Additional Evaluation of the Spatiotemporal Evolution of Rotation during Tornadogenesis Using Rapid-Scan Mobile Radar Observations

Details

• Journal Title:
  Monthly Weather Review
• Personal Author:
  Houser, Jana Lesak ; Bluestein, Howard B. ; Thiem, Kyle ; Snyder, Jeffrey ; Reif, Dylan ; Wienhoff, Zachary
• NOAA Program & Office:
  OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; NSSL (National Severe Storms Laboratory)
• Description:
  This study builds upon recent rapid-scan radar observations of mesocyclonic tornadogenesis in supercells by investigating the formation of seven tornadoes (four from a single cyclic supercell), most of which include samples at heights < 100 m above radar level. The spatiotemporal evolution of the tornadic vortex signatures (TVSs), maximum velocity differentials across the vortex couplet, and pseudovorticity are analyzed. In general, the tornadoes formed following a non-descending pattern of evolution, although one case was descending over time scales O(<60) s and the evolution of another case was dependent upon the criteria used to define a tornado, and may have been associated with a rapidly occurring top-down process. Thus, it was determined that the vertical sense of evolution of a tornado can be sensitive to the criteria employed to define a TVS. Furthermore, multiple instances were found in which TVSs terminated at heights below 1.5 km, although vertical sampling above this height was often limited.
• Keywords:
  Atmosphere Radar Tornadoes
• Source:
  Monthly Weather Review, 150(7), 1639-1666
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-21-0227.1
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Rights Information:
  CC BY
• Compliance:
  Submitted
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:3d4d101d8769500d16ce2f58f5e1ebc93df44daebca5017f1f73290e88b6dec9
• Download URL:
  https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/43768/noaa_43768_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 11.51 MB ]