The vertical structure of mesoscale convective vortices

Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences

Volumn 66, Issue 3, 2009, Pages 686-704

  Davis, Christopher A ^a   Galarneau Jr , Thomas J ^b  

^a NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH   (United States)

^b STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

CONVECTIVE VORTICES; CYCLONIC CIRCULATION; CYCLONIC VORTICITY; LATERAL TRANSPORT; LOWER TROPOSPHERE; MESOSCALE; MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM; MIDTROPOSPHERE; OUTFLOW BOUNDARY; POTENTIAL VORTICITY; RELATIVE HUMIDITIES; SECONDARY PHASE; VERTICAL STRUCTURES; VERTICAL WIND SHEAR; VORTICITY CENTERS;

ATMOSPHERIC HUMIDITY; ATMOSPHERICS; TROPOSPHERE; VORTICITY;

STORMS;

CONVECTIVE SYSTEM; MESOSCALE METEOROLOGY; MODELING; TROPOSPHERE; VORTICITY; WIND SHEAR;

EID: 68249159231     PISSN: 00224928     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1175/2008JAS2819.1     Document Type: Article

References (40)

1. Bartels, D. L., and R. A. Maddox, 1991: Midlevel cyclonic vortices generated by mesoscale convective systems. Mon. Wea. Rev., 119, 104-118.
2. Bartels, D. L., J. M. Brown, and E. I. Tollerud, 1997: Structure of a mid-tropospheric vortex induced by a mesoscale convective system. Mon. Wea. Rev., 125, 193-211.
3. Berry, G. J., and C. Thorncroft, 2005: Case study of an intense African easterly wave. Mon. Wea. Rev., 133, 752-766.
4. Black, T. L., 1994: The new NMC mesoscale Eta model: Description and forecast examples. Wea. Forecasting, 9, 265-278.
5. Bosart, L. F., and F. Sanders, 1981: The Johnstown flood of July 1977: A long-lived convective system. J. Atmos. Sci., 38, 1616-1642.
6. Brandes, E. A., 1990: Evolution and structure of the 6-7 May 1985 mesoscale convective system and associated vortex. Mon. Wea. Rev., 118, 109-127.
7. Conzemius, R. J., R. W. Moore, M. T. Montgomery, and C. A. Davis, 2007: Mesoscale convective vortex formation in a weakly sheared moist neutral environment. J. Atmos. Sci., 64, 1443-1466.
8. Cram, T. A., M. T. Montgomery, and R. F. A. Hertenstein, 2002: Early evolution of vertical vorticity in a numerically simulated idealized convective line. J. Atmos. Sci., 59, 2113-2127.
9. Davis, C. A., and M. L. Weisman, 1994: Balanced dynamics of mesoscale vortices produced in simulated convective systems. J. Atmos. Sci., 51, 2005-2030.
10. Davis, C. A., and S. B. Trier, 2002: Cloud-resolving simulations of mesoscale vortex intensification and its effect on a serial mesoscale convective system. Mon. Wea. Rev., 130, 2839-2858.
11. Davis, C. A., and S. B. Trier, 2007: Mesoscale convective vortices observed during BAMEX. Part I: Kinematic and thermodynamic structure. Mon. Wea. Rev., 135, 2029-2049.
12. Davis, C. A., and Coauthors, 2004: The Bow Echo and MCV Experiment: Observations and opportunities. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 85, 1075-1093.
13. Done, J., C. Davis, and M. Weisman, 2004: The next generation of NWP: Explicit forecasts of convection using weather research and forecast (WRF) model. Atmos. Sci. Lett., 5, 110-117, doi: 10.1002/ asl.72.
14. Fritsch, J. M., and G. S. Forbes, 2001: Mesoscale convective systems. Severe Convective Storms, Meteor. Monogr., No. 50, Amer. Meteor. Soc., 323-357.
15. Fritsch, J. M., J. D. Murphy, and J. S. Kain, 1994: Warm core vortex amplification over land. J. Atmos. Sci., 51, 1780-1807.
16. Galarneau, T. J., Jr., L. F. Bosart, C. A. Davis, and R. McTaggart-Cowan, 2009: Baroclinic transition of a long-lived mesoscale convective vortex. Mon. Wea. Rev., 137, 562-584.
17. Haynes, P. H., and M. E. McIntyre, 1987: On the evolution of vorticity and potential vorticity in the presence of diabatic heating and frictional or other forces. J. Atmos. Sci., 44, 828-841.
18. Janjic, Z. I., 2002: Nonsingular implementation of the Mellor - Yamada level 2.5 scheme in the NCEP mesomodel. NCEP Office Note 437, 61 pp.
19. Jiang, H., and D. J. Raymond, 1995: Simulation of a mature mesoscale convective system using a nonlinear balance model. J. Atmos. Sci., 52, 161-175.
20. Kirk, J. R., 2003: Comparing the dynamical development of two mesoscale convective vortices. Mon. Wea. Rev., 131, 862-890.
21. Kirk, J. R., 2007: A phase-plot method for diagnosing vorticity concentration mechanisms in mesoscale convective vortices. Mon. Wea. Rev., 135, 801-820.
22. Lin, Y.-L., R. D. Farley, and H. D. Orville, 1983: Bulk parameterization of the snow field in a cloud model. J. Climate Appl. Meteor., 22, 1065-1092.
23. Mellor, G. L., and T. Yamada, 1982: Development of a turbulence closure model for geophysical fluid problems. Rev. Geophys. Space Phys., 20, 851-875.
24. Pandya, R. E., and D. R. Durran, 1996: The influence of convectively generated thermal forcing on the mesoscale circulation around squall lines. J. Atmos. Sci., 53, 2924-2951.
25. Raymond, D. J., and S. Sessions, 2007: Evolution of convection during tropical cyclogenesis. Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L06811, doi:10.1029/2006GL028607.
26. Raymond, D. J., C. López-Carrillo, and L. L. Cavazos, 1998: Case studies of developing East Pacific easterly waves. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 124, 2005-2034.
27. Rogers, R. F., and J. M. Fritsch, 2001: Surface cyclogenesis from convectively driven amplification of midlevel mesoscale convective vortices. Mon. Wea. Rev., 129, 605-637.
28. Rotunno, R., and K. A. Emanuel, 1987: An air - sea interaction theory for tropical cyclones. Part II: Evolutionary study using a nonhydrostatic axisymmetric numerical model. J. Atmos. Sci., 44, 542-561.
29. Skamarock, W. C., M. L. Weisman, and J. B. Klemp, 1994: Three-dimensional evolution of simulated long-lived squall lines. J. Atmos. Sci., 51, 2563-2584.
30. Skamarock, W. C., J. B. Klemp, J. Dudhia, D. O. Gill, D. M. Barker, W. Wang, and J. G. Powers, 2005: A description of the Advanced Research WRF version 2. NCAR Tech. Note TN-468+STR, 88 pp.
31. Thompson, G., R. M. Rasmussen, and K. Manning, 2004: Explicit forecasts of winter precipitation using an improved bulk microphysics scheme. Part I: Description and sensitivity analysis. Mon. Wea. Rev., 132, 519-542.
32. Tory, K. J., N. E. Davidson, and M. T. Montgomery, 2007: Prediction and diagnosis of tropical cyclone formation in an NWP system. Part III: Diagnosis of developing and nondeveloping storms. J. Atmos. Sci., 64, 3195-3213.
33. Trier, S. B., and C. A. Davis, 2002: Influence of balanced motions on heavy precipitation within a long-lived convectively generated vortex. Mon. Wea. Rev., 130, 877-899.
34. Trier, S. B., and C. A. Davis, 2007: Mesoscale convective vortices observed during BAMEX. Part II: Influences on secondary deep convection. Mon. Wea. Rev., 135, 2051-2075.
35. Trier, S. B., C. A. Davis, D. A. Ahijevych, M. L. Weisman, and G. H. Bryan, 2006: Mechanisms supporting long-lived episodes of propagating nocturnal convection within a 7-day WRF model simulation. J. Atmos. Sci., 63, 2437-2461.
36. Wakimoto, R. M., H. V. Murphey, A. Nester, D. P. Jorgensen, and N. T. Atkins, 2006a: High winds generated by bow echoes. Part I: Overview of the Omaha bow echo 5 July 2003 storm during BAMEX. Mon. Wea. Rev., 134, 2793-2812.
37. Wakimoto, R.M., H. V. Murphey, C. A. Davis, and N. T. Atkins, 2006b: High winds generated by bow echoes. Part II: The relationship between the mesovortices and damaging straight-line winds. Mon. Wea. Rev., 134, 2813-2829.
38. Weisman, M. L., 1993: The genesis of severe, long-lived bow echoes. J. Atmos. Sci., 50, 645-670.
39. Weisman, M. L., and C. A. Davis, 1998: Mechanisms for the generation of mesoscale vortices within quasi-linear convective systems. J. Atmos. Sci., 55, 2603-2622.
40. Zhang, D.-L., 1992: The formation of a cooling-induced mesovortex in the trailing stratiform region of a midlatitude squall line. Mon. Wea. Rev., 120, 2763-2785.