Conceptual Models of Mesoscale Convective Systems
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Water Vapour Transport to the High Latitudes: Mechanisms And
Water vapour transport to the high latitudes : mechanisms and variability from reanalyses and radiosoundings Ambroise Dufour To cite this version: Ambroise Dufour. Water vapour transport to the high latitudes : mechanisms and variability from reanalyses and radiosoundings. Earth Sciences. Université Grenoble Alpes, 2016. English. NNT : 2016GREAU042. tel-01562031 HAL Id: tel-01562031 https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01562031 Submitted on 13 Jul 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. THÈSE Pour obtenir le grade de DOCTEUR DE L’UNIVERSITÉ DE GRENOBLE Spécialité : Sciences de la Terre et de l’Environnement Arrêté ministériel : 7 août 2006 Présentée par Ambroise DUFOUR Thèse dirigée par Olga ZOLINA préparée au sein du Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l’Environnement et de l’École Doctorale Terre, Univers, Environnement Transport de vapeur d’eau vers les hautes latitudes Mécanismes et variabilité d’après réanalyses et radiosondages Soutenue le 24 mars 2016, devant le jury composé de : M. Christophe GENTHON Directeur de recherche, LGGE, Président M. Stefan BRÖNNIMANN Professeur, Université de Berne, Rapporteur M. Richard P. ALLAN Professeur, Université de Reading, Rapporteur Mme Valérie MASSON-DELMOTTE Directrice de recherche, LSCE, Examinatrice M. -
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). -
Moisture Transport in Observations and Reanalyses As a Proxy for Snow
Moisture transport in observations and reanalyses as a proxy for snow accumulation in East Antarctica Ambroise DufourIGE, Claudine CharrondièreIGE, and Olga ZolinaIGE, IORAS IGEInstitut des Géosciences de l’Environnement, CNRS/UGA, Grenoble, France IORASP. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia Correspondence to: Ambroise DUFOUR ([email protected]) Abstract. Atmospheric moisture convergence on ice-sheets provides an estimate of snow accumulation which is critical to quantify sea level changes. In the case of East Antarctica, we computed moisture transport from 1980 to 2016 in five reanalyses and in radiosonde observations. Moisture convergence in reanalyses is more consistent than net preciptation but still ranges from 72 5 to 96 mm per year in the four most recent reanalyses, ERA Interim, NCEP CFSR, JRA 55 and MERRA 2. The representation of long term variability in reanalyses is also inconsistent which justified the resort to observations. Moisture fluxes are measured on a daily basis via radiosondes launched from a network of stations surrounding East Antarc- tica. Observations agree with reanalyses on the major role of extreme advection events and transient eddy fluxes. Although assimilated, the observations reveal processes reanalyses cannot model, some due to a lack of horizontal and vertical resolu- 10 tion especially the oldest, NCEP DOE R2. Additionally, the observational time series are not affected by new satellite data unlike reanalyses. We formed pan-continental estimates of convergence by aggregating anomalies from all available stations. We found statistically significant trends neither in moisture convergence nor in precipitable water. 1 Introduction East Antarctica stores the equivalent of 53.3 m of sea level rise out of the 58.3 for the whole continent (Fretwell et al., 2013). -
Seasonal Cycle of Idealized Polar Clouds: Large Eddy
ESSOAr | https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10503204.1 | CC_BY_NC_ND_4.0 | First posted online: Tue, 9 Jun 2020 15:35:29 | This content has not been peer reviewed. manuscript submitted to Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems 1 Seasonal cycle of idealized polar clouds: large eddy 2 simulations driven by a GCM 1 2;3 2 4 3 Xiyue Zhang , Tapio Schneider , Zhaoyi Shen , Kyle G. Pressel , and Ian 5 4 Eisenman 1 5 National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, USA 2 6 California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA 3 7 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA 4 8 Pacific Northwest National Labratory, Richland, Washington, USA 5 9 Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, California, USA 10 Key Points: 11 • LES driven by time-varying large-scale forcing from an idealized GCM is used to 12 simulate the seasonal cycle of Arctic clouds 13 • Simulated low-level cloud liquid is maximal in late summer to early autumn, and 14 minimal in winter, consistent with observations 15 • Large-scale advection provides the main moisture source for cloud liquid and shapes 16 its seasonal cycle Corresponding author: X. Zhang, [email protected] {1{ ESSOAr | https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10503204.1 | CC_BY_NC_ND_4.0 | First posted online: Tue, 9 Jun 2020 15:35:29 | This content has not been peer reviewed. manuscript submitted to Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems 17 Abstract 18 The uncertainty in polar cloud feedbacks calls for process understanding of the cloud re- 19 sponse to climate warming. -
Squall Lines: Meteorology, Skywarn Spotting, & a Brief Look at the 18
Squall Lines: Meteorology, Skywarn Spotting, & A Brief Look At The 18 June 2010 Derecho Gino Izzi National Weather Service, Chicago IL Outline • Meteorology 301: Squall lines – Brief review of thunderstorm basics – Squall lines – Squall line tornadoes – Mesovorticies • Storm spotting for squall lines • Brief Case Study of 18 June 2010 Event Thunderstorm Ingredients • Moisture – Gulf of Mexico most common source locally Thunderstorm Ingredients • Lifting Mechanism(s) – Fronts – Jet Streams – “other” boundaries – topography Thunderstorm Ingredients • Instability – Measure of potential for air to accelerate upward – CAPE: common variable used to quantify magnitude of instability < 1000: weak 1000-2000: moderate 2000-4000: strong 4000+: extreme Thunderstorms Thunderstorms • Moisture + Instability + Lift = Thunderstorms • What kind of thunderstorms? – Single Cell – Multicell/Squall Line – Supercells Thunderstorm Types • What determines T-storm Type? – Short/simplistic answer: CAPE vs Shear Thunderstorm Types • What determines T-storm Type? (Longer/more complex answer) – Lot we don’t know, other factors (besides CAPE/shear) include • Strength of forcing • Strength of CAP • Shear WRT to boundary • Other stuff Thunderstorm Types • Multi-cell squall lines most common type of severe thunderstorm type locally • Most common type of severe weather is damaging winds • Hail and brief tornadoes can occur with most the intense squall lines Squall Lines & Spotting Squall Line Terminology • Squall Line : a relatively narrow line of thunderstorms, often -
NWS Unified Surface Analysis Manual
Unified Surface Analysis Manual Weather Prediction Center Ocean Prediction Center National Hurricane Center Honolulu Forecast Office November 21, 2013 Table of Contents Chapter 1: Surface Analysis – Its History at the Analysis Centers…………….3 Chapter 2: Datasets available for creation of the Unified Analysis………...…..5 Chapter 3: The Unified Surface Analysis and related features.……….……….19 Chapter 4: Creation/Merging of the Unified Surface Analysis………….……..24 Chapter 5: Bibliography………………………………………………….…….30 Appendix A: Unified Graphics Legend showing Ocean Center symbols.….…33 2 Chapter 1: Surface Analysis – Its History at the Analysis Centers 1. INTRODUCTION Since 1942, surface analyses produced by several different offices within the U.S. Weather Bureau (USWB) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) National Weather Service (NWS) were generally based on the Norwegian Cyclone Model (Bjerknes 1919) over land, and in recent decades, the Shapiro-Keyser Model over the mid-latitudes of the ocean. The graphic below shows a typical evolution according to both models of cyclone development. Conceptual models of cyclone evolution showing lower-tropospheric (e.g., 850-hPa) geopotential height and fronts (top), and lower-tropospheric potential temperature (bottom). (a) Norwegian cyclone model: (I) incipient frontal cyclone, (II) and (III) narrowing warm sector, (IV) occlusion; (b) Shapiro–Keyser cyclone model: (I) incipient frontal cyclone, (II) frontal fracture, (III) frontal T-bone and bent-back front, (IV) frontal T-bone and warm seclusion. Panel (b) is adapted from Shapiro and Keyser (1990) , their FIG. 10.27 ) to enhance the zonal elongation of the cyclone and fronts and to reflect the continued existence of the frontal T-bone in stage IV. -
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. -
The Evolution of the 10–11 June 1985 PRE-STORM Squall Line: Initiation
478 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW VOLUME 125 The Evolution of the 10±11 June 1985 PRE-STORM Squall Line: Initiation, Development of Rear In¯ow, and Dissipation SCOTT A. BRAUN AND ROBERT A. HOUZE JR. Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (Manuscript received 12 December 1995, in ®nal form 12 August 1996) ABSTRACT Mesoscale analysis of surface observations and mesoscale modeling results show that the 10±11 June squall line, contrary to prior studies, did not form entirely ahead of a cold front. The primary environmental features leading to the initiation and organization of the squall line were a low-level trough in the lee of the Rocky Mountains and a midlevel short-wave trough. Three additional mechanisms were active: a southeastward-moving cold front formed the northern part of the line, convection along the edge of cold air from prior convection over Oklahoma and Kansas formed the central part of the line, and convection forced by convective out¯ow near the lee trough axis formed the southern portion of the line. Mesoscale model results show that the large-scale environment signi®cantly in¯uenced the mesoscale cir- culations associated with the squall line. The qualitative distribution of along-line velocities within the squall line is attributed to the larger-scale circulations associated with the lee trough and midlevel baroclinic wave. Ambient rear-to-front (RTF) ¯ow to the rear of the squall line, produced by the squall line's nearly perpendicular orientation to strong westerly ¯ow at upper levels, contributed to the exceptional strength of the rear in¯ow in this storm. -
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. -
Central Region Technical Attachment 95-08 Examination of an Apparent
CRH SSD APRIL 1995 CENTRAL REGION TECHNICAL ATTACHMENT 95-08 EXAMINATION OF AN APPARENT LANDSPOUT IN THE EASTERN BLACK HILLS OF WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA David L. Hintz1 and Matthew J. Bunkers National Weather Service Office Rapid City, South Dakota 1. Abstract On June 29, 1994, an apparent landspout occurred in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This landspout exhibited most of the features characteristic of traditional landspouts documented in eastern Colorado. The landspout lasted 3 to 8 minutes, had a width of less than 20 m and a path of 1 to 3 km, produced estimated wind speeds of Fl intensity (33 to 50 m s1), and emanated from a towering cumulus (TCU) cloud located along a quasi-stationary convergencq/cyclonic shear zone. No radar echo was observed with this event; however, a supercell thunderstorm was located 80-100 km to the east. National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed the “very localized” damage area and ruled out the possibility of the landspout being related to microburst, gustnado, or dust devil activity, as winds away from the landspout were less than 3 m s1. The landspout apparently “detached” from the parent TCU and damaged a farm which resulted in $1,000 dollars in expenses. 2. Introduction During the late 1980’s and early 1990’s researchers documented a phe nomenon with subtle differences from traditional tornadoes and waterspouts, herein referred to as the landspout (Seargent 1994; Brady and Szoke 1988, 1989; Bluestein 1985). The term “landspout” was actually coined by Bluestein (I985)(in the formal literature) when he observed this type of vortex along an Oklahoma squall line. -
Observational Study of a Diurnal Mesoscale Convective Complex
CRARP 25-02 OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF A DIURNAL MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE COMPLEX David Novak1 and Edward Shimon National Weather Service Forecasting Office Duluth, Minnesota 1. Introduction The Mesoscale Convective Complex (MCC) has been described by Maddox (1980), Bosart and Sanders (1981), and Maddox (1983) as a unique class of intense convection organized on the meso-alpha scale, which occurs primarily in the central United States during the convective season. Fritsch et al. (1981) and Wetzel (1983) showed that MCCs produce locally intense rainfall, large hail, and damaging winds, requiring coincident operational warnings of both severe weather and flash flooding. In contrast to most convection MCCs are distinctly nocturnal (Maddox 1983). Augustine and Caracena (1994) as well as McAnelly and Cotton (1986) have shown that MCCs commence from afternoon thunderstorms in the western Great Plains that organize and continue to develop at night into MCCs. Physically, this nocturnal preference has been linked to the Low Level Jet (LLJ) (Maddox 1980; Wetzel 1983; Maddox 1983), which enhances warm air advection and the flux of moist, unstable air into the system. Composites from Maddox (1983) confirm that MCCs reach maximum size around local midnight, corresponding with the strongest LLJ, and weaken during the morning hours when the LLJ typically weakens (Fig. 1). In contrast to this widely confirmed characteristic of MCCs, convection on 14 August 2000 organized during the early morning in eastern North Dakota, reached maximum intensity and organization during the day across northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin, and then slowly weakened during the early morning hours of 15 August in central Wisconsin. -
Oak Lawn Tornado 1967 an Analysis of the Northern Illinois Tornado Outbreak of April 21St, 1967 Oak Lawn History
Oak Lawn Tornado 1967 An analysis of the Northern Illinois Tornado Outbreak of April 21st, 1967 Oak Lawn History • First Established in the 1840s and 1850s • School house first built in 1860 • Immigrants came after the civil war • Post office first established in 1882 • Innovative development plan began in 1927 • Population exponentially grew up to the year of 1967 Path of the Storm • The damage path spanned from Palos, Illinois (about 2-3 miles west/southwest of Oak Lawn) to Lake Michigan. With the worst damage occurring in the Oak Lawn area. Specifically, the corner of 95th street and Southwest Highway • Other places that received Significant damage includes: 89th and Kedzie Avenue 88th and California Avenue Near the Dan Ryan at 83rd Street Timing (All times below are in CST on April 21st, 1967) • 8 AM – Thunderstorms develop around the borders of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri • 4:45 PM – Cell is first indicated on radar (18 miles west/northwest of Joliet) • 5:15 PM – rotating clouds reported 10 miles north of Joliet • 5:18 PM – Restaurant at the corner of McCarthy Road and 127th Street had their windows blown out • 5:24 PM – Funnel Cloud reported (Touchdown confirmed) • 5:26 PM – Storm continues Northeast and crosses Roberts Road between 101st and 102nd streets • 5:32 PM - Tornado cause worst damage at 95th street and Southwest highway • 5:33 PM – Tornado causes damage to Hometown City Hall • 5:34 PM – Tornado passes grounds of Beverly Hills Country Club • 5:35 PM – Tornado crosses Dan Ryan Expressway and flips over a semi • 5:39 PM – Tornado passes Filtration plant at 78th and Lake Michigan and Dissipates Notable Areas Destroyed •Fairway Supermarket •Sherwood Restaurant •Shoot’s Lynwood Tavern •Suburban Bus Terminal •Airway Trailer Park •Oak Lawn Roller Rink •Plenty More! Pictures to the right were taken BEFORE the twister 52 Total Tornadoes in 6 states (5 EF4’s including the Oak Lawn, Belvidere, and Lake Zurich Tornadoes) Oak Lawn Tornado Blue = EF4 Next several slides summary • The next several slides, I will be going through different parameters.