An Overview of Data Collection Using RaXPol and MWR-05XP: The 2015 and 2016 Storm Seasons

Data were collected in a number of severe convective storms in the Plains of the U. S. during the 2015 and 2016 storm seasons. The datasets are/will be used to address the following broad scientific questions: 

(a) What is the nature of tornadogenesis in supercells?

(b) What is the fine-scale structure of tornadoes?

Also to be studied are the behavior of supercells and fine-scale structures within supercells.

Using RaXPol, a rapid, mechanically scanning, polarimetric, X-band mobile Doppler radar in both 2015 and 2016, and MWR-05XP, a rapid-scan, hybrid phased-array and mechanically scanning, X-band mobile Doppler radar in 2015 only, a number of significant datasets were collected. The four most significant datasets, to be highlighted, are the following:

(a) tornadogenesis and evolution of the Bridge Creek, OK tornado of 6 May 2015:  High temporal resolution volume scans were collected by MWR-05XP

(b) tornadogenesis and evolution to maturity of the Elmer, OK tornado of 16 May 2015:  High temporal resolution volume scans were collected by MWR-05XP and, nearby at the same time, by RaXPol

(c) fine-scale tornado structure, evolution, and dissipation of the Sulphur, OK tornado of 9 May 2016:  Data were collected at very close range, some of which allowed for dual-Doppler analysis with a nearby DOW

(d) tornadogenesis and evolution of the Dodge City, KS tornadic supercell of 24 May 2016:  Data were collected at close range, for a long period of time, and dual-Doppler analyses of the wind field were allowed using the WSR-88D radar at Dodge City (KDDC)

Other less significant, but nevertheless unique datasets collected, will also be mentioned briefly. This presentation will also serve as an introduction to several other presentations, which will provide more detail for analyses of several of the datasets collected.