MON1: Is tropical rainfall becoming more clustered?

Supervisor:

• Dr Martin Singh (martin.singh@monash.edu)

Location: Monash

Time: Summer/flexible

The heaviest rainfall events are expected to become more intense as the climate warms. However, the rate at which such events will intensify remains highly uncertain, particularly in the tropics.

Recent studies have suggested that the tendency of thunderstorms to clump together into clusters may have a profound effect on the observed rainfall distribution. A high degree of clustering results in heavier rainfall rates.

In this project, we will investigate the clustering of thunderstorms using satellite observations of rainfall in the tropics. In particular, we will examine the question of whether rainfall in the tropics is becoming more clustered, and what effect this may have on heavy precipitation now and into the future.

Requirements: This project involves computational analysis, and so strong coding skills, including familiarity with a language such as Python, R, or MATLAB, are highly desirable

If you are interested in this project, please fill out the application form.