On the Origins of Low-Level Tornadic Circulations Within the Remnants of Hurricane Andrews
Abstract
A literature review establishes a key characteristic of tornadic hurricane environments to be the highly sheared lowest 1500 m. The thesis proposes that the shear-produced horizontal vorticity is turned vertical mainly via vertical velocities induced by mass convergence in boundary layer wind-shift zones, rather than by buoyant updrafts. A two dimensional mass continuity and convective available potential energy analysis is performed on data from a profiler and acoustic sounder exposed to Hurricane Andrew's tornadic remnants. This analysis suggests the presence of a convergence-produced 5 m/s updraft at a wind-shift in the thermodynamically stable boundary layer of a tornadic rainband.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA275373
Entities
People
- Steven T. Fiorino
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology