Projects

191001-363513-4G
19-NGI3-88
N/A
9/1/2019
2021-8-31 0:0:0
Completed
$533,140.00
VORTEX-SE 2020 Field Campaign Activities: Observations of the Environment and Evolution of Non-Classical Tornadic Storms
Knupp
Kevin
UAH
CH-CE
OAR
Investigating tornado formation includes analysis of storms that spawn unusual or unexpected tornados. From January to April 2021, researchers deployed mobile facilities to collect data on atmospheric boundary layer evolution, cloud characteristics, and kinematic structure and evolution that preceded thunderstorms that formed along or ahead of cold fronts (known as Quasi-Linear Convective Systems, QLCS). They also analyzed pre-storm conditions for 40 cold season events from 2005 to 2021 and initiated case studies to examine the internal structure of two severe QLCSs (11/18/2017 and 02/12/2020). Included in their studies is the 03/03/2020 tornadic storm that devastated central Tennessee. Additionally, they conducted inter-comparisons of wind profiles derived from various systems (radar wind profilers, Doppler lidar, Doppler sodar, and scanning Doppler radars). Each case included analyses of dual Doppler radar data, environmental data from profiling systems and balloon soundings, and the kinematics of QLCS updrafts and downdrafts using vertically pointing Doppler radar data.