DOPPLER RADAR OBSERVATIONS ON THE STRUCTURE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF TROPICAL CLOUDS DURING THE TOGA-COARE IOP IN MANUS, PAPUA-NEW-GUINEA - OUTLINE OF THE OBSERVATION

Observations of tropical convection and cloud clusters with two X-band Doppler radars were carried out on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea for two and a half months from 12 November 1992 during the Intensive Obse rvation Period (IOP) of the TOGA-COARE. Several different types of clo uds were observed by Doppler radars during the period, such as squall lines, convective clouds and stratiform clouds associated with cloud c lusters, isolated convective clouds over the island in the day time, e tc. Outlines of the observations on Manus Island and brief reviews of the results of these observations are described. Preliminary summaries of the analyses on the observations are: 1) A warm rain process domin ates at the beginning stage of radar echo development and the maximum radar reflectivity is recognized at this stage, 2) The maximum echo to p height is observed within 3 hours from the first echo, 3) The maximu m echo area within the radar range was analyzed a few to several hours later than the time of maximum echo top height corresponding to the s ize of cloud cluster, 4) In the long-lasting stratiform echo, updrafts independent from those below the melting layer were identified above the melting layer. It is concluded that further studies utilizing thes e observational data may reveal the structure and the evolution mechan ism of tropical cloud clusters.