Cyclones, Hurricanes, Typhoons and Tornadoes - A.B
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
P1.24 a Typhoon Loss Estimation Model for China
P1.24 A TYPHOON LOSS ESTIMATION MODEL FOR CHINA Peter J. Sousounis*, H. He, M. L. Healy, V. K. Jain, G. Ljung, Y. Qu, and B. Shen-Tu AIR Worldwide Corporation, Boston, MA 1. INTRODUCTION the two. Because of its wind intensity (135 mph maximum sustained winds), it has been Nowhere 1 else in the world do tropical compared to Hurricane Katrina 2005. But Saomai cyclones (TCs) develop more frequently than in was short lived, and although it made landfall as the Northwest Pacific Basin. Nearly thirty TCs are a strong Category 4 storm and generated heavy spawned each year, 20 of which reach hurricane precipitation, it weakened quickly. Still, economic or typhoon status (cf. Fig. 1). Five of these reach losses were ~12 B RMB (~1.5 B USD). In super typhoon status, with windspeeds over 130 contrast, Bilis, which made landfall a month kts. In contrast, the North Atlantic typically earlier just south of where Saomai hit, was generates only ten TCs, seven of which reach actually only tropical storm strength at landfall hurricane status. with max sustained winds of 70 mph. Bilis weakened further still upon landfall but turned Additionally, there is no other country in the southwest and traveled slowly over a period of world where TCs strike with more frequency than five days across Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi in China. Nearly ten landfalling TCs occur in a and Yunnan Provinces. It generated copious typical year, with one to two additional by-passing amounts of precipitation, with large areas storms coming close enough to the coast to receiving more than 300 mm. -
A Study of Synoptic-Scale Tornado Regimes
Garner, J. M., 2013: A study of synoptic-scale tornado regimes. Electronic J. Severe Storms Meteor., 8 (3), 1–25. A Study of Synoptic-Scale Tornado Regimes JONATHAN M. GARNER NOAA/NWS/Storm Prediction Center, Norman, OK (Submitted 21 November 2012; in final form 06 August 2013) ABSTRACT The significant tornado parameter (STP) has been used by severe-thunderstorm forecasters since 2003 to identify environments favoring development of strong to violent tornadoes. The STP and its individual components of mixed-layer (ML) CAPE, 0–6-km bulk wind difference (BWD), 0–1-km storm-relative helicity (SRH), and ML lifted condensation level (LCL) have been calculated here using archived surface objective analysis data, and then examined during the period 2003−2010 over the central and eastern United States. These components then were compared and contrasted in order to distinguish between environmental characteristics analyzed for three different synoptic-cyclone regimes that produced significantly tornadic supercells: cold fronts, warm fronts, and drylines. Results show that MLCAPE contributes strongly to the dryline significant-tornado environment, while it was less pronounced in cold- frontal significant-tornado regimes. The 0–6-km BWD was found to contribute equally to all three significant tornado regimes, while 0–1-km SRH more strongly contributed to the cold-frontal significant- tornado environment than for the warm-frontal and dryline regimes. –––––––––––––––––––––––– 1. Background and motivation As detailed in Hobbs et al. (1996), synoptic- scale cyclones that foster tornado development Parameter-based and pattern-recognition evolve with time as they emerge over the central forecast techniques have been essential and eastern contiguous United States (hereafter, components of anticipating tornadoes in the CONUS). -
Soaring Weather
Chapter 16 SOARING WEATHER While horse racing may be the "Sport of Kings," of the craft depends on the weather and the skill soaring may be considered the "King of Sports." of the pilot. Forward thrust comes from gliding Soaring bears the relationship to flying that sailing downward relative to the air the same as thrust bears to power boating. Soaring has made notable is developed in a power-off glide by a conven contributions to meteorology. For example, soar tional aircraft. Therefore, to gain or maintain ing pilots have probed thunderstorms and moun altitude, the soaring pilot must rely on upward tain waves with findings that have made flying motion of the air. safer for all pilots. However, soaring is primarily To a sailplane pilot, "lift" means the rate of recreational. climb he can achieve in an up-current, while "sink" A sailplane must have auxiliary power to be denotes his rate of descent in a downdraft or in come airborne such as a winch, a ground tow, or neutral air. "Zero sink" means that upward cur a tow by a powered aircraft. Once the sailcraft is rents are just strong enough to enable him to hold airborne and the tow cable released, performance altitude but not to climb. Sailplanes are highly 171 r efficient machines; a sink rate of a mere 2 feet per second. There is no point in trying to soar until second provides an airspeed of about 40 knots, and weather conditions favor vertical speeds greater a sink rate of 6 feet per second gives an airspeed than the minimum sink rate of the aircraft. -
Tornado Safety Q & A
TORNADO SAFETY Q & A The Prosper Fire Department Office of Emergency Management’s highest priority is ensuring the safety of all Prosper residents during a state of emergency. A tornado is one of the most violent storms that can rip through an area, striking quickly with little to no warning at all. Because the aftermath of a tornado can be devastating, preparing ahead of time is the best way to ensure you and your family’s safety. Please read the following questions about tornado safety, answered by Prosper Emergency Management Coordinator Kent Bauer. Q: During s evere weather, what does the Prosper Fire Department do? A: We monitor the weather alerts sent out by the National Weather Service. Because we are not meteorologists, we do not interpret any sort of storms or any sort of warnings. Instead, we pass along the information we receive from the National Weather Service to our residents through social media, storm sirens and Smart911 Rave weather warnings. Q: What does a Tornado Watch mean? A: Tornadoes are possible. Remain alert for approaching storms. Watch the sky and stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio or television for information. Q: What does a Tornado Warning mean? A: A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar and you need to take shelter immediately. Q: What is the reason for setting off the Outdoor Storm Sirens? A: To alert those who are outdoors that there is a tornado or another major storm event headed Prosper’s way, so seek shelter immediately. I f you are outside and you hear the sirens go off, do not call 9-1-1 to ask questions about the warning. -
Employing the WSR-88D for Waterspout Forecasting
Employing the WSR-88D for Waterspout Forecasting Scott M. Spratt LT (jg) Barry K. Choy, NOAA Corps National Weather Service Melbourne, Florida 1. Introduction Waterspouts and weak coastal tornadoes or "landspouts" (hereafter referred to collectively as "spouts") account for much of Florida's severe weather during the "wet season" (Schmocker et al. 1990). The Melbourne NEXRAD Weather Service Office (NWSO) County Warning Area (CWA) includes 160 miles of coastline along the east central Florida peninsula. Within this area, spouts are most frequent from June through September (Fig. 1). In the past, warnings were issued for spouts only after reports of visual sightings were received. This delay was likely due to the seemingly benign atmospheric conditions in which spouts develop, combined with a lack of pronounced severe weather signatures on conventional radars. However, recent research utilizing the NWSO MLB WSR- 88D may now help forecasters warn for spouts prior to receiving visual reports. A preliminary forecast strategy was developed based on post analyses of archived WSR- 88D products and regional upper-air data from reported spout days (Choy and Spratt 1994). This strategy has proved useful by providing additional lead time for spout events. This paper will identify specific atmospheric conditions which have been observed to precede spout generations along the east central Florida coast. A unique WSR-88D Routine Product Set (RPS) list will be shown which can be implemented once these conditions become satisfied. Finally, case studies of two recent events will be illustrated to help familiarize WSR-88D users with the environmental conditions and radar signatures often evident prior to and during spout events. -
Observed Cyclone–Anticyclone Tropopause Vortex Asymmetries
JANUARY 2005 H A K I M A N D CANAVAN 231 Observed Cyclone–Anticyclone Tropopause Vortex Asymmetries GREGORY J. HAKIM AND AMELIA K. CANAVAN University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (Manuscript received 30 September 2003, in final form 28 June 2004) ABSTRACT Relatively little is known about coherent vortices near the extratropical tropopause, even with regard to basic facts about their frequency of occurrence, longevity, and structure. This study addresses these issues through an objective census of observed tropopause vortices. The authors test a hypothesis regarding vortex-merger asymmetry where cyclone pairs are repelled and anticyclone pairs are attracted by divergent flow due to frontogenesis. Emphasis is placed on arctic vortices, where jet stream influences are weaker, in order to facilitate comparisons with earlier idealized numerical simulations. Results show that arctic cyclones are more numerous, persistent, and stronger than arctic anticyclones. An average of 15 cyclonic vortices and 11 anticyclonic vortices are observed per month, with maximum frequency of occurrence for cyclones (anticyclones) during winter (summer). There are are about 47% more cyclones than anticyclones that survive at least 4 days, and for longer lifetimes, 1-day survival probabilities are nearly constant at 65% for cyclones, and 55% for anticyclones. Mean tropopause potential-temperature amplitude is 13 K for cyclones and 11 K for anticyclones, with cyclones exhibiting a greater tail toward larger values. An analysis of close-proximity vortex pairs reveals divergence between cyclones and convergence be- tween anticyclones. This result agrees qualitatively with previous idealized numerical simulations, although it is unclear to what extent the divergent circulations regulate vortex asymmetries. -
HS Science Distance Learning Activities
HS Science (Earth Science/Physics) Distance Learning Activities TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS Dear families, These learning packets are filled with grade level activities to keep students engaged in learning at home. We are following the learning routines with language of instruction that students would be engaged in within the classroom setting. We have an amazing diverse language community with over 65 different languages represented across our students and families. If you need assistance in understanding the learning activities or instructions, we recommend using these phone and computer apps listed below. Google Translate • Free language translation app for Android and iPhone • Supports text translations in 103 languages and speech translation (or conversation translations) in 32 languages • Capable of doing camera translation in 38 languages and photo/image translations in 50 languages • Performs translations across apps Microsoft Translator • Free language translation app for iPhone and Android • Supports text translations in 64 languages and speech translation in 21 languages • Supports camera and image translation • Allows translation sharing between apps 3027 SOUTH NEW HAVEN AVENUE | TULSA, OKLAHOMA 74114 918.746.6800 | www.tulsaschools.org TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS Queridas familias: Estos paquetes de aprendizaje tienen actividades a nivel de grado para mantener a los estudiantes comprometidos con la educación en casa. Estamos siguiendo las rutinas de aprendizaje con las palabras que se utilizan en el salón de clases. Tenemos una increíble -
Extratropical Cyclones and Anticyclones
© Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC. NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION Courtesy of Jeff Schmaltz, the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC/NASA Extratropical Cyclones 10 and Anticyclones CHAPTER OUTLINE INTRODUCTION A TIME AND PLACE OF TRAGEDY A LiFE CYCLE OF GROWTH AND DEATH DAY 1: BIRTH OF AN EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONE ■■ Typical Extratropical Cyclone Paths DaY 2: WiTH THE FI TZ ■■ Portrait of the Cyclone as a Young Adult ■■ Cyclones and Fronts: On the Ground ■■ Cyclones and Fronts: In the Sky ■■ Back with the Fitz: A Fateful Course Correction ■■ Cyclones and Jet Streams 298 9781284027372_CH10_0298.indd 298 8/10/13 5:00 PM © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC. NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION Introduction 299 DaY 3: THE MaTURE CYCLONE ■■ Bittersweet Badge of Adulthood: The Occlusion Process ■■ Hurricane West Wind ■■ One of the Worst . ■■ “Nosedive” DaY 4 (AND BEYOND): DEATH ■■ The Cyclone ■■ The Fitzgerald ■■ The Sailors THE EXTRATROPICAL ANTICYCLONE HIGH PRESSURE, HiGH HEAT: THE DEADLY EUROPEAN HEAT WaVE OF 2003 PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER ■■ Summary ■■ Key Terms ■■ Review Questions ■■ Observation Activities AFTER COMPLETING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO: • Describe the different life-cycle stages in the Norwegian model of the extratropical cyclone, identifying the stages when the cyclone possesses cold, warm, and occluded fronts and life-threatening conditions • Explain the relationship between a surface cyclone and winds at the jet-stream level and how the two interact to intensify the cyclone • Differentiate between extratropical cyclones and anticyclones in terms of their birthplaces, life cycles, relationships to air masses and jet-stream winds, threats to life and property, and their appearance on satellite images INTRODUCTION What do you see in the diagram to the right: a vase or two faces? This classic psychology experiment exploits our amazing ability to recognize visual patterns. -
Meteorology – Lecture 19
Meteorology – Lecture 19 Robert Fovell [email protected] 1 Important notes • These slides show some figures and videos prepared by Robert G. Fovell (RGF) for his “Meteorology” course, published by The Great Courses (TGC). Unless otherwise identified, they were created by RGF. • In some cases, the figures employed in the course video are different from what I present here, but these were the figures I provided to TGC at the time the course was taped. • These figures are intended to supplement the videos, in order to facilitate understanding of the concepts discussed in the course. These slide shows cannot, and are not intended to, replace the course itself and are not expected to be understandable in isolation. • Accordingly, these presentations do not represent a summary of each lecture, and neither do they contain each lecture’s full content. 2 Animations linked in the PowerPoint version of these slides may also be found here: http://people.atmos.ucla.edu/fovell/meteo/ 3 Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) and drylines 4 This map shows a dryline that formed in Texas during April 2000. The dryline is indicated by unfilled half-circles in orange, pointing at the more moist air. We see little T contrast but very large TD change. Dew points drop from 68F to 29F -- huge decrease in humidity 5 Animation 6 Supercell thunderstorms 7 The secret ingredient for supercells is large amounts of vertical wind shear. CAPE is necessary but sufficient shear is essential. It is shear that makes the difference between an ordinary multicellular thunderstorm and the rotating supercell. The shear implies rotation. -
Mesoscale Convective Vortex That Causes Tornado-Like Vortices Over the Sea: a Potential Risk to Maritime Traffic
JUNE 2019 T O C H I M O T O E T A L . 1989 Mesoscale Convective Vortex that Causes Tornado-Like Vortices over the Sea: A Potential Risk to Maritime Traffic EIGO TOCHIMOTO Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan SHO YOKOTA Meteorological Research Institute, Japan Meteorological Agency, Tsukuba, Japan HIROSHI NIINO Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan WATARU YANASE Meteorological Research Institute, Japan Meteorological Agency, Tsukuba, Japan (Manuscript received 24 August 2018, in final form 28 January 2019) ABSTRACT Strong gusty winds in a weak maritime extratropical cyclone (EC) over the Tsushima Strait in the south- western Sea of Japan capsized several fishing boats on 1 September 2015. A C-band Doppler radar recorded a spiral-shaped reflectivity pattern associated with a convective system and a Doppler velocity pattern of a vortex with a diameter of 30 km [meso-b-scale vortex (MBV)] near the location of the wreck. A high- resolution numerical simulation with horizontal grid interval of 50 m successfully reproduced the spiral- shaped precipitation pattern associated with the MBV and tornado-like strong vortices that had a maximum 2 wind speed exceeding 50 m s 1 and repeatedly developed in the MBV. The simulated MBV had a strong cyclonic circulation comparable to a mesocyclone in a supercell storm. Unlike mesocyclones associated with a supercell storm, however, its vorticity was largest near the surface and decreased monotonically with in- creasing height. The strong vorticity of the MBV near the surface originated from a horizontal shear line in the EC. -
Large-Eddy Simulations of Dust Devils and Convective Vortices
Large-Eddy Simulations of Dust Devils and Convective Vortices Aymeric Spiga, Erika Barth, Zhaolin Gu, Fabian Hoffmann, Junshi Ito, Bradley Jemmett-Smith, Martina Klose, Seiya Nishizawa, Siegfried Raasch, Scot Rafkin, et al. To cite this version: Aymeric Spiga, Erika Barth, Zhaolin Gu, Fabian Hoffmann, Junshi Ito, et al.. Large-Eddy Simulations of Dust Devils and Convective Vortices. Space Science Reviews, Springer Verlag, 2016, 203, pp.245 - 275. 10.1007/s11214-016-0284-x. hal-01457992 HAL Id: hal-01457992 https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-01457992 Submitted on 6 Feb 2017 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Large-Eddy Simulations of dust devils and convective vortices Aymeric Spiga∗1, Erika Barth2, Zhaolin Gu3, Fabian Hoffmann4, Junshi Ito5, Bradley Jemmett-Smith6, Martina Klose7, Seiya Nishizawa8, Siegfried Raasch9, Scot Rafkin10, Tetsuya Takemi11, Daniel Tyler12, and Wei Wei13 1 Laboratoire de M´et´eorologieDynamique, UMR CNRS 8539, Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace, Sorbonne Universit´es,UPMC Univ Paris 06, Paris, France 2SouthWest -
ESSENTIALS of METEOROLOGY (7Th Ed.) GLOSSARY
ESSENTIALS OF METEOROLOGY (7th ed.) GLOSSARY Chapter 1 Aerosols Tiny suspended solid particles (dust, smoke, etc.) or liquid droplets that enter the atmosphere from either natural or human (anthropogenic) sources, such as the burning of fossil fuels. Sulfur-containing fossil fuels, such as coal, produce sulfate aerosols. Air density The ratio of the mass of a substance to the volume occupied by it. Air density is usually expressed as g/cm3 or kg/m3. Also See Density. Air pressure The pressure exerted by the mass of air above a given point, usually expressed in millibars (mb), inches of (atmospheric mercury (Hg) or in hectopascals (hPa). pressure) Atmosphere The envelope of gases that surround a planet and are held to it by the planet's gravitational attraction. The earth's atmosphere is mainly nitrogen and oxygen. Carbon dioxide (CO2) A colorless, odorless gas whose concentration is about 0.039 percent (390 ppm) in a volume of air near sea level. It is a selective absorber of infrared radiation and, consequently, it is important in the earth's atmospheric greenhouse effect. Solid CO2 is called dry ice. Climate The accumulation of daily and seasonal weather events over a long period of time. Front The transition zone between two distinct air masses. Hurricane A tropical cyclone having winds in excess of 64 knots (74 mi/hr). Ionosphere An electrified region of the upper atmosphere where fairly large concentrations of ions and free electrons exist. Lapse rate The rate at which an atmospheric variable (usually temperature) decreases with height. (See Environmental lapse rate.) Mesosphere The atmospheric layer between the stratosphere and the thermosphere.