Mesoscale Mechanisms of Tropical Cyclone Formation

本研究的目的是探讨热带气旋的中尺度演变。 首席研究员将测试两个假设：（1）垂直风切变可以帮助热带气旋在早期发展阶段的发展。 这表明垂直风切变激发下切变对流，并与新的对流旋转起来，要么成为一个新的，更强的环流中心，吸收旧的或新的对流被吸收的原始涡，然后加强。 (2)飓风强度的持续增强只有在风暴满足先前开发的风致表面热交换理论中的条件时才会发生。PI计划通过使用现有数据进行诊断研究来解决这些假设，这些数据包括机载数据集（业务和研究）以及来自沿海雷达、闪电传感器和卫星的信息。 案例研究将从近年来在美国海岸附近形成的众多风暴中选出，更广泛的影响分为四类：教育、培训、成果传播和外部合作。 与先前的研究工作一样，目前研究的材料将继续用于本科和研究生课程。 受资助的研究生将参加会议并展示他们的成果，与同学分享软件，参加讨论科学论文的“阅读小组”。 结果已经并将由主要研究者和支持的学生在著名的期刊上发表，研讨会将在不同的地点举行。 最后，与其他大学部门和政府实体的外部合作将有助于向其他科学家和业务界提供结果。

The goal of this research is to examine the mesoscale evolution of tropical cyclones. The Principal Investigator will test two hypotheses: (1) Vertical wind shear can aid tropical cyclone development during early growth stages. It is suggested that the vertical wind shear excites downshear convection and spin up with the new convection either becoming a new, stronger circulation center that absorbs the old or the new convection is absorbed by the original vortex, which then intensifies. (2) Intensification to hurricane strength that is sustainable does not occur until the storm satisfies the conditions specified in a previously developed theory known as the wind induced surface heat exchange theory.The PI plans to address these hypotheses via diagnostic studies using existing data, which includes airborne data sets (both operational and research), and information from coastal radars, lightning sensors and satellites. Case studies will be chosen from the numerous storms that have formed near the United States coastline in recent years.Broader impacts fall into four categories: education, training, dissemination of results, and external collaborations. As in prior research efforts, material from the current research will continue to be used in both undergraduate and graduate classes. Supported graduate students will participate in conferences and present their results, share software with fellow students, participate in "reading groups" in which scientific papers are discussed. Results have been and will be published in reputable journals by both the Principal Investigator and supported students, and seminars will be presented in various locations. Finally, external collaborations with other university departments and with government entities will help to make the results available to other scientists and to the operational community.