Spatial contagiousness of canopy dynamics-the tendency of canopy disturbances to occur nearby existing canopy openings due to an elevated risk of tree fall around gaps-has been demonstrated in many temperate-zone forests, but only inferentially for tropical forests. Hypothesized mechanisms increasing the risk of tree fall around tropical forest gaps are (1) increased tree exposure to wind aroun...

[1] Cloudsat cloud radar data are used to investigate the vertical structure of cloud systems of the ITCZ across the West and East Pacific and its contribution to precipitation. Cloud radar data are collocated with precipitation rates from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) to examine differences in cloud top PDFs for different rain rate regimes. Heavily precipitating clouds have...

This study analyzes a three-member ensemble of experiments, in which 0.1 Sv of freshwater was applied to the North Atlantic for 100 years in order to address the potential for large freshwater inputs in the North Atlantic to drive abrupt climate change. The model used is the GFDL R30 coupled ocean–atmosphere general circulation model. We focus in particular on the effects of this forcing on the...

We study the signature of rainfall on S1cm, the sea surface salinity retrieved from the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite mission first by comparing SMOS S1cm with ARGO sea surface salinity measured at about 5 m depth in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and in the Southern Pacific Convergence Zone; second by investigating spatial variability of SMOS S1cm related to rain...

1 ABSTRACT 2 The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) over the eastern Pacific is sometimes observed to break down into several vortices on the synoptic time scale. It is still a challenge for present-day numerical models to simulate the ITCZ breakdown in the baroclinic modes. Also, the upscale impact of the associated mesoscale fluctuations on the planetary-scale circulation is not well under...

Topic 4.1 reviews the current status of the understanding on variability of tropical cyclone (TC) activity/intensity on intraseasonal to interannual time scales around the globe. Annually, approximately 80−90 TCs occur over the tropical oceans (Neumann 1993). The TC activities depend on thermodynamic parameters (e.g., sea surface temperature (SST), atmospheric stability, and mid-tropospheric mo...

We report three cases of intracranial aspergillosis originating in the sphenoid sinus in immunocompetent patients. The patients presented with an orbital apex syndrome in that a unilateral loss of vision and cranial nerve III palsy were seen in all cases and a contralateral involvement was also seen in one case. Despite the initial treatment with a conventional dose of itraconazole (ITCZ, 200 m...

The dynamics of disturbances on a theoretically derived Intertropical Convergence Zone are studied. Radiative cooling over a hemisphere is parameterised by a Newtonian cooling law, relative to a radiative equilibrium temperature which decreases from equator to pole. Release of latent heat of condensation in the tropics is treated as a function of convergence in the planetary boundary layer. The...