Distributions of composited convective heating and drying vary substantially during the life cycle of six cloud clusters identified by Frank (1978) in Phase III of GATE. Convective heating (Q1 -QR) and drying (Q2) begin in the lower troposphere. As cloud clusters mature, intensification of upper level convective heating increases; while below 600mb drying accompanies decreases in convective heating. The upper level convective heating reaches its peak, when the upper level cloud cover is

more »

... whereas the Q2 maximum at 850mb coincides with the peak radar echo intensity. The depletion of moist static energy (Q1-Q2-QR) in the lower trposphere begins in the growing stage; whereas the upper level heating due to vertical eddy fluxes is most significant in later stages, when deep clouds are prominent.