The Vorticity Dynamics of Tornadoes: Formation and Maintenance Mechanisms

几十年来对龙卷风的研究已经在理解龙卷风如何在超级单体雷暴中形成方面取得了重大进展。 然而，仍有一些重要问题尚未得到结论性的回答。 该奖项将通过使用复杂的数值模型来解决与发展和维持强大的近地旋转相关的过程。 这项工作的下游影响涉及提高天气预报员提供更准确的龙卷风活动警报的能力。 该奖项还为博士后研究人员的培训和推广提供资金，以提高公众对科学的理解。该项目的目标是分析导致龙卷风加剧和维持的各种机制。 研究小组计划开发一种改进的龙卷风发生理论，并证明环境风廓线与龙卷风旋转之间的直接联系。 研究追求两个目标。第一个与研究小组最近发现的近地涡度动力学过渡期间涡的强化有关，而第二个则探讨了龙卷风直接利用环境涡度的可能性。 该项目将以建模为基础，使用分辨率为50米的CM1数值模型进行龙卷风模拟，分辨率为100米的超级单体模拟。 将讨论六个假设，4个与龙卷风增强有关，2个与涡度的环境来源有关：·向内升机制的转变导致涡的快速增强。这种转变伴随着旋涡尺度上的反馈回路。·转变是否发生取决于初始涡斑的强度。·一旦内升机制被激活，垂直涡量的流入不再需要（但不是有害的）涡旋维持。然而，垂直涡量的持续流入可能会影响涡旋的直径和强度。·在有大的环境风暴相对流向涡度在相关地块的起源高度的情况下，正压涡度加强，或有时占主导地位，水平近地面涡度已通过表面阻力和斜压性产生。·在相关地块的起源高度存在环境风暴相对涡度的情况下，正压涡度减弱了通过表面阻力和斜压性产生的水平近地涡度。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并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而被认为值得支持。

Decades of research on tornadoes has resulted in significant progress in the understanding of how tornadoes form in supercell thunderstorms. However, there are still important questions that have not been answered conclusively. This award will address processes that are related to the development and maintenance of strong near-ground rotation though the use of sophisticated numerical models. The downstream impact of the work is related to improving the ability of weather forecasters to provide more accurate warnings of tornadic activity. The award also provides funding for the training of a postdoctoral researcher and outreach to enhance public understanding of science.The goal of this project is to analyze the various mechanisms that lead to tornado intensification and maintenance. The research team plan to develop an improved theory for tornadogenesis and demonstrate a direct link between the ambient wind profile and the rotation of a tornado. The research pursues two objectives. The first is related to the intensification of the vortex during the transition of the near-ground vorticity dynamics recently discovered by the research team’s group, while the second explores the possibility of ambient vorticity being utilized directly by the tornado. The project will be modelling-based, using the CM1 numerical model at 50m resolution for tornado simulations and 100m resolution for supercell simulations. Six hypotheses would be addressed, 4 related to tornado intensification and 2 regarding the environmental source of vorticity:• The transition toward the in-and-up mechanism results in rapid intensification of the vortex.• This transition is accompanied by a feedback loop at the scale of the vortex.• Whether or not the transition occurs depends on the strength of the initial vortex patch.• Once the in-and-up mechanism is active, the influx of vertical vorticity is no longer required (but not harmful) for vortex maintenance. However, continued influx of vertical vorticity may influence the diameter and intensity of the vortex.• In cases where there is large ambient storm-relative streamwise vorticity at the origin height of the relevant parcels, the barotropic vorticity reinforces, or sometimes dominates, the horizontal near-ground vorticity that has been produced via surface drag and baroclinicity. • In cases where there is ambient storm-relative crosswise vorticity at the origin height of the relevant parcels, the barotropic vorticity weakens the horizontal near-ground vorticity that has been produced via surface drag and baroclinicity.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.