Convectively‐Induced Turbulence: High‐Resolution Aircraft Measurements Over Central Argentina

Abstract We investigate a convectively‐induced turbulence (CIT) event encountered by the German High‐Altitude Long‐Range research aircraft (HALO) over central Argentina during the Southern Hemisphere Transport, Dynamics, and Chemistry campaign. Convectively‐induced turbulence is analyzed using in situ 1, 10‐, and 100‐Hz flight‐level data, complemented by radar data, satellite imagery, and high‐resolution numerical model outputs. Turbulence intensity is quantified using spectral methods through estimates of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and eddy dissipation rate (EDR). The analysis indicates that vertically propagating gravity waves (GWs) generated by deep convection likely contributed to the observed turbulence at flight level, while HALO was flying ∼2.6 km above and up to 100 km away from the most intense convective cells. While TKE values are consistent between the 10‐ and 100‐Hz data sets, EDR differences are more localized: 10‐Hz data may underestimate peak values by 30%–50% in regions of enhanced turbulence, while agreement is otherwise good. Spectral slopes for the vertical velocity component are close to Kolmogorov's law, whereas the across‐track component exhibits a steeper scaling near , consistent with stratified turbulence. These results highlight that convective storms can generate significant turbulence well above and far from the storm core, exceeding current avoidance guidelines, and emphasize the role of convectively generated GWs in turbulence generation.