Meteorological field patterns classified using self-organizing map (SOM)

In order to systematically and visually understand well-known but qualitative and relatively complicated relationships between synoptic fields in the BAIU season and heavy rainfall events in Japan, these synoptic fields were classified using the Self-Organizing Map (SOM) algorithm. This algorithm can convert complex nonlinear features into simple two-dimensional relationships, and was followed by the application of the clustering techniques of the U-matrix and the K-means. It was assumed that the meteorological field patterns be simply expressed by the spatial distribution of wind components at the 850 hPa level and Precipitable Water (PW) in the southwestern area including Kyushu in Japan. Consequently, the synoptic fields could be divided into eight kinds of patterns (clusters). One of the clusters has the notable spatial feature represented by high PW accompanied by strong wind components known as Low-Level Jet (LLJ). The features of this cluster indicate a typical meteorological field pattern that frequently causes disastrous heavy rainfall in Kyushu in the rainy season. From these results, the SOM technique may be an effective tool for the classification of complicated non-linear synoptic fields.