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CACATOES database

The CACATOES database is a level-3 product derived from the TOOCAN database. It allows to analyze the MCSs over the entire tropical belt by an Eulerian approach. The integrated morphological parameters of each MCS have been projected into a 1°/1day grid. The characteristics of all the MCSs occurring in a given gridpoint have been sorted according to the MCS area occupied within this gridpoint. Thus, the most representative MCS can then be easily identified for a given 1°/1day gridpoint.

The CACATOES database is available for the 5-year period over the whole tropical belt [30°S-30°N] in the following link: https://doi.org/10.14768/20191112002.1

It is composed by 1°/1day global monthly files in NETCDF.

MCS integrated morphological parameters

Parameters Description Units
QCgeo_numgeo   ID of the geostationary platform  
QCgeo_GEOScanMode   Number of GEO images per day / in routine mode / in rapid scan mode  
QCtoocan_Interruption   Indication of a tracking interruption
QCtoocan_nbSegmentedImages   Number of segmented images created by TOOCAN per day  
QCcacatoes_nbpixels   number of GEO pixels within a CACATOES 1°/1day gridpoint  
QCcacatoes_SurfGridPoint   Cumultated GEO pixels surface into a CACATOES 1°/1day gridpoint  
DAYLYMCS_POPpopulation of MCSs which are included partially or totally ( INT_Sfract ) within a CACATOES 1°/1day gridpoint
QCmcs_Label   ID of the MCS  
QCmcs_Flag Confidence on the tracked MCS  
QCmcs_Class Classification of the MCSs class 1 = MCS with a duration < 5hr
class 2a = MCS with a duration ≥ 5hr and described by a uniq maximum extent along their life cycles
class 2b = MCS with a duration ≥ 5hr and described by several maximums extent along their life cycles
INT_Duration   Life time duration hr
INT_Smax   Maximum cold cloud surface reached by the MCS along its life cycle at 235K km²
INT_Scum   Cumultaed cold cloud surface of the MCS along its life cycle at 235K km²
INT_Tmax   Time of maximum extent %
INT_Distance   Propagated distance covered by the MCS km
INT_Tbmin   Minimum brightness temperature K
INT_Ecc220K   Eccentricity of the ellipse at a 220K threshold and at Tmax  
INT_Ecc235K   Eccentricity of the ellipse at a 235K threshold and at Tmax  
INIT_Time   Local time of the MCS initiation integer part: number of days since the 1st January 1970
decimal part: fraction of the day  
INIT_Lon   Longitude of the MCS center of mass at its inititation °
INIT_Lat   Latitude of the MCS center of mass at its initiation °
END_Time   Local time of the MCS dissipation integer part: number of days since the 1st January 1970
decimal part: fraction of the day  

END_Lon  
Longitude of the MCS center of mass at its dissipation °
END_Lat   Latitude of the MCS center of mass at its dissipation °
INT_Sfract   Fraction of the MCS within the CACATOES 1°/1day gridpoint %
INT_GridFraction   Fraction of the CACATOES 1°/1day gridpoint occupied by an MCS %
INT_Surfmcs   MCS Integrated Surface at a 235K threshold within a CACATOES 1°/1day gridpoint km²

The technical aspects of the CACATOES database can be found in the following documentation: