Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

High-Resolution, Rapid-Scan Dual-Doppler Retrievals of Vertical Velocity in a Simulated Supercell

High-Resolution, Rapid-Scan Dual-Doppler Retrievals of Vertical Velocity in a Simulated Supercell AbstractObservation system simulation experiments are used to evaluate different dual-Doppler analysis (DDA) methods for retrieving vertical velocity w at grid spacings on the order of 100 m within a simulated tornadic supercell. Variational approaches with and without a vertical vorticity equation constraint are tested, along with a typical (traditional) method involving vertical integration of the mass conservation equation. The analyses employ emulated radar data from dual-Doppler placements 15, 30, and 45 km east of the mesocyclone, with volume scan intervals ranging from 10 to 150 s. The effect of near-surface data loss is examined by denying observations below 1 km in some of the analyses. At the longer radar ranges and when no data denial is imposed, the “traditional” method produces results similar to those of the variational method and is much less expensive to implement. However, at close range and/or with data denial, the variational method is much more accurate, confirming results from previous studies. The vorticity constraint shows the potential to improve the variational analysis substantially, reducing errors in the w retrieval by up to 30% for rapid-scan observations (≤30 s) at close range when the local vorticity tendency is estimated using spatially variable advection correction. However, the vorticity constraint also degrades the analysis for longer scan intervals, and the impact diminishes with increased range. Furthermore, analyses using 30-s data also frequently outperform analyses using 10-s data, suggesting a limit to the benefit of increasing the radar scan rate for variational DDA employing the vorticity constraint. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology American Meteorological Society

High-Resolution, Rapid-Scan Dual-Doppler Retrievals of Vertical Velocity in a Simulated Supercell

Download PDF
24 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/american-meteorological-society/high-resolution-rapid-scan-dual-doppler-retrievals-of-vertical-0Z5uG2ZKnU

References

References for this paper are not available at this time. We will be adding them shortly, thank you for your patience.

Publisher
American Meteorological Society
Copyright
Copyright © American Meteorological Society
ISSN
1520-0426
eISSN
1520-0426
DOI
10.1175/JTECH-D-18-0211.1
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

AbstractObservation system simulation experiments are used to evaluate different dual-Doppler analysis (DDA) methods for retrieving vertical velocity w at grid spacings on the order of 100 m within a simulated tornadic supercell. Variational approaches with and without a vertical vorticity equation constraint are tested, along with a typical (traditional) method involving vertical integration of the mass conservation equation. The analyses employ emulated radar data from dual-Doppler placements 15, 30, and 45 km east of the mesocyclone, with volume scan intervals ranging from 10 to 150 s. The effect of near-surface data loss is examined by denying observations below 1 km in some of the analyses. At the longer radar ranges and when no data denial is imposed, the “traditional” method produces results similar to those of the variational method and is much less expensive to implement. However, at close range and/or with data denial, the variational method is much more accurate, confirming results from previous studies. The vorticity constraint shows the potential to improve the variational analysis substantially, reducing errors in the w retrieval by up to 30% for rapid-scan observations (≤30 s) at close range when the local vorticity tendency is estimated using spatially variable advection correction. However, the vorticity constraint also degrades the analysis for longer scan intervals, and the impact diminishes with increased range. Furthermore, analyses using 30-s data also frequently outperform analyses using 10-s data, suggesting a limit to the benefit of increasing the radar scan rate for variational DDA employing the vorticity constraint.

Journal

Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology – American Meteorological Society

Published: Aug 27, 2019

References

  • A theory for the determination of wind and precipitation velocities with Doppler radars
    Armijo, L.
  • Observations of wall cloud formation in supercell thunderstorms during VORTEX2
    Atkins, N. T.; Glidden, E. M.; Nicholson, T. M.
  • Doppler radar characteristics of precipitation at vertical incidence
    Atlas, D.; Srivastava, R.; Sekhon, R.
  • High-resolution dual-Doppler analyses of the 29 May 2001 Kress, Texas, cyclic supercell
    Beck, J. R.; Schroeder, J. L.; Wurman, J. M.
  • Flow in severe thunderstorms observed by dual-Doppler radar
    Brandes, E. A.
  • Relationship between radar-derived thermodynamic variables and tornadogenesis
    Brandes, E. A.
  • Vertical vorticity generation and mesocyclonic sustenance in tornadic thunderstorms: The observational evidence
    Brandes, E. A.
  • On the analytical solutions of the flux-profile relationships for the atmospheric surface layer
    Byun, D. W.
  • Comparison between tornadic and nontornadic mesocyclones using the vorticity (pseudovorticity) line technique
    Cai, H.
  • Evolution of lightning activity and storm charge relative to dual-Doppler analysis of a high-precipitation supercell storm
    Calhoun, K. M.; MacGorman, D. R.; Ziegler, C. L.; Biggerstaff, M. I.
  • A severe frontal rainband. Part I: Stormwide hydrodynamic structure
    Carbone, R. E.
  • Three-dimensional wind field analysis from dual-Doppler radar data. Part III: The boundary condition: An optimum determination based on a variational concept
    Chong, M.; Testud, J.
  • Errors in wind fields derived from multiple-Doppler radars: Random errors and temporal errors associated with advection and evolution
    Clark, T. L.; Harris, F. I.; Mohr, C. G.
  • An operational objective analysis system
    Cressman, G. P.
  • Using high-resolution simulations to quantify errors in radar estimates of tornado intensity
    Dahl, N. A.; Nolan, D. S.
  • The Arcadia, Oklahoma, storm of 17 May 1981: Analysis of a supercell during tornadogenesis
    Dowell, D. C.; Bluestein, H. B.
  • The 8 June 1995 McLean, Texas, storm. Part I: Observations of cyclic tornadogenesis
    Dowell, D. C.; Bluestein, H. B.
  • The 8 June 1995 McLean, Texas, storm. Part II: Cyclic tornado formation, maintenance, and dissipation
    Dowell, D. C.; Bluestein, H. B.
  • Stability of an iterative dual-Doppler wind synthesis in Cartesian coordinates
    Dowell, D. C.; Shapiro, A.
  • Convergence analysis for a class of high-order semi-Lagrangian advection schemes
    Falcone, M.; Ferretti, R.
  • Polarimetric and dual-Doppler radar observations of the Lipscomb County, Texas, supercell thunderstorm on 23 May 2002
    Frame, J.; Markowski, P.; Richardson, Y.; Straka, J.; Wurman, J.
  • Buoyancy and pressure perturbations derived from dual-Doppler radar observations of the planetary boundary layer: Applications for matching models with observations
    Gal-Chen, T.; Kropfli, R. A.
  • A variational method for the analysis of three-dimensional wind fields from two Doppler radars
    Gao, J.; Xue, M.; Shapiro, A.; Droegemeier, K. K.
  • A three-dimensional variational data analysis method with recursive filter for Doppler radars
    Gao, J.; Xue, M.; Brewster, K.; Droegemeier, K. K.
  • The Atmospheric Imaging Rader: Simultaneous volumetric observations using a phased array weather radar
    Isom, B.
  • The Oklahoma squall line of 19 May 1977. Part I: A multiple Doppler analysis of convective and stratiform structure
    Kessinger, C. J.; Ray, P. S.; Hane, C. E.
  • Finescale dual-Doppler analysis of hurricane boundary layer structures in Hurricane Frances (2004) at landfall
    Kosiba, K.; Wurman, J.
  • Genesis of the Goshen County, Wyoming, tornado on 5 June 2009 during VORTEX2
    Kosiba, K.; Wurman, J.; Richardson, Y.; Markowski, P.; Robinson, P.; Marquis, J.
  • The evolution and structure of a “bow-echo microburst” event. Part I: The microburst
    Lee, W.-C.; Carbone, R. E.; Wakimoto, R. M.
  • The pretornadic phase of the Goshen County, Wyoming, supercell of 5 June 2009 intercepted by VORTEX2. Part I: Evolution of kinematic and surface thermodynamic fields
    Markowski, P.
  • Tornadogenesis in the 12 May 2010 supercell thunderstorm intercepted by VORTEX2 near Clinton, Oklahoma
    Markowski, P.; Hatlee, T.; Richardson, Y.
  • Single- and dual-Doppler analysis of a tornadic vortex and surrounding storm-scale flow in the Crowell, Texas, supercell of 30 April 2000
    Marquis, J.; Richardson, Y.; Wurman, J.; Markowski, P.
  • Tornado maintenance investigated with high-resolution dual-Doppler and EnKF analysis
    Marquis, J.; Richardson, Y.; Markowski, P.; Dowell, D.; Wurman, J.
  • On the use of the vorticity equation in dual-Doppler analysis of the vertical velocity field
    Mewes, J. J.; Shapiro, A.
  • Dynamics and fine structure of a microburst
    Parsons, D. B.; Kropfli, R. A.
  • Using a low-order model to detect and characterize tornadoes in multi-Doppler radar data
    Potvin, C. K.; Shapiro, A.; Yu, T.-Y.; Gao, J.; Xue, M.
  • 3DVAR versus traditional dual-Doppler wind retrievals of a simulated supercell thunderstorm
    Potvin, C. K.; Betten, D.; Wicker, L. J.; Elmore, K. L.; Biggerstaff, M. I.
  • Impact of a vertical vorticity constraint in variational dual-Doppler wind analysis: Tests with real and simulated supercell data
    Potvin, C. K.; Shapiro, A.; Xue, M.
  • Dual-Doppler observations of a tornadic storm
    Ray, P. S.; Doviak, R. J.; Walker, G. B.; Sirmans, D.; Carter, J.; Baumgarner, B.
  • Single- and multiple-Doppler radar observations of tornadic storms
    Ray, P. S.; Ziegler, C. L.; Bumgarner, W.; Serafin, R. J.
  • Airborne Doppler radar observations of a convective storm
    Ray, P. S.; Jorgensen, D. P.; Wang, S.-L.
  • West African squall line thermodynamic structure retrieved from dual-Doppler radar observations
    Roux, F.; Testud, J.; Payen, M.; Pinty, B.
  • Tornadogenesis in a high-resolution simulation of the 8 May 2003 Oklahoma City supercell
    Schenkman, A. D.; Xue, M.; Hu, M.
  • Kinematic structure of a heavy rain event from dual-Doppler radar observations
    Shao, A.; Qiu, C.; Liu, L.
  • Use of a vertical vorticity equation in variational dual-Doppler wind analysis
    Shapiro, A.; Potvin, C. K.; Gao, J.
  • Spatially variable advection correction of radar data. Part I: Theoretical considerations
    Shapiro, A.; Willingham, K. M.; Potvin, C. K.
  • Spatially variable advection correction of radar data. Part II: Test results
    Shapiro, A.; Willingham, K. M.; Potvin, C. K.
  • Some considerations for the use of mobile Doppler radar data for tornado intensity determination
    Snyder, J. C.; Bluestein, H. B.
  • Radar data objective analysis
    Trapp, R. J.; Doswell, C. A.
  • Applications of a spatially variable advection correction technique for temporal correction of dual-Doppler analyses of tornadic supercells
    Wienhoff, Z. B.; Bluestein, H. B.; Wicker, L. J.; Snyder, J. C.; Shapiro, A.; Potvin, C. K.; Houser, J. B.; Reif, D. W.
  • Kinematic structure of mesovortices in the eyewall of Hurricane Ike (2008) derived from ground-based dual-Doppler analysis
    Wingo, S. M.; Knupp, K. R.
  • Dual-Doppler analysis of winds and vorticity budget terms near a tornado
    Wurman, J.; Richardson, Y.; Alexander, C.; Weygandt, S.; Zhang, P. F.
  • The Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS)—A multiscale non-hydrostatic atmospheric simulation and prediction tool. Part I: Model dynamics and verification
    Xue, M.; Droegemeier, K. K.; Wong, V.
  • The Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS)—A multiscale non-hydrostatic atmospheric simulation and prediction tool. Part II: Model physics and applications
    Xue, M.
  • Numerical prediction of 8 May 2003 Oklahoma City tornadic supercell and embedded tornado using ARPS with the assimilation of WSR-88D data
    Xue, M.; Hu, M.; Schenkman, A.
  • Hail growth in an Oklahoma multicell storm
    Ziegler, C.; Ray, P. S.; Knight, N. C.