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Publication Abstracts

Derras-Chouk et al. 2026, in press

Derras-Chouk, A., G. Elsaesser, Z.J. Luo, T. Matsui, A.F. Prein, and J. Wu, 2026: Estimating vertical velocity in convective updrafts from temperature, pressure, and latent heating. J. Atmos. Sci., in press, doi:10.1175/JAS-D-25-0141.1.

The vertical velocity in convective clouds (w_c) mediates convective anvil development and global moisture transport, influencing Earth's energy budget, but has yet to be estimated globally over long periods due to the absence of spaceborne retrievals. Here, a method for estimating w_cgiven vertical profiles of in-cloud temperature, pressure, and latent heating rate is presented and assessed. The method relies on analytical models for the approximately linear relationship between w_cand condensation rate (q̇_vc) in convective clouds, which we derive from steady-state and non-steady-state plume models. We include in our analysis a version of q̇_vc/w_cderived from the supersaturation rate in convective clouds, recently presented in Kukulies et al. (2024). We assess the accuracy of w_cestimates against convective cloud simulations run with different model cores and spatial resolutions in both tropical and mid-latitude environments. The velocity estimates exhibit lower uncertainties and higher precision in the tropics than they do in the mid-latitudes. Vertical velocity is estimated to within ∼ 1 m/s for most samples in the tropics. Potential applications, validation against future satellite mission retrievals, and approaches for improving the estimation are discussed.

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@unpublished{de02010y,
  author={Derras-Chouk, A. and Elsaesser, G. and Luo, Z. J. and Matsui, T. and Prein, A. F. and Wu, J.},
  title={Estimating vertical velocity in convective updrafts from temperature, pressure, and latent heating},
  year={2026},
  journal={Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences},
  doi={10.1175/JAS-D-25-0141.1},
  note={Manuscript accepted for publication}
}

TY  - INPR
ID  - de02010y
AU  - Derras-Chouk, A.
AU  - Elsaesser, G.
AU  - Luo, Z. J.
AU  - Matsui, T.
AU  - Prein, A. F.
AU  - Wu, J.
PY  - 2026
TI  - Estimating vertical velocity in convective updrafts from temperature, pressure, and latent heating
JA  - J. Atmos. Sci.
JO  - Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
DO  - 10.1175/JAS-D-25-0141.1
ER  -

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