A Numerical Investigation of Tornado Production and Intensification in Tropical Cyclones

Authors

Marco Paredes, Florida International UniversityFollow

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Major/Program

Geosciences

First Advisor's Name

Ping Zhu

First Advisor's Committee Title

Committee chair

Second Advisor's Name

Hugh Willoughby

Second Advisor's Committee Title

Committee member

Third Advisor's Name

Haiyan Jiang

Third Advisor's Committee Title

Committee member

Keywords

Numerical Simulation, Tropical Cyclone, Tropical Cyclone Tornado, Tornado, WRF, Outer Core, Hurricane, Hurricane Ivan, WRF-LES, LES, Rainband, CAPE, Relative Humidity, Dry air, Dry Air Intrusion, Instability, Moisture

Date of Defense

7-1-2022

Abstract

The environmental conditions required for tornado formation and development in tropical cyclones (TCs) and the mechanisms underlying the intensification of TC tornadoes remain poorly understood. Previous research has suggested that low and mid-level dry air intrusion in TCs may enhance convective instability and influence the production of tornadoes. However, observations have their limitations in answering some of the key questions regarding the relationship among thermodynamic instability, dry air, and TC tornado genesis, development, and dissipation. In this study, a multiple nested Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model in a hindcasting mode is used to simulate Hurricane Ivan (2004) by resolving tornadoes, the supercells that spawn tornadoes, TC vortex, and large-scale environmental flow in a unified system. The characteristics of vorticity generation, updraft and downdraft couplets of supercells, and convective environments are extracted and investigated. By obtaining quantitative data relevant to TC tornados, this study tackles some of the long-standing questions concerning TC tornado-genesis and rapid intensification of TC tornadoes

Identifier

FIDC010840

Recommended Citation

Paredes, Marco, "A Numerical Investigation of Tornado Production and Intensification in Tropical Cyclones" (2022). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 5114.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/5114