Collaborative Research: VORTEX2--Multi-Scale and Multi-Platform Study of Tornadoes, Supercell Thunderstorms, and Their Environments

主要研究人员将在2009年进行的第二次龙卷风旋转起源验证实验（VORTEX2）中进行多机构综合研究，包括几个核心科学焦点。为了支持这项研究，并支持整个VORTEX2计划，pi将部署几个核心VORTEX2仪器系统。现场项目和分析工作将允许多平台测量数据的协调收集及其综合分析。不同的数据集将由固定和移动雷达、移动中网和现场仪器产生，目的是对龙卷风和超级单体的发生、维持和结构及其与环境的关系有更全面的科学理解。该研究将综合分析与雷暴和龙卷风实验（旋转）项目（1996-2007）期间获得的130多个龙卷风的不太全面的数据相结合。科学动机和智力价值：目前对龙卷风科学几个领域的理解水平无法回答一些基本问题，包括龙卷风的大小、强度和结构的真实范围。控制龙卷风发生、生长、增强、维持和消散的发生和时间的因素，以及发生的模式，都是根据以前的工作假设的，但在很大程度上仍然没有得到观测的证实，关于垂直风场廓线的细节，以及近地面破坏性风的演变和结构也是如此。下降气流在龙卷风形成中的具体作用以及龙卷风形成过程对微物理和热力学特征的敏感性尚不清楚。因此，虽然使用原始涡旋和旋转的数据在解决许多这些问题方面取得了重大进展；这些结果是有限的。具体来说，VORTEX2将提供多普勒移动雷达数据与全面的原位热力学数据的集成，这是以前没有实现的。更广泛的影响：提高对龙卷风起源、维护、结构和环境依赖性的理解，将对这些严重事件的探测、预警和预测能力产生广泛的影响，并减少随后的人员伤亡。移动多普勒雷达、移动介网和原位热力学探针的部署将由pi领导。这些数据集将可供科学界用于科学和教育目的，并可能被大量调查人员和教育工作者广泛使用。

The Principal Investigators (PIs) will conduct a multi-institution, integrated study encompassing several core science foci of the second Verification of the Origin of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (VORTEX2) to be held in 2009. In support of this research, and in support of the overall VORTEX2 program, the PIs will field several core VORTEX2 instrumentation systems. The field-project and analysis effort will permit the coordinated collection of multi-platform measurements and their integrated analysis. The diverse data sets will result from fixed and mobile radars, mobile mesonets, and in situ instrumentation with the goal of developing a more comprehensive scientific understanding of the genesis, maintenance, and structure of tornadoes and supercells and their relationship to the environment. This study will combine integrated analyses with those of less comprehensive data from over 130 tornadoes obtained during the Radar Observations of Thunderstorms And Tornadoes Experiment (ROTATE) program (1996-2007). Scientific Motivation and Intellectual Merit: Current level of understanding in several areas of tornado science fails to provide answers to fundamental questions including the true range of sizes, intensities, and structures of tornadoes. The factors governing the occurrence and timing of tornado genesis, growth, intensification, maintenance, and dissipation, as well as the modes of genesis, are hypothesized from previous work, but remain largely unvalidated observationally, as do details concerning vertical wind field profiles, and the evolution and structure of damaging winds near the ground. The specific role of downdrafts in tornadogenesis and the sensitivity of the tornadogenesis process to microphysical and thermodynamic characteristics are not known. Thus, while significant advances have been made in addressing many of these questions using data from the original VORTEX and from ROTATE; these results have been limited. Specifically, VORTEX2 will provide an integration of multiple-Doppler mobile radar data with comprehensive in situ thermodynamic data that has not been achieved previously. Broader Impacts: Improved understanding of tornado genesis, maintenance, structure, and environmental dependencies will have a broad impact on the ability to detect, warn, and forecast these severe events and to reduce subsequent casualties. The fielding of mobile Doppler radars, mobile mesonets, and in situ thermodynamic probes will be led by the PIs. These datasets will be available to the scientific community for both scientific and educational purposes and are likely to be extensively used by a large number of investigators and educators.