MESA: Monsoon Experiment South America

Summary

MESA is a component of the CLIVAR-VAMOS program, and its main goal is to investigate the main characteristics and variability of the South American Monsoon Systems (SAMS). The main hypothesis driving MESA is that SAMS provides a physical basis for determining the degree of predictability on short- and long timescales over the region. MESA?s science agenda prioritizes research in monsoon evolution and variability that spans the diurnal, the mesoscale, the intraseasonal, the interannual and the longer time scale variabilities that is inclusive of the anthropogenic climate change. The main goal of MESA is to improve the current skills of simulating and predicting SAM at all spatio-temporal scales through improved understanding of this monsoon phenomenon. The objectives of MESA are to provide a detailed analysis of the temporal cycles of circulation and convection of the SAMS, the interaction amongst its circulation features, such as interactions between the SALLJ, ITCZ and the SACZ, and the dynamic implication of these interactions. In addition MESA has outlined to provide quantitative and qualitative estimates of the role of remote and local forcing on the SAMS that includes the role of the Andes, the land surface processes, aerosols from biomass burning, and the role of clouds .

These goals are to be accomplished by analysis of various levels of data sets, inclusive of global and regional reanalyses, local meteorological and hydrological network, remote sensing data, and output from regional and global climate models. MESA has a strong multinational scientific collaboration built from previous field experiments and international programs associated with the WCRP. In conclusion, we expect to improve the design and deployment of the observing system for monitoring and predicting the South American monsoon system that would allow for improving weather and climate models especially over the SAMS region. Also see the NCAR EOL VAMOS project page.