| Term: | mesoscale convective complex |
| Definition: |
A subset of mesoscale convective systems (MCS) that exhibit a large, circular (as observed by satellite), long-lived, cold cloud shield. Alternatively, a dynamical definition of an MCC requires that the system have a Rossby number of order 1 and exhibit a horizontal scale comparable to the Rossby radius of deformation. In midlatitude MCS environments, the Rossby radius of deformation is about 300 km. |