TY - JOUR
T1 - Tornadogenesis resulting from the transport of circulation by a downdraft
T2 - Idealized numerical simulations
AU - Markowski, Paul M.
AU - Straka, Jerry M.
AU - Rasmussen, Erik N.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2003/3/15
Y1 - 2003/3/15
N2 - Idealized numerical simulations are conducted in which an axisymmetric, moist, rotating updraft free of rain is initiated, after which a downdraft is imposed by precipitation loading. The experiments are designed to emulate a supercell updraft that has rotation aloft initially, followed by the formation of a downdraft and descent of a rain curtain on the rear flank. In the idealized simulations, the rain curtain and downdraft are annular, rather than hook-shaped, as is typically observed. The downdraft transports angular momentum, which is initially a maximum aloft and zero at the surface, toward the ground. Once reaching the ground, the circulation-rich air is converged beneath the updraft and a tornado develops. The intensity and longevity of the tornado depend on the thermodynamic characteristics of the angular momentum-transporting downdraft, which are sensitive to the ambient low-level relative humidity and precipitation character of the rain curtain. For large low-level relative humidity and a rain curtain having a relatively small precipitation concentration, the imposed downdraft is warmer than when the low-level relative humidity is small and the precipitation concentration of the rain curtain is large. The simulated tornadoes are stronger and longer-lived when the imposed downdrafts are relatively warm compared to when the downdrafts are relatively cold, owing to a larger amount of convergence of circulation-rich downdraft air. The results may explain some recent observations of the tendency for supercells to be tornadic when their rear-flank downdrafts are associated with relatively small temperature deficits.
AB - Idealized numerical simulations are conducted in which an axisymmetric, moist, rotating updraft free of rain is initiated, after which a downdraft is imposed by precipitation loading. The experiments are designed to emulate a supercell updraft that has rotation aloft initially, followed by the formation of a downdraft and descent of a rain curtain on the rear flank. In the idealized simulations, the rain curtain and downdraft are annular, rather than hook-shaped, as is typically observed. The downdraft transports angular momentum, which is initially a maximum aloft and zero at the surface, toward the ground. Once reaching the ground, the circulation-rich air is converged beneath the updraft and a tornado develops. The intensity and longevity of the tornado depend on the thermodynamic characteristics of the angular momentum-transporting downdraft, which are sensitive to the ambient low-level relative humidity and precipitation character of the rain curtain. For large low-level relative humidity and a rain curtain having a relatively small precipitation concentration, the imposed downdraft is warmer than when the low-level relative humidity is small and the precipitation concentration of the rain curtain is large. The simulated tornadoes are stronger and longer-lived when the imposed downdrafts are relatively warm compared to when the downdrafts are relatively cold, owing to a larger amount of convergence of circulation-rich downdraft air. The results may explain some recent observations of the tendency for supercells to be tornadic when their rear-flank downdrafts are associated with relatively small temperature deficits.
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U2 - 10.1175/1520-0469(2003)060<0795:TRFTTO>2.0.CO;2
DO - 10.1175/1520-0469(2003)060<0795:TRFTTO>2.0.CO;2
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0348074676
SN - 0022-4928
VL - 60
SP - 795
EP - 823
JO - Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
JF - Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
IS - 6
ER -