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Mesoscale Convective Vortex in Brazil

By Scott Bachmeier •

GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.35 µm) and “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images [click to play animated GIF | MP4]

GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Clean” Infrared Window (10.35 µm) and “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) showed a line of deep convection which moved northwestward across the Brazil / Bolivia border during 11-12 November 2021 — and in its wake, the circulation of a remnant Mesoscale Convective Vortex (MCV) was seen moving south-southeastward across Brazil, back toward the Boliva border.

GOES-16 Visible images combined with the clear-sky Total Precipitable Water product (below) revealed TPW values in the 2.2 to 2.5 inch range in the vicinity of the MCV. This environment of high moisture likely aided the development of new convection as the MCV approached. Nearby 12 UTC soundings from Porto Velho (SBPV) and Vilhena (SBVH) showed minimal instability across far southwestern Brazil, but the sounding TPW values (2.0 to 2.3 inches) were in good agreement with the TPW values derived from GOES-16.

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images, combined with the clear-sky Total Precipitable Water product [click to play animated GIF | MP4]

GOES-16 Visible images at 1200 UTC and 1800 UTC with plots of GFS wind barbs at 850 hPa and 500 hPa (below) indicated that the MCV was moving through an environment of relatively low wind shear — this helped the MCV to maintain its circulation for the remainder of the daytime hours on 12 November.

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images at 1200 UTC and 1800 UTC, with plots of GFS wind barbs at 850 hPa and 500 hPa [click to enlarge]

Categories: GOES-16