The effects of varying low-level, environmental stability on low-level rotation in numerical simulations of elevated supercells

Elevated supercell thunderstorms are simulated in idealized, horizontally homogeneous environments containing shallow (less than 1 km deep) stable layers using the Bryan Cloud Model (CM1). The depth and amplitude of the imposed low-level stable layers (which together define the convective inhibition) are varied in a suite of numerical experiments. We will discuss the differences between the elevated supercells and a control supercell initiated in an environment lacking a low-level stable layer for a range of stable layer characteristics. Not surprisingly, preliminary analyses indicate decreasing near-ground vertical vorticity as low-level environmental stability increases. The dynamics governing this tendency will be examined.