Huang, Xiaomeng (2017): A comprehensive Mesoscale Convective System (MSC) dataset, links to files in MatLab and plain text format [dataset]. Tsinghua University, Beijing, PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.877914
Always quote citation above when using data! You can download the citation in several formats below.
Abstract:
1. Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) are important components of tropical weather systems and the climate system. Using long-term global satellite infrared (IR) data, we developed a novel objective automatic tracking algorithm, which involves combining a Kalman filter with the conventional area-overlapping method, and we used this method to generate a comprehensive MCSs dataset.
The MCS detection file is MCS_detect_v1.zip.
2. Based on the CLAUS dataset, we generated a long-term tropical MCSs dataset that covers the period from 1985 to 2008 using a brightness temperature (BT) threshold of 233 K, an area coverage threshold of 5000 square kilometers, and an overlapping threshold of 15%. Researchers can easily change the criteria used in the algorithm to generate MCS records that meet their needs. The dataset contains basic trajectory information along with other characteristics of each MCS, including intensity, area, eccentricity, and lifetime etc. The MCSs identified in Jan 1985 may have initiated in the preceding month, and the MCSs identified in Dec 2008 may have dissipated in the following month, which lie outside the time period covered by the CLAUS dataset. To ensure that all of the MCSs contain their entire lifespans, the records in Jan 1985 and Dec 2008 are discarded.
3. The MCSs records are detected from the BT threshold of 233 K, the area coverage threshold of 5000 square kilometers, and the overlapping threshold of 15%. Three sensitivity experiments for changing the criteria are KF_T228, KF_A10000, and KF_25% with a lower BT threshold of 228 K, a larger area coverage threshold of 10000 square kilometers, and a higher overlapping threshold of 25% separately.
Formats of all the monthly MCSs records are txt and mat.
4. The sensitivity experiment for changing the criteria of overlapping threshold is KF_25%. The MCSs records in this sensitivity experiment are detected from the BT threshold of 233 K, the area coverage threshold of 5000 square kilometers and the overlapping threshold 25%.
The sensitivity experiment for changing the criteria of area coverage threshold is KF_A10000. The MCSs records in this sensitivity experiment are detected from the brightness temperature threshold of 233 K, the area coverage threshold of 10000 square kilometers and the overlapping threshold 15%.
The sensitivity experiment for changing the criteria of brightness temperature (BT) is KF_T228. The MCSs records in this sensitivity experiment are detected from the BT threshold of 228 K, the area coverage threshold of 5000 square kilometers and the overlapping threshold 15%.
Parameter(s):
| # | Name | Short Name | Unit | Principal Investigator | Method/Device | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | File content | Content | Huang, Xiaomeng | |||
| 2 | File name | File name | Huang, Xiaomeng | |||
| 3 | File format | File format | Huang, Xiaomeng | |||
| 4 | File size | File size | kByte | Huang, Xiaomeng | ||
| 5 | Uniform resource locator/link to file | URL file | Huang, Xiaomeng |
License:
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC-BY-3.0)
Size:
30 data points