A STUDY of ELEVATED CONVECTION and ITS IMPACTS on SURFACE WEATHER CONDITIONS a Dissertat

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A STUDY of ELEVATED CONVECTION and ITS IMPACTS on SURFACE WEATHER CONDITIONS a Dissertat A STUDY OF ELEVATED CONVECTION AND ITS IMPACTS ON SURFACE WEATHER CONDITIONS _______________________________________ A Dissertation presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri-Columbia _______________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy _____________________________________________________ by Joshua Kastman Dr. Patrick Market, Dissertation Supervisor December 2017 © copyright by Joshua S. Kastman 2017 All Rights Reserved The undersigned, appointed by the dean of the Graduate School, have examined the dissertation entitled A Study of Elevated Convection and its Impacts on Surface Weather Conditions presented by Joshua Kastman, a candidate for the degree of doctor of philosophy, Soil, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences and hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. ____________________________________________ Professor Patrick Market ____________________________________________ Associate Professor Neil Fox ____________________________________________ Professor Anthony Lupo ____________________________________________ Associate Professor Sonja Wilhelm Stannis ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to begin by thanking Dr. Patrick Market for all of his guidance and encouragement throughout my time at the University of Missouri. His advice has been invaluable during my graduate studies. His mentorship has meant so much to me and I look forward his advice and friendship in the years to come. I would also like to thank Anthony Lupo, Neil Fox and Sonja Wilhelm-Stannis for serving as committee members and for their advice and guidance. I would like to thank the National Science Foundation for funding the project. I would l also like to thank my wife Anna for her, support, patience and understanding while I pursued this degree. Her love and partnerships means everything to me. I would like to thank my Parents Scott and Lisa for all of their encouragement and support and providing a household I which the pursuit of knowledge was encouraged. A family saying growing up was “Work Hard, Learn Hard.” This became my motto while pursuing my PhD. I would also like to thank the many graduate and undergraduate students who helped along the way; Mike Simpson, Chelsy Simpson, Adam Hirsch, Chasity Henson, Kevin Grempler and Brad Workman (and others). The friendships that I have developed with them as a result of graduate school will be cherished. A special thank you to Katie Vigil. She was always there to answer any questions that arose and provided an excellent counsel on how to navigate life as a graduate student. In conclusion I would like to thank all the professors I’ve had along my way for challenging me and encouraging me to grow as a student, the University of Missouri and the good Lord above. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................. ii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ vii LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... xiii ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................... xiv Chapter 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................1 1.1. Dissertation Themes and Layout ...........................................................................1 1.2. Problem, Purpose, and Justification .......................................................................2 1.3. Dissertation Questions ...........................................................................................6 1.4. Basic Assumptions and Limitations ......................................................................7 1.5. References ..............................................................................................................8 2. Lightning and Rainfall Characteristics in Elevated vs. Surface Based Convection in the Midwest that Produce Heavy Rainfall ..................................................................10 2.1. Abstract ................................................................................................................10 2.2. Introduction ..........................................................................................................11 2.3. Data and Methods ................................................................................................14 2.3.1 Data .........................................................................................................................14 2.3.2 Methods ........................................................................................................17 2.4. Results and Analysis ............................................................................................24 2.4.1. Event Characteristics—Storm Scale ............................................................24 2.4.2. Rainfall–Lightning Ratios ..................................................................................24 2.4.3. Extent of the Heavy Rainfall Area ..............................................................25 2.4.4. Lightning Flashes .................................................................................................26 iii 2.4.5. Maximum and Mean Rainfall Amounts ...........................................................28 2.4.6. Event Characteristics – Mesoscale Environment ........................................29 2.4.7. Composite Analysis .............................................................................................30 2.4.8. Sounding Analysis ...............................................................................................37 2.5. Conclusions ..........................................................................................................40 2.6. References ............................................................................................................42 3. An Example of Synergistic Coupling of Upper and Lower-Level Jets Associated with Flash Flooding ............................................................................................................45 3.1. Abstract ................................................................................................................45 3.2. Introduction ..........................................................................................................45 3.3. Discussion ............................................................................................................47 3.4. Summary ..............................................................................................................55 3.5. References ............................................................................................................56 4. Evaluating Elevated Convection with the Downdraft Convective Inhibition ............58 4.1. Abstract ................................................................................................................58 4.2. Introduction ..........................................................................................................58 4.3. Data and Methods ................................................................................................60 4.4. Analysis ...............................................................................................................62 4.4.1. Case 1: 2 April 2014 ....................................................................................62 4.4.2. Case 2: 7 July 2015 ......................................................................................65 4.4.3. Previous Work .............................................................................................68 4.5. Summary ..............................................................................................................68 4.6. References ............................................................................................................71 5. Dynamic Ensemble Reanalysis of Frontal Placement Impacts in the Presence of Elevated Thunderstorm during PRECIP Events .........................................................73 iv 5.1. Abstract ................................................................................................................73 5.2. Introduction ..........................................................................................................73 5.3. Background and Discussion ................................................................................74 5.3.1. Defining Elevated Convection .....................................................................74 5.3.2. Forecasting Elevated Convection and Cold Pools .......................................76 5.3.3. Cold pool behavior in PRECIP ....................................................................76 5.3.4. High Resolution Ensemble Modeling of Heavy Rainfall ............................77 5.4. Discussion and Methods ......................................................................................79 5.5. Results ..................................................................................................................81 5.5.1. IOP 1: 1 – 2 April 2014 ..............................................................................81 5.5.2. IOP 2: 3 – 4 June 2014 ...............................................................................88
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