Collaborative Research: Mesoscale Airmasses with High Theta-E (MAHTE)

强烈的雷暴通常与湿热的气团有关。 然而，有证据表明，在某些情况下，风暴可以在边界较冷的一侧维持甚至增强。 这个研究项目将分析这些情景，其中气团的冷侧有大量的能量可用于燃料雷暴。 研究人员将开发一个案例的气候学，并分析负责其发展的物理过程。 该研究通过改善对恶劣天气事件的预测，对公共安全产生直接影响。 多名学生将参与该项目，以确保下一代科学家的培训。研究小组将对具有高θ e的中尺度气团（MAHTE）进行研究，这些气团通常是锋面或流出边界冷侧具有高对流可用势能（CAPE）值的潮湿空气区域。 该奖项是对MAHTEs的基础研究，以确定其气候学和负责其发展的物理过程。 地面观测分析将提供美国境内MAHTE的空间分布、日周期和季节性。 理想化的模拟将用于提供对MAHTE开发过程的透彻理解。 将检验以下假设：1）MAHTE发展的主要机制是穿过气团边界的差异垂直平流，2）MAHTE发展的次要机制是MAHTE前缘附近的局部增强的表面水汽通量，和3）MAHTE的形成很可能取决于环境风切变。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得支持通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估。

Severe thunderstorms are commonly associated with hot and humid airmasses. However, there is evidence that storms can be maintained or even enhanced on the cooler side of a boundary in certain circumstances. This research project will analyze these scenarios, where the cool side of an airmass has significant energy available to fuel thunderstorms. The researchers will develop a climatology of cases and analyze the physical processes responsible for their development. The research has direct impact on public safety through improved forecasting of severe weather events. Multiple students would be involved in the project, ensuring training of the next generation of scientists.The research team will conduct a study of mesoscale airmasses with high theta-e (MAHTE), which are generally areas of moist air with high Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) values on the cool side of a frontal or outflow boundary. This award is for a foundational study on MAHTEs to determine their climatology and the physical processes responsible for their development. Analysis of surface observations will provide the spatial distribution, diurnal cycle, and seasonality of MAHTEs within the US. Idealized simulations would be used to provide a thorough understanding of the processes through which MAHTE develop. The following hypotheses will be tested: 1) The primary mechanism through which MAHTE develop is differential vertical advection across the airmass boundary, 2) A secondary mechanism through which MAHTEs develop is locally-enhanced surface fluxes of moisture near the leading edge of the MAHTEs, and 3) MAHTE formation is likely to depend on the environmental wind shear.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.