Buoy and satellite observations of mesoscale cellular convection during AMTEX 75

Buoy and satellite observations of mesoscale cellular convection (MCC) over the East China Sea in the vicinity of the Kuroshio current have been made during 14–18 February 1975, as a part of the Air Mass Transformation Experiment (AMTEX). Surface observations of solar radiation from spar buoys indicate the distinct passage of open and closed MCC that formed and continued for three consecutive days during an outbreak of cold polar air over the much warmer Kuroshio. A critical air-sea temperature of −5 °C for the occurrence of MCC has been substantiated. The time required for the passage of solar radiation peaks coupled with the buoy wind speed gave a computed closed cell diameter of 28 km, comparable to estimates from satellite photographs.