GOES-16 Reveals Impressive Convection over Eastern and Central Cuba (credit: GOES-East and CIRA)

Convection over Cuba this afternoon. The beautiful imagery provided by GOES-East & @CIRA_CSU (link: https://t.co/rjA7EnKP9q). pic.twitter.com/ilU764rNQ6

— Dakota Smith (@weatherdak) January 28, 2018

DISCUSSION: As of earlier in the day on Sunday (01/28/2018), there was a truly impressive atmospheric phenomena captured over parts of Central and Eastern Cuba.  This particular phenomena was best characterized as deep convection which blossomed along an east-to-west axis during the early to mid-afternoon hours. This afternoon convection was predominantly initiated as a result of forced air parcels ascending along the higher terrain (i.e., the mountainous terrain of Central/Eastern Cuba).  The air parcels which were forced to quickly ascend the eastern mountains of Cuba were consequently destabilized much quicker.  As a result of the more rapid air parcel destabilization, this also consequently initiated the development of rapid gravity wave progression away from the deep convection over Cuba.  

These sorts of gravity wave-initiating convective events are not that unusual over places such as (but certainly not limited to) Cuba due to the fact that regions with elevated terrain have a greater propensity for deep convective storms.  Moreover, in the tropical regions of the world (i.e., islands and countries located between 10 degrees North and 10 degrees South), it is quite common to find deep convective storms fire up in situations such as the one described above.  That is primarily due to the fact there is a greater concentration of atmospheric water vapor throughout the course of the year due to the higher temperatures which predominate in those regions of the world. 

This higher average concentration of atmospheric water vapor is directly connected to the Clausius-Clapeyron equation relationship.  The Clausius-Clapeyron which proves that for every 1 degree Celsius increase in temperature there is a proportional increase in the average water vapor content in the lowest parts of atmosphere.  Thus, it is not uncommon or unusual to find such events occur in the Caribbean (or other tropical regions around the world) throughout the course of the calendar year.  Attached above is a neat loop of GOES-16 capturing the deep convective event described above!

To learn more about other interest weather events occurring across the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, be sure to click here!

© 2018 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz