulation and color indicates the daily precipitation rate. Click to see gif animated movie (each ~ 20 MB). (Credit NASA/GISS, SCSU) Simulation of June-September 2003 climate by RM3 28-layers Regional Climate Model on 0.5 deg grid, driven by lateral boundary conditions from NCEP reanalysis.

c)		d)

Animations showing one simulation. Streamlines in the animation show the c) 700mb, and 

b) 925mb circulation and color indicates the daily precipitation rate. Click to see gif animated movie (each ~ 20 MB). (Credit NASA/GISS, SCSU) Simulation of June-September 2002 climate by RM3 16-layers Regional Climate Model on 0.5 deg grid, driven by lateral boundary conditions from NCEP reanalysis.

The day to day changes in meteorological fields over West Africa can be viewed in the accompanying animation of the RM simulation for June-September 2003, which feature streamlines of wind patterns as approximately 3 km altitude and near the Earth's surface, each superimposed on daily precipitation rates. Notice how some of the precipitation maxima move westward (to the left) and note also occasional wave-like crests in the 700 mb streamlines that invariably also advance westward. Counter-clockwise (cyclonic) circulations at the lower (925 mb) level move westward in tandem with the 700 mb waves. These features represent storms that move across West Africa on their way to the Atlantic Ocean.

Reference: Druyan, Fulakeza and Lonergan, 2006: Mesoscale analyses of West African summer climate: focus on wave disturbances, Climate Dynamics, 27, 459-481.

Note: To view the entire scientific brief go to http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/briefs/druyan_06

Please address all inquiries about this research or simulation data to Dr. Leonard Druyan.