Early results from TRMM-LBA: kinematic and microphysical characteristics of convection in distinct meteorological regimes

In order to validate TRMM cloud models and satellite products over the interior of a tropical continent, the TRMM-LBA field experiment was held in the southwestern Amazon from January to February 1999. A variety of instrumentation was deployed during the field campaign including airborne microphysical and radar platforms, sounding stations, surface meteorological towers, and ground-based C-band Doppler (NASA TOGA) and S-band (NCAR S-pol) dual-polarized radars. The authors report on results from the TRMM-LBA field campaign emphasizing the kinematic and microphysical characteristics observed in two specific convective systems utilizing ground based dual-Doppler and S-band polarimetric radar data. This analysis is set in the framework of "large-scale forcing" by identifying the selected case studies as having occurred in either a monsoon or break-period meteorological regime