A three-dimensional dynamic vorticity vector associated with tropical oceanic convection

The relationship between cloud hydrometeors and the dynamic vorticity vector (DVV) is investigated using hourly data from a three‐dimensional (3D), 5‐day cloud‐resolving model (CRM) simulation during the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Kwajalein Experiment (KWAJEX). Horizontal components of the 3D DVV (which represent the interaction between vertical vorticity and horizontal winds) show higher linear correlation coefficients with cloud hydrometeors than does the vertical component. This is different from the two‐dimensional (2D) results from Gao et al. (2005), which show that both zonal and vertical components of 2D DVV have good linear correlations with convection. The difference is caused by the fact that dominant items in horizontal components of the 3D DVV are excluded from that of the 2D DVV. This suggests that three‐dimensional representation of tropical deep convection is crucial to accurately simulate convection and associated dynamics.