Collaborative Research: Observing and Understanding Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) Heterogeneities and Their Impacts on Tornadic Storms during VORTEX-SE 2018 Field Experiment

合作研究：在 VORTEX-SE 2018 现场实验期间观察和理解行星边界层 (PBL) 异质性及其对龙卷风暴的影响

• 批准号: 1917701
• 负责人: Ming Xue
• 金额: $ 52.41万
• 依托单位: University of Oklahoma Norman Campus
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-08-01 至 2024-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1917701&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Observing; Understanding; Planetary

High-impact weather phenomena such as high winds, hail, and heavy rainfall have huge socio-economic impacts. However, forecast for severe high-impact weather events, especially tornadoes, remains challenging. Historically, tornado research has been concentrated in the Great Plains while the Southeastern U.S. commonly experiences devastating tornadoes as well. Significant differences in environmental conditions over the two regions and frequent occurrence of tornadoes at night in the Southeast (SE) pose challenges to observing and understanding the formation and development of tornadoes in the SE. The Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment - Southeast (VORTEX-SE) is a research program designed to understand how environments in the SE affect the formation, intensity, structure, and path of tornadoes in this region. During the VORTEX-SE field campaign in 2018, unprecedented advanced measurements from an airplane flying around tornadoes have been collected. Such observations cannot be done easily on the ground with hilly forest terrain. The study will utilize the unique observations and advanced computer models to understand airflow structures of tornadic storms and special environments for their formation. New knowledge gained from the research will contribute to improvement of tornado forecasting across the U.S. This project will provide support and training to graduate students in atmospheric measurement technologies, data analysis, and computer modeling and prepare them to become future scientists in severe weather research and prediction.The research team will conduct observational data analysis and advanced data assimilation that integrate observations and atmospheric prediction models. The unprecedented observation includes an advanced downward-pointing Compact Raman Lidar (CRL), a horizontally scanning lower fuselage (LF) radar, and dual Tail Doppler Radars (TDRs) onboard of a NOAA P-3 aircraft. The CRL is capable of measuring high-spatial and temporal resolution of water vapor, temperature, and aerosol profiles in the atmospheric boundary layer upstream of moving storms. Together with the P-3's in-situ measurements and the LF and TDR radar observations, unprecedented characterization of tornadic environments is expected. In addition, tornado-resolving numerical simulations will be performed, and variational, and ensemble-based data analysis and assimilation techniques will be applied. The primary goals of the project include: (1) characterization of spatial heterogeneities and temporal evolution of the PBL around convective storms in the VORTEX-SE domain with CRL measurements; (2) analysis and understanding of the impact of PBL heterogeneities on tornadic storms by synthesizing P-3 and other available observations; (3) identification and understanding of key physical processes involved in the tornadic storms through model simulations with advanced data assimilation methods. The synergy of airborne radar and lidar data with high-resolution model simulations will help pave the way for potentially transformative future process-oriented field experiments.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

高风，冰雹和大降雨等高影响的天气现象具有巨大的社会经济影响。但是，预测严重的高影响力事件，尤其是龙卷风，仍然具有挑战性。从历史上看，龙卷风研究集中在大平原上，而美国东南部通常也经历了毁灭性龙卷风。在这两个区域的环境条件上存在显着差异，并在东南（SE）夜间经常出现龙卷风在观察和理解SE中龙卷风的形成和发展方面构成了挑战。龙卷风实验中旋转起源的验证-Southeast（Vortex -SE）是一项研究计划，旨在了解SE中的环境如何影响该地区龙卷风的形成，强度，结构和路径。在2018年的Vortex-SE野外活动中，已经收集了飞机飞行龙卷风的前所未有的高级测量。在丘陵森林地形上，不能轻易地在地面上进行此类观察。这项研究将利用独特的观察结果和高级计算机模型来了解龙卷风风暴和特殊环境的空气水流结构。从研究中获得的新知识将有助于改善美国各地的龙卷风预测，该项目将为大气测量技术，数据分析和计算机建模的研究生提供支持和培训研究团队将进行观察数据分析和高级数据同化，以整合观察结果和大气预测模型。前所未有的观察结果包括高级向下紧凑型拉曼激光雷（CRL），水平扫描下部机身（LF）雷达以及NOAA P-3飞机的双尾多普勒雷达（TDRS）。 CRL能够测量移动风暴上游大气边界层中水蒸气，温度和气溶胶剖面的高空间和时间分辨率。与P-3的原位测量以及LF和TDR雷达观测值一起，预计龙卷风环境的前所未有的表征。此外，还将进行龙卷风分辨的数值模拟，并将应用基于合奏的数据分析和集合数据分析和同化技术。该项目的主要目标包括：（1）表征空间异质性和PBL围绕对流风暴的时间演变，并具有CRL测量值； （2）通过合成P-3和其他可用观察结果，分析和理解PBL异质性对龙卷风风暴的影响； （3）通过使用高级数据同化方法的模型模拟对龙卷风风暴中涉及的关键物理过程的识别和理解。与高分辨率模型仿真的空中雷达和激光雷达数据的协同作用将为潜在的变革性未来以过程为导向的现场实验铺平道路。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的知识分子优点和知识分子的优点，并被认为值得通过评估。更广泛的影响审查标准。

项目成果

A Comparison of Convective Storm Inflow Moisture Variability between the Great Plains and the Southeastern United States Using Multiplatform Field Campaign Observations

使用多平台现场观测比较大平原和美国东南部之间的对流风暴流入水分变化

• DOI: 10.1175/jtech-d-22-0037.1
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology
• 影响因子: 2.2
• 作者: Lin, Guo;Wang, Zhien;Ziegler, Conrad;Hu, Xiao-Ming;Xue, Ming;Geerts, Bart;Chu, Yufei
• 通讯作者: Chu, Yufei