This research is a study of synoptic-scale evolution and vertical structure of intense convective events and westerly wind bursts in the equatorial western Pacific. the main objectives are to : 1) complete a trial case study of such an event that occurred during November, 1989, with pre-TOGA COARE data, 2) monitor the synoptic situation during TOGA COARE to identify candidates for subsequent case studies, and 3) analyze case studies drawn from the TOGA COARE period in a similar way to the pre- TOGA COARE study to gain a more complete understanding of how these events evolve and interact with the ocean in that region. Objective 3 includes the analysis of data from four Integrated Sounding Systems, consisting of surface meteorological instruments, a boundary layer wind profiler, and a portable omegasonde for vertical soundings of temperature, wind and moisture. These observations will be supplemented with operational gridded analysis products from NMC and ECMWF, OLR satellite data (as a proxy for convection), and oceanographic data from moorings in the TOGA TAO array. The collective analysis of these data will provide insights into the structure and evolution of synoptic-scale convective events and atmospheric circulations thought to be associated with coupled air- sea processes in the region. This research is important because it is one of the TOGA COARE studies examining the relationship between the convective-scale physical processes and the larger scales of atmospheric circulation in an especially climate sensitive region of the world, the western Pacific Ocean, the field site of TOGA COARE.
