Mesoscale Convective Complexes in Africa

Digitized full-disk infrared satellite imagery from the European geostationary satellite (Meteosat) for 1986 and 1987 was used to construct a climatology of mesoscale convective complexes (MCCs) in Africa One hundred ninety-five systems formed over Africa and its near vicinity during the two-year study period. From this database, characteristics of African MCCs were calculated. The results indicate that these MCCs display many of the same characteristics as those found in the Americas, the Indian subcontinent, and the western Pacific region. The systems are predominantly nocturnal and tend to form over or in the immediate vicinity of land. Much of the activity occurs over the African Sahel. while comparatively little occurs over the equatorial rain forest. The average lifetime of African MCCs is about 11.5 h, whereas systems in the western Pacific region and the Americas last about 11 and 10 h, respectively. The size distributions of the African systems are also extremely similar to those of the Americas, the Indian subcontinent, and the western Pacific region, with most systems exhibiting areas between 2 × 105 and 3 × 101 km2. The monthly frequency distribution of African systems indicates that peak activity tends to occur during the period of most intense insulation. Like the MCCs in the western Pacific region and the Americas, the African MCCs tend to propagate toward the low-level high-θe air that feeds the convective systems. Systems over northern Africa moved toward the west-southwest, with a few developing into tropical cyclones over the Atlantic. Systems over southeastern Africa generally moved toward the northeast and east. It is concluded that the satellite-observed systems over Africa are essentially the same phenomena as the MCC populations observed over the Americas, the Indian monsoon region, and the western Pacific region. In addition, the large number of MCCs found worldwide (approximately 300–400 per year) indicate that they may be significant contributors to the global tropospheric energy budget and hydrological cycle.