Understanding Isolated Deep Convection over the Tibetan Plateau: A 16-Year Analysis
Deep convective systems often occur in isolation over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and play an important role in the regional weather and climate. This study aims to investigate the climatological characteristics of isolated deep convection over the TP based on 16 years (2003–2018) of CloudSat/CALIPSO (CC) observations. The results show that isolated deep convection mostly appears from June to September, and the annual mean frequency is 0.33 events per day per grid (0.25° × 0.25°). There is a distinct diurnal cycle of isolated deep convection over the TP, with a primary peak at 1600–1700 LST and a secondary peak at 0900–1000 LST. The most preferred location for isolated deep convection occurrence is the eastern TP, where convection preferentially develops in valleys or lee sides of mountains. Composite analysis reveals that isolated deep convection generally initiates at low altitudes and then grows rapidly to reach the upper troposphere. There are significant differences between developing and mature stages of isolated deep convection, including their cloud top heights, cloud optical thicknesses, and ice water contents. The findings of this study advance our understanding of the climatological characteristics of isolated deep convection over the TP, which is helpful to improve the representation of convection in weather and climate models.