Post

Tim Raupach
@timraupach.com

Hail in the tropics has high uncertainty. It occurs, but rarely, and observations are sparse. Satellite data often indicate hail signatures in the tropics, but these can be ice aloft that melts before it reaches the ground. So we tested how often this happens using simulations. 2/4

0 reposts0 likes

Tim Raupach
@timraupach.com

Differences between hail/no-hail cases are explained by entrainment theory. Hail cases had more shear to produce wider updrafts, and more humid surroundings. Together this led to less updraft buoyancy dilution and more realisation of instability into vertical motion, supporting large hailstones. 3/4

Tim Raupach
@timraupach.com

Uncertainty remains, but these results show that at least a subset of satellite detections could correspond to damaging surface hail in this region. Read the full paper open access here: rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... 4/4

rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.comDamaging Surface Hail in Simulations of Satellite‐Detected Hailstorms in Australia's TropicsSatellite detections of hail signatures are uncertain in the tropics, where the deep troposphere increases the chances that ice detected aloft will melt before it reaches the surface. We used numeric....