A Multi-platform Kinematic and Thermodynamic Study of Tornado Genesis, Structure, and Evolution

美国国家科学基金会和美国国家海洋和大气管理局联合资助的旋涡2（龙卷风旋转起源的验证）项目背后的主要动机是，需要进一步了解和开发更可靠的方法来识别和提供龙卷风形成的预警。在VORTEX2期间的现场作业包括多平台的现场活动，提供了大量的雷暴、龙卷风及其支持环境下的雷达和原位热力学数据。在一个成功的为期两年的多研究者数据收集活动之后，这项研究工作将集中在三个独立但相互关联的主题领域的先进物理理解：(1)规范龙卷风的发生、加强和演变机制；(2)更全面地描述了龙卷风中近地面风及其与建筑结构破坏的关系；(3)利用通过专门定制的移动平台收集的越来越多的近距离高分辨率观测资料，改进了龙卷风特征的气候学描述。在这些研究的过程中，研究人员将寻求增加典型龙卷风行为的先前迹象的鲁棒性，包括龙卷风的首选规模和强度，涡核大小和强度之间的建议负相关关系，以及龙卷风涡旋强度与-à-vis在母中气旋中覆盖的云内环流之间明显缺乏相关性。这项工作的更广泛影响将包括提高探测、预警和预测龙卷风事件的能力，从而降低误报率，并提供信息，帮助结构工程师和应急响应社区。合作将扩展到多所大学，从而支持多名学生的职业发展（包括学位委员会成员）。

The need for improved understanding and development of more reliable means to identify and provide advance warning of tornado formation are key motivations behind the joint NSF-NOAA sponsored VORTEX2 (Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes) project. Field operations during VORTEX2 encompassed multi-platform field activities providing a wealth of radar and in-situ thermodynamic data within severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and their supporting environments. Following on a successful two-year multi-investigator data collection campaign, this research effort will focus on advanced physical understanding in three separate yet interrelated topical areas: (1) Specification of mechanisms contributing to the genesis, intensification and evolution of tornadoes; (2) more comprehensive description of near-surface winds in tornadoes and their relationship to built-structure damage; and (3) improved climatological description of tornado characteristics utilizing a growing suite of close-up, high-resolution observations gathered via specially-tailored mobile platforms. In the course of these studies, researchers will seek to increase robustness of prior indications of typical tornado behavior, including what may be a preferred scale and intensity for tornadoes, a suggested negative correlation between vortex core size and intensity, and an apparent lack of correlation between the strength of tornadic vortices vis-à-vis overlying in-cloud circulation within parent mesocyclones.Broader impacts of this effort will include improved ability to detect, warn for and forecast tornadic events and thereby achieve decreased false alarm rates, as well as provide information that will aid structural engineers and emergency response communities. Collaborations will extend to multiple universities, and thereby support career development (including degree committee memberships) for multiple students.